Religious leaders gather at Lirboyo Pesantren to support Yaqut Cholil Qoumas

Dozens of senior Islamic scholars (kiai) gathered at the Lirboyo Islamic Boarding School in Kediri, East Java, on Wednesday to pray for former Minister of Religious Affairs Yaqut Cholil Qoumas. The meeting was initiated by Qoumas's family to clarify his legal situation.

Qoumas is currently a defendant in a corruption case involving additional Hajj quotas for 2023-2024 at the Jakarta Central Corruption Court. Spokesperson KH Muhibbul Aman Aly expressed concern regarding the Indonesian legal system, stating that there is a significant discrepancy between the indictments and the facts presented during the trial. The scholars called on law enforcement to ensure a dignified and just legal process.

KH Muhyiddin Ishak noted that the scholars and Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) represent a significant portion of the republic, while KH Abdullah Kafabihi Mahrus emphasized that the gathering aimed to defend the truth, describing Qoumas as being treated unjustly.