Chairman of Indonesia’s largest Muslim organization, Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), Yahya Cholil Staquf, widely known as Gus Yahya, is facing mounting pressure to step down following the circulation of an internal memorandum issued by NU’s Syuriyah (Supreme) Council. 

The document, signed by Rais Aam (Chief) of the Supreme Council, KH Miftachul Akhyar on Thursday, November 24, 2025, alleges serious violations involving the invitation of a speaker perceived as linked to international Zionist networks, as well as concerns over financial governance within the organization.

The memorandum, which has spread widely on social media, states that Gus Yahya has three days to resign or face dismissal. The controversy has drawn the attention of major international media, including Al Jazeera and Reuters, further amplifying the internal tensions within NU.

Al Jazeera, in an article published on Saturday, November 22, 2025, titled “Indonesian Muslim group tells leader to resign over pro-Israel speaker”, reported that the triggering issue was the invitation of Peter Berkowitz, a former U.S. State Department official known for his pro-Israel views and rejection of accusations of genocide in Gaza. The Qatar-based outlet noted that the NU’s Syuriyah Council cited Berkowitz’s alleged affiliation with “international Zionist networks” as a key concern.

The report also highlighted that Gus Yahya had apologized, acknowledging the invitation as a mistake stemming from insufficient background checks on the speaker. Meanwhile, NU secretary-general Yusuf Saifullah urged NU members to remain calm and avoid being influenced by potentially misleading information, asserting that the matter is being handled through proper internal mechanisms.

Reuters likewise ran a story on Saturday, November 22, 2025, under the headline “Indonesia's biggest Islamic group asks chief to resign over invitation to pro-Israeli speaker”. In addition to the speaker controversy, Reuters underscored that the internal memorandum raises suspicions of financial mismanagement under Gus Yahya’s leadership − concerns that could further damage the organization’s reputation.

Quoting NU official Najib Azca, Reuters reported that the decision to demand Gus Yahya’s resignation was directly linked to his invitation of Berkowitz, who participated as a lecturer in an NU political thought training program in August 2025, before the controversy erupted.

Reuters also noted that Berkowitz is widely recognized for writing in support of Israel’s military campaign in Gaza, intensifying backlash within Indonesia, a country where public sentiment strongly favors Palestinian causes.

The dual controversies involving ideological sensitivity and financial governance have fueled a rare public challenge to the NU chairman. Analysts say the pressure reflects deeper concerns about leadership direction in one of the world’s most influential Muslim organizations.

NU Executive Board has defended that Yahya Cholil Staquf will remain as chairman until the end of his term. The decision was made during a gathering of Islamic scholars held by the NU executive board on Sunday, November 23, 2025 in Jakarta.

"We agreed that the NU leadership must serve one term, with the congress in approximately one year. There will be no impeachment, no resignations. Everyone agrees on that. Everyone is 100 percent committed," Secretary of the Syuriyah Council Ahmad Said Asrori said in a press statement.

This statement also responded to the widespread circulation of a document demanding Gus Yahya's impeachment, purporting to be from the NU Syuriyah Council meeting on November 20, 2025.

The document cited two reasons for the resignation request: the invitation of speakers deemed affiliated with international Zionist networks to the NU National Leadership Academy program, and alleged violations of NU Executive Board financial management deemed to be in conflict with Articles 97–99 of the NU Bylaws.

A member of the Syuriyah Council, Kiai Abdul Muhaimin, confirmed that these two issues were indeed part of the material discussed in the circulating minutes.

NU chief’s response

Responding to the letter, Gus Yahya expressed suspicions about the document's authenticity and administrative standards. He admitted that he had not yet received the letter in official form from the Syuriyah Council.

"I have not received it physically yet. The one circulatedon social media does not meet the standards for official organizational documents," he said as quoted by Suryadaily on Monday, November 24, 2025.

He highlighted the use of manual signatures in the document, which he said did not comply with current NU administrative procedures.

"If the official signature is digital, it can be fully accounted for when it was signed, by whom, and so on. If it's manual, there's a high risk of plagiarism," he said.

The impeachment issue has sparked speculation about potential division within NU.

However, the NU Executive Board's official stance confirms that there are no impeachment. The Islamic Scholars Forum has expressed full support for all Executive Board officials completing their term of service until the next Congress.