'The Peacemaker'; Story of Batak Cleric and Indonesian Freedom Fighter, Tuan Syekh Ibrahim Sitompul

JAKARTADAILY.ID – Ahead of Indonesia's independence day on August 17, 1945, the former Chairman of the Indonesian Muslim Batak Jamiyah (JBMI) Albiner Sitompul launched a book entitled "The Peacemaker."

"The Peacemaker" is a book that tells the story of the struggle of Tuan Sheikh Ibrahim Sitompul, a Batak cleric in Indonesian independence and the spread of Islam in Tapanuli, west Sumatra.

Uniquely, the book was launched at the house of Tuan Syekh Ibrahim Sitompul in the village of Janji Angkola, Purba Tua District, North Tapanuli, North Sumatra, Wednesday, August 10, 2022.

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Albiner Sitompul recounts the book 'The Peacemaker: Tuan Syekh Ibrahim Sitompul, Thariqat Naqsyabandiyah Fighters and Nationalists from Tapanuli' which tell the story of Tuan Sheikh Ibrahim Sitompul's struggle as a Batak cleric.

According to him, Tuan Sheikh Ibrahim Sitompul, apart from being an Indonesian freedom fighter, was also one of the proponents of the Naqsyabandiyah Tariqat on the island of Sumatra.

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"Alhamdulillah, Master Sheikh Ibrahim Sitompul's book in the land of Promise Angkola has officially been launched," said Albiner in a written statement, Wednesday, August 10, 2022.

The former Head of the Press, Media and Information Bureau of the Indonesian Presidential Secretariat said the compilation of the book 'The Peacemaker' was carried out to document the struggle of Tuan Sheikh Ibrahim Sitompul as a Batak cleric.

"The writing of the book started from a strong intention, which coincided with the status of a grandson, to retell how the Batak Ulama, Tuan Sheikh Ibrahim Sitompul, was told," he said.

Albiner added that the book also tells about childhood life until Tuan Sheikh Ibrahim Sitompul converted to Islam and became a Batak cleric.

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"The book will tell when Tuan Sheikh Ibrahim was born until he died, and what his religion was before Islam, and how he lived during his life," he explained.

"Until he was recognized as the figure of the Batak Ulama, or the figure of the Peacemaker from Bumi Jani Angkola who continued the struggle of Sisingamangaraja," he added.