Yahya Cholil Staquf: from the pesantren to the world stage

Yahya Cholil Staquf, or who is familiarly called Gus Yahya, is a leading intellectual and spiritual figure in Indonesia and the world. Born on February 16, 1966 in Rembang, Central Java, he came from a family that has a strong generation in Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), one of the largest Muslim organizations in the world. His father, KH. M. Cholil Bisri, is one of the founders of the National Awakening Party (PKB), and his uncle, KH. Mustofa Bisri (Gus Mus), is a charismatic scholar and cultural. This background shapes his life and struggle.

Life and Career Diachronic Travel

The life journey of Yahya Cholil Staquf can be divided into several important phases that show the evolution of his role from a santri to a global leader.

Phase 1: Pesantren and Intellectual Education (1980s)

Yahya Staquf began his education at the Raudlatut Thalibin Islamic Boarding School, Rembang, which was founded by his grandfather, KH. Bisri Mustofa. In pesantren, he studied classical religion, including fiqh, interpretation, and hadith, as well as learning directly from prominent scholars. This education gives him a strong foundation in the moderate and tolerant archipelago Islamic tradition.

At this time, he also showed great interest in social and political issues. He established a close relationship with Abdurrahman Wahid (Gus Dur), who at that time served as Chairman of the PBNU. This relationship is an important turning point in his life. Abdurrahman saw the great potential in Yahya and made him a student as well as a personal assistant.

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Phase 2: Political involvement and spokesman (1990s-early 2000s)

After Gus Dur became President of Indonesia in 1999, Yahya Cholil Staquf was appointed as a spokesman for the presidential. This position placed him in the center of power, where he was involved in national and international political issues. This experience gave him a practical understanding of diplomacy and government, which he later applied in his ideological struggle. However, he did not last long in that position after Gus Dur resident, and chose to return to the intellectual and social paths.

Phase 3: Global Activism and Interfaith Dialogue (2010s)

In this decade, the role of Yahya Staquf extends to the international stage. He became a member of the Senior Advisory Board for the Strategic Dialogue Center, an institution that promotes peace and tolerance. However, the peak point was when he became Secretary General of NU (2015-2021) and actively led the inter-religious dialogue initiative.

In 2018, he became a global spotlight when invited to speak at a conference on peace in Jerusalem. There, he campaigned for the importance of respecting diversity and building tolerance, a message that was welcomed and also criticism. He fought for the idea that Islam, especially through the Islamic Model of the Archipelago, could be a solution for extremism and radicalism.

Phase 4: Nahdlatul Ulama Leadership (2021-present)

At the 34th NU Conference in Lampung in December 2021, Yahya Cholil Staquf was elected as Chairman of the PBNU. His victory marked a new era for NU, where he was committed to bringing this organization in a more global and modern direction. As the leader of NU, he focuses on 3 things. First, the renewal of thought, namely encouraging a friendly understanding of Islam, humanist, and relevant to the challenges of the times, especially in the face of radicalism. Second, the role of the Global NU is to position NU as a key actor in promoting world peace and dialogue between civilizations. Third, the strengthening of the organization is to strengthen the internal structure of NU to be more effective in serving the people and society.

Until now, Yahya Cholil Staquf continues to campaign for Nusantara Islam as an authentic, moderate, and inclusive Islamic model. He is one of the most vocal Muslim figures in opposing extremism and defending minority rights, making him one of the leading voices in moderate Islam in the 21st century.

Story that shook: Visit to Jerusalem

In June 2018, Yahya Cholil Staquf was invited to speak at the Peace Conference in Jerusalem, organized by American Jewish Committee (AJC). Most Muslim leaders avoid visits to Israel because the country’s status is not recognized by Indonesia and Palestinian issues. However, Yahya Staquf decided to come, a decision that suddenly caused a controversial storm in the country.

Many parties, including several politicians and activists in Indonesia, strongly condemned their decisions. They accused him of conducting “normalization” relations with Israel and betrayed the struggle of the Palestinian people. Demonstrations against his visit occurred, and scathing criticism flooded social media. For some people, the steps are considered a moral violation that cannot be forgiven.

However, in the midst of the wave of criticism, Yahya Staquf was not afraid. He has a strong and clear reason. In his speech and the next interview, he explained that his arrival was not to support or recognize Israel. Instead, he came as an Indonesian Muslim who wanted to spread peace messages in the most in need.

“No one can solve the problem just by staying away,” he said. “The problem will not disappear just because we close our eyes. On the contrary, we must face it and dialogue with the people involved.”

According to Yahya Staquf, extremism and conflict were born from the uncertainty to communicate. He argues that if religious and intellectual leaders only speak between themselves, they will never be able to influence those who are at the forefront of conflict. His visit to Jerusalem is a clear proof of this belief: that the path to peace must start from meetings and dialogues, not from hostility and boycott.

Although the controversy continued, the visit confirmed his position on the international stage as a leader who dared to take risks for the principle. This story is not only about physical journey, but about its ideological journey that challenges conventional boundaries and shows that Islam can be a major force for peace and tolerance, even in the most difficult places.

Also read: KH. Yahya Cholil Staquf: Scientific Sanad is the backbone of the pesantren tradition

Author: Kurnia Puspita Wardani

Editor: Muh. Sutan