Yusril Denies Authoring, Involvement in Prabowo Book on Islam

Coordinating Minister for Law, Human Rights, Immigration, and Prisons, Yusril Ihza Mahendra, has explicitly stated that he is not the author of the book "Islam Ala Prabowo: Cara Prabowo Subianto Mengamalkan Ajaran Islam," which is currently being discussed by the public. Yusril explained that his involvement in the book was limited to being interviewed by the compilation team. He denied any participation in the book's conceptualization, title selection, or financing. "I did not write the book. I was only interviewed by the compilation team," Yusril told reporters in Jakarta. He stated that the interview took place long before he was appointed as a minister in the "Merah Putih" cabinet. After the interview, he never saw the transcript or manuscript until the book was published. He also mentioned that he does not accurately remember who interviewed him, as the event occurred a considerable time ago. Yusril is also unsure if the interviewer was a direct member of the book's compilation team. After reading the book in its entirety, Yusril assessed that most of the information he provided had been "quite well" incorporated. He found no fundamental issues with the substance derived from his interview. "What I conveyed in the interview is my view, and I can certainly be academically accountable for it," he stated. Yusril emphasized that this clarification was made to rectify his position concerning the book. He expressed no objection to his views being published and affirmed his readiness to be academically accountable for the substance he conveyed. Furthermore, Yusril pointed out the current societal tendency to judge a work based solely on its title or snippets of information without reading its entirety, which can easily lead to diverse interpretations of a title. He urged that assessments of books, especially those of an academic nature, should be based on a thorough understanding of the entire content and context. The book "Islam Ala Prabowo" was launched as part of the National Coordination Meeting (Rakornas) of the National Zakat Agency (BAZNAS) in Jakarta on August 26, 2025. According to BAZNAS statements and media reports at the time of the launch, the book was initiated by the Speaker of the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR), Ahmad Muzani, along with the Chairman of the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI), Kiai Haji Anwar Iskandar. Regarding the mention of his name in the copyright section of the book, Yusril stated that this was also not discussed beforehand. He believes the inclusion should be viewed proportionally, as the book involves many authors and sources. "If there is any mention, it might be related to my interview segment, but I was never consulted about its inclusion. I do not particularly make an issue of copyright itself," Yusril said, as quoted by Antara news agency. Source: Liputan6