The founder of Sarekat Islam an Islamic political organisation in Indonesia, in 1911 to protect the Javanese from Chinese traders. The Sarekat Degang Islam (Association of Islamic Traders) was established in 1911 to promote the interests of the Indonesian Muslim traders, who were facing competition from the Chinese. Umar Said re-organised it and gave it the name Sarekat Islam in 1912. By 1914, Sarekat had become a religious movement. In the early years of the movement, Umar Said met a number of young nationalists, among whom, was Sukarno, the future first president of Indonesia. Umar Said became his mentor and also Sukarno's father-in-law. In 1921 he was jailed by the Dutch authorities but released in 1922. By 1923, Sukarno who had already broken his marriage with Umar Said's daughter, and also broke politically with him. However, they later reconciled. In 1926, after his release from jail Umar said started writing for Bandera Islam a journal edited by him. He gradually faded out of politics.