One day after signing a cooperation agreement between the Academy and the Indonesian Ministry of Religious Affairs, the Academy signed an important Memorandum of Understanding with the Indonesian Ulema Council on Sunday morning 3 Dhoul al-Qi’dah 1442 corresponding to 13 June 2021 at the Council’s headquarters in Jakarta.

H.E. Prof. Koutoub Moustapha Sano, Secretary General of the Academy, and H.E. Sheikh Miftah Al-Akhbar, President General of the Indonesian Ulema Council signed the agreement in a ceremony where several members of the Council were present, including the members of the Executive Committee of the Council. Some of the latter followed the signing ceremony via satellite communication.

This agreement represents the conclusions of discussions held between the two parties regarding strengthening cooperation and coordination in various fields of common interest. This memorandum also represents the concrete launch of a promising strategic partnership between the Academy and the Indonesian Ulema Council, the highest Islamic authority in the country, and the first reference for fatwas and legal consultations in Indonesia.

Within the framework of this memorandum, the two parties agreed to maintain integrative and collaborative relations and achieve intellectual and scientific convergence between the scholars and jurists of the Ummah. The two parties also agreed on the joint organization of conferences, seminars, and round tables on the topics and problems of contemporary life and the preparation, exchange, and translation of research and scientific studies and publications.

It is worth mentioning that the Indonesian Ulema Council brings under its umbrella many leading Indonesian Islamic organizations, such as Nahdlatul Ulama Society, Al-Muhammadiyah Association, Shariat al-Islam Society, Arab Islamic Society and others. Its former president, Sheikh Maruf Amin, is the current Vice President of the Republic of Indonesia.