Magelang Mayor Urges Islamic Religious Counselors to Strengthen Social Harmony

On 29 July 2026, a coordination meeting of the Islamic Religious Counselors' Working Group (Pokjaluh) was held in the New Kebon Tebu hall in Magelang, Central Java. Mayor Damar Prasetyono stressed that the roughly 480 counselors operating across the former Kedu Residency play a strategic role as front‑line partners of the government in fostering religious harmony and national resilience.

The mayor highlighted that their duties now extend beyond preaching to include mentoring Ustaz, Kiai and local communities, adapting dakwah methods to digital communication, and undergoing standardized performance evaluations that measure outcomes such as Quran memorisation and overall social wellbeing. He called for continued capacity‑building, better inter‑regional coordination, and innovative service delivery, while noting ongoing collaboration with the Ministry of Religious Affairs and support for mosque leaders and other faith‑based actors.

The meeting aimed to share experiences, strengthen coordination among counselors, and improve the quality of religious services so they can better address contemporary social challenges in the digital era.