UIN Jakarta Confer Honorary Doctorate Degree to Lukman Hakim Saifuddin

Main Auditorium, UIN News Online – UIN Jakarta confer an honorary doctorate degree in the field of Islamic Studies specializing in Religious Moderationto the Indonesian Minister of Religious Affairs for the period of 2014-2019 Lukman Hakim Saifuddin (LHS) on Tuesday (05/31/2022) held at the Main Auditorium, campus I of UIN Jakarta.

Present in the conferment ceremony, Rector of UIN Jakarta Amany Lubis, Chair of University Senate Abuddin Nata, Vice Rectors, Deans, Director of Graduate School (SPs), and professors at UIN Jakarta.

Also present in the event, Indonesian Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal, and Security Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia Mahfud MD; Indonesian Deputy Minister of the Ministry Religious Affairs Zainut Tauhid Sa'adi; Director General of Islamic Guidance at the Indonesian Ministry of Religious Affairs Kamarudin Amin; Chairman of the Constitutional Court of the Republic of Indonesia for the 2003-2008 period, Jimly Asshiddiqie; Culturalist Sujiwo Tejo and other invited guests.

Professor and Rector of UIN Jakarta for the period of 1998-2006, Azyumardi Azra who also acted as promoter, said that Lukman is a figure who plays a major role in promoting religious moderation. While serving as the Indonesian Minister of Religious Affairs, Lukman rolled out the ideas and practices of religious moderation in creating a harmonious pluralistic society.

“Lukman Hakim Saifuddin initiates, formulates, and implements the idea of religious moderation which is projected not only as an idea, but also a movement with the aim of creating a harmonious state and religious life in a pluralistic society,” said Azra.

Azra added that Lukman's religious moderation did not happen suddenly but was the result of a long process of forging a family environment, his work in the Islamic mass organization Nahdlatul Ulama, politicians from the PPP faction, members of the DPR-MPR RI legislature.

“Religious moderation was also born as a form of his concern for the reality of conflict and social turmoil with religious nuances in the country,” he said.

Although he is no longer serving as Minister of Religious Affairs, he continued, Lukman is considered consistent in encouraging religious moderation as a strategy to build a harmonious pluralistic society.

“The conferment of an Honorary Doctorate degree to Lukman Hakim Saifuddin is a strategic step to reaffirm the attitude of the UIN Jakarta academic community, or the extended family of Indonesian Muslims and even the mainstream of Indonesian Islam in order to strengthen peace, inclusiveness, cultural religiosity, and orientation towards peace and public welfare,” said Azra.

On the same occasion, Rector of UIN Jakarta Amany Lubis said that the conferment of honorary doctorate degree given by UIN Jakarta as a form of appreciation to Lukman who dedicated himself in formulating ideas as well as the practice of religious moderation.

Various social upheavals with religious nuances, she said, showed that the Indonesian state and people needed a holistic approach in creating a harmonious community life.

“Therefore, we need the thoughts from Lukman Hakim Saifuddin who share the same vision with UIN Jakarta,” she said.

For information, Lukman Hakim Saifuddin was born in Jakarta on November 26, 1962 to Saefuddin Zuhri and Solichah. He studied at SD Negeri Jakarta and Madrasah Ibtidaiyah Manaratul Ulum Jakarta, SMP Negeri XI Jakarta, Pondok Modern Darussalam Gontor, Ponorogo, East Java (1983), and a bachelor’s degree at the Faculty of Da’wah, As-Syafiiyah Islamic University, Jakarta (1990).

At the age of 35, he became a member of the Indonesian People’s Representative Council for the 1997-1999 period from the United Development Party (PPP). He was subsequently re-elected in the 1999, 2004, and 2009 legislative elections, eventually becoming the Deputy Speaker of the People’s Consultative Assembly.

At the end of 2014, he was appointed by president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono as Minister of Religious Affairs, replacing Suryadharma Ali, and when Joko Widodo was elected as the new president in 2014, he was reappointed as Minister of Religious Affairs fin the 2014-2019 Working Indonesia Cabinet.

Apart from being the Minister of Religion, LHS was also active in various organizations. He was noted as Deputy Chair of the Program Development Division of the Saifuddin Zuhri Foundation (1994-present), Deputy Secretary of the Central Executive Board of the Nadhlatul Ulama Family Welfare Institution (1985-1988), Secretary of YISC Al-Azhar (1985-1988), Chairman of the NU Lakpesdam Board (1992-1995), Member of the Board of Education and Training Center of the PPP DPP (1994-1999), Head of the PPP DPP Education and Training Center (1999-2003), Secretary of PH DPP PPP (2003-2007), Head of PH DPP PPP (2007-2012), Head of the Lakpesdam Study Program NU (1989–1995), and Project Manager Helen Keller International, Jakarta (1995–1997). (zm/usa)