Indonesian Ulema Council
Indonesian Ulema Council (Indonesian: Majelis Ulama Indonesia - MUI) is Indonesia's top Muslim clerical body. The council comprises all Indonesian Muslim groups including Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), Muhammadiyah, and the more subtle name like Persis, Al Irsyad, Majelis Mujahidin Indonesia (MMI), Hizbut Tahrir Indonesia (HTI), Forum Ulama Umat Islam (FUUI) and the Islamic Defender Front (FPI). The Ahlul Bait Indonesia (Shi'ite) and Jemaat Ahmadiyyah Indonesia (Ahmadiyya) could not be accepted as its member. It was founded by the Indonesian New Order under the Suharto administration in 1975 as a body to produce fatwā and to advise the Muslim community on contemporary issues.
Roles
The government, at the creation of the MUI stated three broad goals for the MUI:
Strengthening religion in the way the Pancasila describes to ensure national resilience.
Participation of the Ulama in national development.
The maintenance of harmony between the different religions in Indonesia.
The MUI acts as an interface between the Indonesian government, which is secular, and the Islamic community.