Indonesia's Majelis Ulama Indonesia Highlights Century-Long Support for Palestine

The Indonesian Council of Ulama (Majelis Ulama Indonesia, MUI) reiterated that Indonesia’s backing of the Palestinian cause has persisted for roughly a hundred years. Bunyan Saptomosaat, chair of MUI’s International Relations Commission, made the statement during the opening of the Global Coalition for Al‑Quds & Palestine (GCQP) in Istanbul, Turkey, on 17 July 2026. He cited early ties dating to the 1920s, when Indonesian students in Egypt joined broader Islamic independence movements and supported both Indonesian and Palestinian liberation efforts. Figures such as Prof. Abdul Kahar Muzakir, who attended the 1931 World Islamic Conference in Jerusalem, and Indonesian youths who died fighting the British in the 1930s were highlighted as early symbols of solidarity.

The MUI remarks linked historic cooperation to later diplomatic recognitions, noting that Arab and Palestinian leaders acknowledged Indonesia’s independence after its 1945 proclamation. In addition to MUI, several Indonesian philanthropic bodies—including Rumah Zakat, Qudwah, Adara and Smart 171—participated in the Istanbul forum, underscoring a broad, long‑standing network of support for Palestine.