Muhammadiyah urged to address poverty<\/p>\n
Muhammad Nafik, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Muhammadiyah is set to begin a six-day national congress in the
\nEast Java city of Malang on Sunday, with many saying it is called
\nto help the nation address its intricate social and cultural
\nproblems.<\/p>\n
The 30-million strong Muhammadiyah, which is considered to
\nrepresent middle-class or urban Muslims in Indonesia, has been
\ntold to pay serious attention to the real poverty-rooted problems
\nthat most people are facing.<\/p>\n
Some of the challenges for the country's second largest Muslim
\norganization are how to help resolve systemic and endemic
\ncorruption, religious radicalism, terrorism, poverty, health
\nproblems and other social ailments.<\/p>\n
\"The polio virus outbreak and widespread malnutrition make us
\nincreasingly aware that Muhammadiyah is actually one of the
\nnational elements facing such complicated problems,\" Muhammadiyah
\nchairman Ahmad Syafii Maarif was quoted by Antara as saying on
\nFriday in Malang.<\/p>\n
He appealed to participants of the 45th congress to take into
\nserious account the current health problems and make donations
\nfor those afflicted by malnutrition and polio.<\/p>\n
Muhammadiyah has been teaming up with Nahdlatul Ulama (NU),
\nthe country's biggest Muslim organization, to support the
\nnational anticorruption campaign by first fighting graft
\npractices within their own organizations.<\/p>\n
The upcoming congress is expected to outline a clearer vision
\nfor Muhammadiyah in its efforts to combat corruption widely
\nblamed for poverty.<\/p>\n
Another crucial issue is religious radicalism or terrorism,
\nwhich Muhammadiyah has so far appeared not to have dealt with
\naggressively enough.<\/p>\n
How to strengthen its stance and encourage Muhammadiyah
\nmembers and other Muslims to embrace religious pluralism and
\nmoderation as well as to promote interfaith dialog, is another
\nessential challenge.<\/p>\n
\"Even though Muhammadiyah's ideology has been regarded
\n'puritan' in terms of religious political expression, it remains
\nmoderate and tolerant.<\/p>\n
\"Yet, we cannot close our eyes to the fact that both Islamic
\nliberalism and conservatism present challenges for the
\norganization,\" said Hilman Latief, a lecturer from the
\nYogyakarta-based Muhammadiyah University.<\/p>\n
The congress, to be held on the campus of Malang's
\nMuhammadiyah University, will be opened by President Susilo
\nBambang Yudhoyono on Sunday and closed by Vice President Jusuf
\nKalla on July 8.<\/p>\n
Thousands of supporters and participants will attend the
\nnational meeting to elect a new Muhammadiyah chairman. Incumbent
\nSyafii Maarif, 70, has announced he would not run for reelection.<\/p>\n
Strong candidates to replace Syafii include his current deputy
\nDin Syamsuddin, former education minister Malik Fadjar and
\nactivist Rosyad Sholeh.<\/p>\n
Among other nominees are current education minister Bambang
\nSudibyo and his predecessor Yahya Muhaimin.<\/p>\n
Syafii has said Muhammadiyah is asking President Susilo to
\ngive Rp 1 billion (US$103,092) to help it organize the national
\ncongress.<\/p>\n
Congress committee chairman Muhajir Effendi confirmed
\nMuhammadiyah's request for assistance from the President, but
\ndenied the reported nominal amount as specified by Syafii.<\/p>\n
The committee has also received donations from government
\nagencies in East Java and national businesspeople to help finance
\nthe congress, Muhajir added as quoted by Antara.<\/p>\n
However, the overall cost for the event remains unclear.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/muhammadiyah-urged-to-address-poverty-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }