Bismillahirrahmanirrahim,
Distinguished Guests, Your Excellency Mr. Sugiono, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia, Professor Haedar Nashir, General Chairman of Muhammadiyah, Excellencies, Ladies and Gentelemen,
Assalamu Alaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh,
It is with great honor and deep respect that I join you here in Yogyakarta, a center of Islamic learning and cultural heritage, to witness the launch of the Unified Islamic Hijri Calendar, a historic initiative led by Muhammadiyah, one of the largest and most influential Islamic organizations in the world. On behalf of His Excellency, Mr. Hissein Brahim Taha, Secretary General of OIC, I stand his greetings and appreciation on this significant occasion. Allow me to express my highest appreciation to Muhammadiyah for this visionary step. This initiative represents a concrete science-based and faith-inspired effort to foster unity among the Muslim Ummah through the standardization of the Islamic calendar, one of the most sensitive yet essential aspects of our religious life.
The relevance of this initiative finds its strong resonance in the OIC’s objectives and recent resolutions.
Notably, resolution No. 1/51-C, particularly on the Unified Hijri Calendar, adopted during the 51th Session of the OIC Council of Foreign Ministers (CFM) in Istanbul, 2025, encourages Member States to adopt a unified Hijri calendar based on the precise astronomical calculations, in order to enhance religious coherence and strengthen cooperation among OIC Member States.
Resolution number 1/51-C acknowledges the outcomes of key initiatives towards unifying the Hijri Calendar, including: the 2009 Scientific Symposium in Tunis attended by the OIC General Secretariat, International Islamic Fiqh Academy (IIFA), and Member States; The 2016 International Conference on the Unity of the Hijri Calendar in Istanbul, hosted by Diyanet and attended by experts from around 50 countries; previous resolutions supporting the Dar Al-Iftaa’s satellite project with Kairo University and Egypt’s Center for Aerospace and Studies; and the UAE’s efforts through two meetings of Sharia schools and astronomers in 2016-2017, that endorsed calendar unification.
The launch today by Muhammadiyah is not only a technical milestone, it is a spiritual and institutional breakthrough. It aims to enable Muslims across the globe to observe Islamic religious days, on the same days, grounded in shared scientific and religious legitimacy. This achievement is even more remarkable when we consider the magnitude and reach of Muhammadiyah.
H.E. Ambassador Tarig Ali Bakheet, Organisation of Islamic Cooperation Assistant Secretary-General for Humanitarian, Cultural, Social, and Family Affairs
With an estimated membership of over 50 million individuals, and a vast network of more than 170 universities, thousands of schools and pesantren, hundreds of hospitals, clinics, orphanages, and humanitarian service centers. Muhammadiyah is not only a religious movement, it is a force for civilizational development within Indonesia and beyond. Such institutional strengths make Muhammadiyah uniquely positioned to influence and guide reform with the Muslim World, including through this unified calendar initiative.
We also commend the leadership of the Republic of Indonesia, under H.E. President Prabowo Subianto, and the support of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, H.E. Mr. Sugiono, for fostering an enabling environment for initiatives that enhance Islamic solidarity, scientific progress, and inter-Muslim cooperation.
To Professor Haider Nashir, your leadership continues to inspire confidence and direction not only among Muhammadiyah’s members, but also across the global Muslim community. This calendar is a reflection of Muhammadiyah’s values: reform, unity, and service for the Ummah.
Indeed, the journey towards unity is not simple, it requires patience, vision, and the courage to bridge differences through dialogue, science, and society. But today, from this very city of Yogyakarta, we witness a historic step forward, and the OIC is very keen to work closely with Muhammadiyah and other stakeholders, in line with OIC resolutions in this regard, to socialize and encourage broader adoption of this unified calendar model across the Muslim world.
May Allah SWT bless this noble effort and reward all those involved. May this initiative become a beacon of unity and progress for generations to come.
Thank you.
Wassalamu Alaikum warahmatullah wabarakatuh.
