By: Rida Fatmawati *)
From the start of his victory in the 2014 presidential election, President Joko Widodo was labeled as an anti-clerical government. Apparently the news did not break up until then. Until his term as president was almost gone, he was still accused of assuming an anti-clerical government.
In fact, in the period of this year when he again ran for presidential candidate, the assumption was still attached to him. A number of people still continue to consider Jokowi an anti-cleric. The news is confusing and leads to the accusation. There have even been rumors that Jokowi is a non-Muslim follower. This is alleged on an unclear basis.
In fact, long before Jokowi became president and was still in the business of furniture, he had already been seen actively worshiping in the closest mosque in Solo, where Solo was a place to live as well as his land. Jokowi also actively conducts friendships with the caregivers of Islamic boarding schools. Where the session aims to provide support to santriwan and santri to diligently study religion. He said, he did this at the Islamic boarding school in the country without favoritism. How could this be attributed to Jokowi who was branded with anti-clerics? The proof, he always stay in touch from one Islamic boarding school to another Islamic boarding school.
It turned out that the hobby of visiting Islamic boarding schools was not only done in the past. Even after becoming the number one person in Solo and Indonesia, he was even more active in visiting a number of Islamic boarding schools in Indonesia. This he did to provide support, both moral and material in the form of a good message to the students and in the form of material support for the construction of Islamic boarding schools.
Visits – this visit is not only done in certain areas. He reached the far corners of the country. An example is his arrival at the Darussalam Purwokerto Islamic Boarding School, where the location of the pesantren is in a city including a small city. However, his enthusiasm to stay in touch and provide assistance in the form of boarding schools specifically for orphans did not decide his intention. He still visited this boarding school, even free of charge – giving only various door prizes to the santri. This is what made him known by the santri community. Because he was very close to the santri. Like there is no distance.
Another proof that Jokowi is not a government that is anti-ulama or more aggressively called the government that has criminalized the ulama is his nomination as president in this 2019-2024 period. In this year’s Presidential Election, the number 1 presidential candidate chose to join KH Ma’ruf Amin, who is a great Indonesian cleric and former Chairman of the MUI who is known as a qualified figure in Islam. Then, where is the truth on the charges of Jokowi’s anti-cleric? While clearly on his candidacy in the upcoming presidential election he took the great ulama to participate in leading the country so that the conditions were better.
So, this is the answer and evidence from Jokowi to the people and all people who have labeled it as a government that criminalizes scholars. That is not true. If it is true what was said by a group of people regarding his anti-ulama government, of course in this period Jokowi did not cooperate with the Vice-Chancellor. Precisely because Jokowi was close to the ulama so that he asked for the help of these ulamas to contribute to the success of his leadership.
Whether we realize it or not, this step by Jokowi in cooperating with the great cleric KH Ma’ruf Amin is the right way to silence the tilted accusations on him. Therefore, people are always encouraged to be able to filter opinions – opinions that are sometimes not based on facts. As a reader and also a good observer, this community should be able to distinguish between real news and hoax news, so that people will not regret their choice later.
This news was also responded by KH Ma’ruf Amin who confirmed that Jokowi was very close to the ulema. Moreover, Jokowi’s bluster, which often visited several Islamic boarding schools in his homeland, was done quite often. This is proof that Jokowi was indeed close to the ulama community since a long time ago. It’s not seasonal when he will run again to become president. That is why then the presidential candidate Jokowi received the title award as Indonesian Santri. Because, in addition to his familiarity with the scholars and santri, he also succeeded in establishing the National Santri Day.
This then made him closer to the santri. His friendly and not awkward figure when mingling with the pious people, also helped make him get a pretty good appreciation among scholars. That is why many scholars support him and accompany him. This is the latest evidence that Jokowi is not a government that criminalizes clerics.
*) The author is a student at IAIN Jakarta