Haula Noor, Nur Syafiqah Mohd Taufek – The swift fall from grace of an unconventional Islamic preacher in Indonesia holds object lessons for the rich and famous, in the world's most populous Muslim country.
The community of religious preaching in Indonesia has come under scrutiny amid concerns about the disconnect between the actions of some preachers and the moral values they advocate. In particular, one regrettable incident in December 2024 involving Gus Miftah (Miftah Maulana Habiburahman) brought these issues to the forefront. On 22 October 2024, President Prabowo Subianto had appointed Miftah as a special envoy for religious harmony. However, Gus Miftah's disrespect toward an elderly tea seller, Sunhaji, sparked a fierce backlash that forced Miftah's resignation days later. The preacher's failure to uphold Islam's core values, such as humility, compassion, and respect, deeply offended public sensibilities. The incident raised more concerns about the credibility of some preachers and their ability to live by the values they preach.
During a religious gathering in Magelang, Central Java, Miftah was onstage with a microphone and was recorded insulting Sunhaji, calling him an "idiot" (goblok), while the latter was selling iced tea and other beverages in the meeting place. The audience laughed, as did other prominent preachers on stage, including Habib Zaidan Yahya and Usman Ali Salman. The incident immediately sparked widespread criticism from the public, who deemed the preachers' behaviour as arrogant and inappropriate. At least seven online petitions demanding justice for Sunhaji were created on Change.org. Even Malaysia's Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim expressed regret over Miftah's remark.
Following widespread criticism, Miftah visited Sunhaji's residence in Magelang to apologise in the presence of media. He resigned from his position as the presidential special envoy after being in office for just 46 days. More recently, Miftah organised a religious gathering near Sunhaji's residence with promotional materials featuring images of Sunhaji, along with Habib Zaidan and comedian Cak Percil. Yet many view Miftah's actions as superficial attempts to repair his image rather than a genuine effort to reflect on his behaviour. Despite Miftah's past efforts to portray a welcoming image of Islam, his reputation has been tarnished – possibly irretrievably. Miftah, who often mixes humour with his preaching, claimed that his comment against Sunhaji was part of a joke.
This is not the first time that Miftah has got himself into trouble. Following the Sunhaji incident, past videos of his offensiveness, including making an inappropriate joke about a female audience member's voice, have resurfaced. Miftah is known throughout Indonesia for his eccentric preaching style. He has reached out to marginalised groups such as former gang members and ex-convicts, and delivered sermons in unconventional places like nightclubs or churches.
While some critics have thought that his style was misguided and caused more harm than good, Miftah's actions sparked little controversy in the past. In fact, his popularity surged after he successfully guided popular public figure Deddy Corbuzier in his conversion to Islam in 2019. Some members of the public appreciate Miftah and believe that his methods make religion more accessible, including to non-Muslims.
The seriousness of the Sunhaji incident was that it was not merely a case of 'humour' gone wrong. At the time, Miftah was the President's Special Envoy for Religious Harmony and Religious Facility Development. His remit was, ironically, "to build international communication on religious moderation and tolerance". Arguably, in this capacity, Miftah was expected not only to represent Indonesia's Muslim community at the national level but also Indonesia at the international level. Interestingly, Miftah's resignation highlights the Prabowo government's firm stance against misconduct and, possibly, its swift efforts to distance itself from controversy, especially this early in the presidency.
Indonesians widely saw Miftah's offensive remark toward Sunhaji as a glaring display of insensitivity to the struggles of Indonesia's poor underclass. The stark image of a politically and religiously privileged individual insulting a vulnerable person struggling to make ends meet struck a powerful chord in Indonesian society, where widespread poverty and large income disparities are deeply sensitive challenges. Miftah's rudeness glaringly contradicted the fundamental tenets of Islam, which emphasise empathy, humanism, and care for the poor and underclass.
The incident not only raised serious questions about Miftah's credibility and character as a preacher but also cast doubt on the suitability of his erstwhile appointment as the president's envoy tasked with promoting tolerance and harmony. It has sparked reflections in Indonesian society on what responsibilities religious and political leaders must have to embody the values they advocate. It also highlights the potential risks of appointing charismatic but unconventional figures whose actions may undermine public trust in the very institutions they represent.
The swift fall from grace of Gus Miftah should send a clear message to other charismatic preachers and their patrons, in Indonesia or elsewhere: populist styles of preaching can backfire if preachers become arrogant and disconnected from the very communities they aim to inspire and the religious values they wished to promote.
[Haula Noor was a Visiting Fellow in the Regional Social and Cultural Studies Programme at the ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute. She is a lecturer at the Universitas Islam Internasional Indonesia (UIII), and a researcher at the Center for the Study of Islam and Society (PPIM) UIN Jakarta. Nur Syafiqah Mohd Taufek is a Research Officer at the ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute.]
Source: https://fulcrum.sg/the-controversy-of-indonesias-gus-miftah-a-public-backlash