February 3, 2026 | 12:38 pm
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - President Prabowo Subianto invites a number of Islamic civil society organizations to the Presidential Palace on Tuesday, February 3, 2026, to discuss Indonesia's membership in the Trump-backed Board of Peace and what it means for the Palestinian people.
Some of those invited include the Central Board of Muhammadiyah, the Executive Board of Nahdlatul Ulama (PBNU), and the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI). The meeting is scheduled for later today.
The Secretary General of the Central Board of Muhammadiyah, Abdul Mu'ti, has received the invitation, and confirmed his attendance with the Chair of the Central Board of Muhammadiyah, Syafiq Mughni.
"From Muhammadiyah, Professor Syafiq Mughni and I will be present," said the man who currently serves as the Minister of Primary and Secondary Education, as quoted by Antara on Tuesday.
The Secretary General of the Executive Board of Nahdlatul Ulama, Saifullah Yusuf, also confirmed the invitation. "Yes, the event is scheduled for 2:00 p.m. local time," said Saifullah, who also serves as the Minister of Social Affairs in President Prabowo's cabinet.
Meanwhile, the Vice Chair of MUI, Cholil Nafis, mentioned the meeting agenda with the Head of State. "I was also invited this afternoon to discuss the Board of Peace," he said.
Indonesia officially joined the Board of Peace initiated by President Donald Trump on Thursday, January 22. President Prabowo personally signed the Charter of the Board of Peace during the World Economic Forum held in Davos, Switzerland.
Indonesia is one of the 20 countries present at the launch of the Board of Peace, alongside other majority-Muslim countries such as Turkey, Egypt, Jordan, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates.
After signing the Charter of the Board of Peace, Prabowo claimed that the suffering of the people in Gaza, Palestine, has been alleviated. "It is clear that the suffering of the people of Gaza has been reduced, alleviated. Humanitarian aid has been entering the enclave on a massive scale. Indonesia is ready to participate," Prabowo told media crew in Davos on Thursday, January 22, 2026, as quoted from the official statement of the Presidential Secretariat.
Indonesia's decision has drawn widespread criticisms, including from former Deputy Foreign Minister Dino Patti Djalal. Through his X account, Dino requested a more detailed explanation from the Foreign Minister because the government's explanation was deemed too normative and abstract. Dino posed nine questions, ranging from Indonesia's rights and obligations, guarantee of member equality, to the potential for business interest conflicts.
Dino also questioned the mechanism for resolving differences of opinion in the Board of Peace, the position of Palestinian representatives, and the permanent membership fee said to amount to US$1 billion. "This is transactional and elitist. Will Indonesia pay? In my opinion, it should not," said Dino. He also highlighted the risk of Gaza becoming an international project that disregards the rights of the Palestinian people.
Dede Leni Mardianti contributed to the writing of this article
Read: Prabowo Responds to Israeli Attack on Gaza
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