All faiths must rise up against terrorism: Susilo<\/p>\n
Sri Wahyuni, The Jakarta Post\/Yogyakarta<\/p>\n
President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono urged world leaders of all
\nreligions on Monday to rise up against the scourge of terrorism
\nand demonstrate that faith is a force for peace.<\/p>\n
\"To my mind, terrorism today must be regarded as the enemy of
\nall religions,\" he said while opening the two-day International
\nDialog on Interfaith Cooperation at the Sheraton Mustika Hotel in
\nYogyakarta.<\/p>\n
\"In the end, the forces of light, reason and hope must
\noverpower the forces of darkness, despair and violence,\" Susilo
\nadded.<\/p>\n
The gathering was co-sponsored by Indonesia and Australia,
\nwhich is keen to encourage moderate forms of Islam within its
\ngiant neighbor. As many as 124 religious leaders from 13 Asia-
\nPacific countries are in attendance.<\/p>\n
The delegates ranged from Buddhist monks in orange robes to
\nMuslim muftis and Catholic cardinals. Jews, Protestants, Hindus
\nand Confucionists. But one key regional player, Malaysia, was
\nabsent as the meeting opened.<\/p>\n
The President also called for the promotion of tolerance among
\nreligious followers across the globe as part of the world's war
\non terrorism.<\/p>\n
\"We must redeem them from narrow-mindedness, from prejudice
\nand intolerance, and from the poverty of their spirit and ideas.
\nTolerance building is very much part of development,\" he said.<\/p>\n
\"People of faith like you are committed to bringing
\nenlightenment and the most positive human values like tolerance
\nand compassion,\" he added.<\/p>\n
Susilo hoped the dialog would result in the establishment of a
\npermanent forum for the exchange of ideas and insights to help
\npeople understand and effectively deal with their fundamental
\nproblems.<\/p>\n
\"People of faith like you have the responsibility to bring
\nyour message of truth, unity, and hope deep into the grassroots
\nof society. And that message will resonate strongly among peace-
\nloving people at all levels,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Speaking at the same event, Australian Foreign Affairs
\nMinister Alexander Downer said the war on terror would falter and
\nfail if it was not prosecuted vigorously in pulpits, mosques,
\nsynagogues, temples and schoolrooms as well as in parliaments and
\nthe mass media.<\/p>\n
\"I have no hesitation in saying that the gift of faith can
\nfortify us in all our various efforts to combat terror and
\nviolence. The friendships and shared understandings which arise
\nout of participation in dialogs like this one will, I'm sure, be
\nfruitful,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Downer said that one of the reasons why the dialog was so
\ntimely was because the peace and harmony of the world was under
\nthreat.<\/p>\n
Reviving bonds between moderate clerics and followers of
\ndifferent faiths holds the key to crushing Asia's formidable
\nnetwork of extremist militants, he said.<\/p>\n
\"The real challenge is to build understanding between moderate
\nleaders. That is the great challenge.<\/p>\n
\"Most followers of the great religions of the region and the
\nworld are moderate people. To get moderate leaders together and
\nfor them to promote their messages I think is enormously
\nimportant,\" Downer said.<\/p>\n
He said that a terrible perversion of religion, with a violent
\nface, is threatening moderate believers and states.<\/p>\n
Indonesian Minister of Foreign Affairs Hassan Wirayuda
\nconcurred, saying the success in the fight against terrorism in
\nthe medium and long term depends on the successful efforts to
\nempower moderates.<\/p>\n
\"Religion and culture are the core components of civilization.
\nHence, promoting dialog among nations is an important global
\nagenda,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Ahmad Syafii Maarif, who chairs Muhammadiyah -- Indonesia's
\nsecond biggest Muslim organization, told the forum that the
\ndialog is aimed at empowering moderates and putting a lid on
\nextremism.<\/p>\n
\"If injustices persist such (extremist) groups will continue
\nto flourish. They are idealistic but I think their idealism is
\nsilly,\" he was quoted by AFP as saying.<\/p>\n
In recent years Indonesia has been rocked by a series of
\nbloody clashes between Christians and Muslims as well as deadly
\nattacks blamed on Jamaah Islamiyah (JI).<\/p>\n
These include the October 2002 Bali bombings in which 202
\npeople died and last year's Marriott hotel bombing, which claimed
\n12 lives.<\/p>\n
JI has also been accused of involvement in a deadly strike
\noutside Australia's Jakarta embassy in September that left 11
\ndead.<\/p>\n
In Buddhist Thailand, violence this year in the country's
\nMuslim-dominated south has left more than 550 people dead, while
\nthe mainly Christian Philippines is also fighting Muslim
\nmilitants.<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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