By: Muhammad Zaki )*
Indonesian President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) is again the influential Muslim world leader in the 2020 edition. This proves that President Jokowi’s leadership is recognized by the international community and protects the Muslim community.
The phrase don’t look at someone from the outside is true. Lots of people do this to other people. Though actions like this are including prejudice, and certainly not justified, because it would be categorized as slander.
Including the circulation of slander to President Jokowi, regarding his ignorance of the interests of Muslims. Even so, it seems that the number one person does not take it seriously. However, shocking news came when the name of the former mayor of Solo was included in the list of 13 influential Islamic figures in the world. This also proves that the accusations addressed to him have been refuted.
Reporting from various sources, President Jokowi has been named as an influential Muslim figure in the world. He is ranked 13th, out of 50 other Muslim figures. It is known that this survey was carried out by the Center for Strategic Islamic Studies of the Kingdom of Jordan specifically in the upcoming 2020 edition. This institution is popularly known as The Royal Islamic Strategic Studies Center (RISSC).
This institution is one of the independent research institutes affiliated with the Royal Aal Al Bayt Institute for Islamic Thought, which is headquartered in Amman, Jordan. There are about 500 names that have entered into it.
RISSC chose these Muslim leaders from various categories, including scholarship, religion, politics, lecturers and spiritual guides, social issues, philanthropy, business, science and technology, Qur’an reciters, arts and culture, including celebrities and sports stars, as well as extremists. .
As reported, the influential Muslim figure who came first was Sheikh Muhammad Taqi Usmani. The second place was occupied by Ayatollah Haji Sayyid Ali Khamenei. The President of Turkey also entered in row number 6.
This news is the second time Jokowi got the title. Previously he was ranked 16th. A number of names of celebrities in the country were also recorded in the survey, including the General Chairman of the PBNU namely, KH Said Aqil Siradj who was ranked 20th as well as the Chairman of the World Sufi Ulema Forum or known as Al Muntada ‘Sufi Al’ Alami Habib Lutfi bin Yahya who is ranked 33
While in the category of ruler and Jokowi ranks ninth. Another celebrity in the country is Kiai Said Aqil who placed eighth in the category of scholars and lecturers. While in the 33rd place is occupied by the former Chairman of PP Muhammadiyah Din Syamsuddin.
From the news, responses were busy. One of them is Mardani Ali Sera as Chairman of the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) DPP. He congratulated President Jokowi on being named. He said the great achievement demanded Jokowi to really give a role to solve the problems of Muslims. Because, this is a mandate. He mentioned that Jokowi really needs to immediately resolve the problems in Indonesia and ASEAN. For example, attention to Muslim refugees and government support. Including the Rohingya Muslim polemic in Myanmar which demanded the role of the Indonesian Government’s initiative to intervene. Even with the development of Islamic economics in the archipelago.
Congratulations also came from the Chairman of the DPP PDIP Ahmad Basarah, who was also a chairperson of the MPR 2019-2024. He stated that Jokowi’s rise in the ranks of influential Muslims in the world helped prove that the effectiveness of Jokowi’s leadership had been recognized worldwide. He considered if Jokowi had succeeded in leading a country with a Muslim majority population.
In addition, this was also considered to have helped prove the legitimacy of Jokowi who led a country with a majority Muslim population which was not a religious state but a religious national state.
Based on the above events it can be concluded, that we should not underestimate the ability of others. Including accusing him of things we don’t know about. Congratulations on the election of President Jokowi as one of the most influential Muslim figures in the world. And hopefully he can carry out the mandate and make Indonesia a country with a Muslim majority even better.
)* The author is a social political observer