Jakarta's Nahdlatul Ulama Board Chairman acknowledges India's pain, says exploiting religion for violence wrong

Jakarta [Indonesia], May 30 : In a reaffirmation of the deepening strategic and cultural ties between India and Indonesia, KH Ulil Abshar Abdalla, Chairman of the Nahdlatul Ulama Executive Board, underscored the shared challenges both countries face in combating terrorism and promoting peace. His remarks came during a meeting with the visiting Indian parliamentary delegation in Jakarta.

"Both India and Indonesia have gone through this challenge of terrorism. I shared our experience of tackling the problem of extremism with our colleagues from India. Both countries have similar desires to achieve economic development, political stability, peace and harmony. We share a similar vision and aspirations," Abdalla said.

Abdalla said that if people exploit religion to legitimise violence, then it can be very dangerous.

"Of course, certain groups in Islam promote violence in the name of Islam. This is not right because Islam is a peace-loving religion and Muslims are peace-loving people. I said to our colleagues from India that the biggest victims of terrorism are not Hindus, Buddhists, or Christians. The biggest victims are Muslims themselves... That's why the first people who are concerned about tackling this problem are Muslims themselves... People living in South and Southeast Asia want peace and harmony because economic development and political stability cannot be achieved without it... If people do not have a proper and correct understanding of religions, and exploit religions to legitimise violence, that's dangerous... I told our colleagues from the Indian Parliament that the deepest geological layer in Indonesian history is shaped by Indian history and civilisation... So, India and Indonesia should collaborate on a people-to-people basis too," he said.

Echoing these sentiments, JD(U) MP Sanjay Kumar Jha, who is leading Group 3 of the All-Party Delegation, shared insights from the same meeting, noting Abdalla's empathy towards India's concerns and his assurance of support within the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC).

Jha said that Abdalla, being a Muslim, expressed that he understands the pain of India. He also recalled visiting the Mahakumbh and pointed out that the Muslim population in India is larger than that of Pakistan. Yet, Pakistan mobilises support within the OIC to pass resolutions against India. Abdalla, Jha said, assured that he would look into the matter.

Speaking about the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam, Jha told ANI, "The innocent people were killed in Pahalgam after ascertaining their religion... They wanted to destroy the communal harmony of India. We conveyed our concerns to them... They also appreciated India's economic growth."

The delegation also met with leaders of Indonesia's National Mandate Party (PAN), where Jha emphasised Pakistan's role in promoting terrorism while contrasting it with India's economic progress. The Indonesian leaders acknowledged the involvement of the Pakistan Army in supporting such activities and assured their full support.

"This dialogue is part of our broader effort to counter misinformation about India's internal security challenges at international platforms like the OIC, while also showcasing India's economic trajectory," Jha said.

In addition to political engagements, the delegation interacted with leading Indonesian think tanks and academic institutions such as the Indonesian Council of World Affairs (ICWA), Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), Foreign Policy Community of Indonesia (FPCI), The Habibie Center, Indo-Pacific Strategic Intelligence (ISI), Center for Indonesia Policy Studies (CIPS), University of Indonesia, and Indonesia Air Power Studies Center.

According to the Embassy of India in Jakarta, the delegation conveyed a strong and unified national message of zero tolerance for cross-border terrorism. Discussions with Indonesian counterparts reflected an understanding of India's position and a shared commitment to tackle false narratives propagated by vested interests.

The delegation includes MPs Aparajita Sarangi (BJP), Abhishek Banerjee (TMC), Brij Lala (BJP), John Brittas (CPI-M), Pradan Baruah (BJP), Hemang Joshi (BJP), Salman Khurshid, and Mohan Kumar, alongside JD(U) leader Sanjay Kumar Jha.

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