Minister Yusril Objects to the Title of the Book ‘Islam ala Prabowo’

Yusril Ihza Mahendra says his name appears in the book “Islam ala Prabowo,” but he is not one of its authors. The coordinating minister said his involvement was limited to being interviewed by the team that prepared the book.

“I did not write it,” Yusril said in a press statement received by Republika in Jakarta. He said he was never involved in discussions about the title, the book’s concept or its financing. He could not remember exactly when the interview took place, only that it happened before he became a minister in President Prabowo’s cabinet.

Yusril also said he did not know who interviewed him and had never requested a transcript or the original interview material. Despite that, he said he found no fundamental problem with the book’s substance after reading it in full, particularly the sections based on his interview.

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I did not write it.

“I have now read the book in full to the end. What I said in that interview reflects my views and, of course, I can defend them academically,” he said.

His main criticism concerned the title. Yusril argued that “Islam ala Prabowo,” which can be understood as “Islam in Prabowo’s style,” could trigger strong perceptions and interpretations because many people rely on a headline without reading the full content. He said “Prabowo and Islam” would more clearly signal a discussion of the relationship between Prabowo and Islam. The book, which appeared the previous week, runs to more than 330 pages and includes contributions attributed to prominent figures.

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If the title were, for example, ‘Prabowo and Islam,’ in my view it would be easier to understand as a discussion of Prabowo’s relationship with Islam.