Muhammadiyah, NU to foster peace in Maluku<\/p>\n
Tiarma Siboro and Muhammad Nafik, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
With the shaky implementation of the Malino peace accord for
\nMaluku, the country's two largest Muslim organizations plan to
\nfoster ever-lasting peace for the region, which has been racked
\nby inter-religious conflict for the past three years.<\/p>\n
The Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) and Muhammadiyah said separately on
\nMonday that they would send a joint team to Maluku to settle the
\nthree-year-long conflict between Muslims and Christians.<\/p>\n
The two organizations, however, will differ in their approach
\nto implement the peace plan.<\/p>\n
Muhammadiyah chairman Syafii Ma'arif said that the best way to
\nsolve the conflict in Maluku was to implement the Malino accord,
\nwhich was signed by both Muslim and Christian representatives in
\nthe resort hill town of Malino, South Sulawesi, on Feb. 12.<\/p>\n
\"It is true that the Muhammadiyah and NU will send a joint
\nteam to Maluku to see the security development there over the
\nMalino peace agreement,\" he said.<\/p>\n
He said the Muhammadiyah would help persuade Muslim groups
\nopposing the agreement, such as the Laskar Jihad, to accept it
\nand move toward peace.<\/p>\n
\"Those opposed to the agreement are narrow-minded. They don't
\nwant to see long-lasting peace achieved in Maluku,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Toward that end, Syafii said his organization would hold a
\nmeeting with representatives of Muslims and Christians on
\nThursday at its office in Kwitang, Central Jakarta, to find the
\nbest ways to implement the Malino agreement.<\/p>\n
Coordinating Minister for Peoples' Welfare Jusuf Kalla, who
\ninitiated the Malino peace talks, is scheduled to take part in
\nthe meeting.<\/p>\n
Unlike the Muhammadiyah, the NU, according to deputy chairman
\nSolahuddin Wahid, said that it would not rule out an alternative
\nsolution other than the peace agreement, which Solahuddin
\ncriticized as ineffective.<\/p>\n
Solahuddin, also known as Gus Solah, said that \"instant peace
\nagreements\" among warring groups in Maluku would fail to create
\nreal peace for the people.<\/p>\n
\"We appreciate all the efforts pursued by the government to
\nrestore peace in these two troubled regions. Nevertheless, such
\nan instant formula in resolving the problems will be fruitless as
\nit will only be seen as a government program instead of a result
\nof people's aspirations,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Solahuddin made the remarks after a meeting between several NU
\nexecutives with Laskar Jihad chairman Djafar Umar Thalib at the
\nNU headquarters on Jl. Kramat Raya, Central Jakarta.<\/p>\n
Laskar Jihad has been accused by the Christian side in Maluku
\nof worsening the conflict by sending its recruits to the region.<\/p>\n
Gus Solah said the meeting with Laskar Jihad was part of NU's
\nefforts to listen to all the aspirations from the groups involved
\nin the conflict. The NU, he said, would hold other meetings with
\nall those concerned, including the government and a number of
\nChristian groups.<\/p>\n
After a three-year religious conflict in Maluku that has
\nclaimed the lives of at least 6,000 people, the government last
\nmonth initiated peace talks in Malino, South Sulawesi, between
\nthe representatives of Muslims and Christians from Maluku.<\/p>\n
The talks ended with a peace agreement signed on Feb. 12 by
\nrepresentatives of both sides.<\/p>\n
The implementation of the accord for Maluku, however, remains
\nshaky as a number of groups, from both Muslim and Christian
\nsides, have openly aired their opposition.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/muhammadiyah-nu-to-foster-peace-in-maluku-1447893297",
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