MUHAMMADIYAH.OR.ID, SURABAYA – The Community Empowerment Council (MPM) of the Central Board of Muhammadiyah (PP Muhammadiyah) officially inaugurated the Muhammadiyah Fisherfolk Association (Jamaah Nelayan Muhammadiyah/JALAMU) across East Java on Sunday (25/01) in Surabaya.
The event was attended by Muhammadiyah Central Board Chairperson Busyro Muqoddas; Chairperson of MPM PP Muhammadiyah M. Nurul Yamin and his team; as well as the Chairperson of the Surabaya Regional Leadership (PDM Surabaya) and its members.
The inauguration carried the theme “Strengthening Ukhuwah, Reinforcing the Maritime Da’wah of Muhammadiyah Fisherfolk.” Through JALAMU East Java, Muhammadiyah aims to build shared understanding and stronger synergy in developing da’wah and empowering fishing communities in coastal areas.
JALAMU inauguration received appreciation from Busyro Muqoddas. He expressed hope that JALAMU would serve as a defender of the livelihoods and rights of fisherfolk in Indonesia.
“This reflects the reality that fisherfolks are people who struggle earnestly to make a living from the sustenance granted by Allah,” he said.
Muhammadiyah’s Support on Marginalized Communities
On this occasion, Busyro reaffirmed Muhammadiyah’s commitment to standing with marginalized communities. The commitment, he emphasized, extends not only to fisherfolk, but also to various other community groups based on different livelihoods.
In reality, many marginalized communities have suffered adverse impacts from development. They are often not involved, or even excluded, from development planning processes.
Busyro stressed that marginalized communities must become a central concern in development initiatives. Development, he warned, must not instead deepen class inequality in Indonesia.
Meanwhile, in his remarks, M. Nurul Yamin stated that da’wah among fishing communities is a mandate of the 48th Muhammadiyah Muktamar National Congress held in Surakarta in 2022, which emphasized strengthening da’wah among grassroots communities.
“The Community Empowerment Council is tasked with empowerment efforts, including the fisheries sector, alongside agriculture, persons with disabilities, labor groups, underdeveloped and frontier regions and other dhu’afa and mustadh’afin communities,” he explained.
The JALAMU pledge was led directly by the Chair of JALAMU Central Board, Muhammad Prima Putra. One notable point of the pledge was a call to encourage future generations of fisherfolk to return to the sea.
Translator: Bintang Adrian
