Nasaruddin Umar: Forest Waqf Initiative needs to be propagated
Forest Waqf campaign integrates with BWI so that the movement is comprehensive.
REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA — Minister of Religious Affairs (Menag) Prof. KH Nasaruddin Umar welcomed the formation of the Indonesian Waqf Forest Forum after holding a focus group discussion (FGD) attended by eight waqaf forest institutions/communities/communities in Jakarta last Monday.
According to Menag, initiatives in the form of a waqaf forest forum need to be expanded given the wide coverage of Indonesia. Moreover, Menag revealed, the Forest Waqf campaign integrates with the Indonesian Waqf Agency (BWI) so that the movement is more comprehensive.
Menag also appreciated MOSAIC's role in initiating the Forest Waqf so that its movement is more massive. “The more people cooperate with something sublime it will be better. The more people participate in the path of truth the better,” Menag said after the Evening Charity Dinner entitled 'Ecotheology in Action, Green Waqf Movement for Sustainable Forest Preservation 'at the Ministry of Religious Affairs (Kemenag), Jakarta, Tuesday (23/4/2025).
Furthermore, Menag said, the Forest Waqf movement will bequeath the young generation a beautiful world. According to Menag, the movement initiated by Moslem for Shared Actions on Climate Impact (MOSAIC) is a symbol of human hope for sublime values.
“Without trees, there is no legacy from parents to children. To inherit the forest means to pass on sublime values. Without the forest, there would be no life. Without fertility, without nobility, without constancy,” Menag said.
According to Menag, humans look forward to trees because of their multifunctional nature. As a child, the tree will be lush and refreshing. Once the tree grows, it will produce fruit. Even after death it can produce firewood it will even become a fossil which will become coal. “Because it's never unhelpful. The Prophet said, “Plant a tree even if tomorrow the apocalypse will come. So let's plant a tree,” Menag said.
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MOSAIC Chairman Nur Hasan Murtiaji explained that the Forest Waqf campaign is aligned with the ecotheology program initiated by the minister of religion. He also appreciated the move by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to plant one million trees simultaneously in commemoration of Earth Day on Tuesday (22/4/2025).
Hasan said MOSAIC, which collaborates with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, has also conducted a roadshow of the Forest Waqf last Ramadan to four waqf cities, namely Wajo, Gunungkidul, Tasikmalaya and Padang. Three of the four cities have committed to establishing waqf forests in their respective areas.
In addition to the existing waqaf forests, namely in Aceh, Bogor, Gunung Sindur and Mojokerto, there are at least seven spots of waqaf forest scattered throughout Indonesia. “With the concept of forest, ecological preservation has an economic impact and contributes to education,” he said.
Hasan, who is also the Director of PT Republika Media Mandiri, also revealed that MOSAIC has conducted a focus group discussion (FGD) that resulted in the formation of the Indonesian Waqaf Forest Forum. Not only that, the FGD also produced a roadmap for the next five years on the development of the waqf forest, which will be started by strengthening the competence of nazhir through the principle of Good Nazhir Governance.
