Summit to counter misperceptions on Islam<\/p>\n
Bambang Nurbianto, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Around 150 of the world's Muslim leaders from 50 countries will
\nbegin a three-day summit here on Friday aimed at countering
\nvarious misperceptions on Islam among Westerners following the
\nSept. 11 terrorist attacks on the U.S.<\/p>\n
\"The Islamic world has been under pressure as they (Western
\ncountries) misunderstand Islam. The summit will provide them with
\na proper understanding,\" former president Abdurrahman \"Gus Dur\"
\nWahid told journalists on Wednesday.<\/p>\n
Gus Dur is one of the summit's initiators. Others are Louis
\nFarakhan of the U.S. Nation of Islam; Imam Zaki Badawi from the
\nLondon-based Muslim College; Sulayman Nyang, project director of
\nthe Muslim in the American Public; and Abdul Aziz Sachedina from
\nVirginia University.<\/p>\n
Gus Dur, a senior leader of Indonesia's largest Muslim
\norganization, Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), said the initiators hoped
\nthat the results of the summit would change Westerners' erroneous
\nviews on Islam that had persisted after the September tragedy.<\/p>\n
The attacks on the Pentagon in Washington and the World Trade
\nCenter in New York, blamed on Osama bin Laden, have prompted
\nsuspicions about Islam and Muslims living in the West.<\/p>\n
The U.S. has even imposed discriminative policies against
\nyoung men applying for visas in a number of Muslim countries.<\/p>\n
The summit covers religion and spirituality, social
\nresponsibilities and national stability, and interreligious and
\ninternational relations.<\/p>\n
Other issues on the agenda include human rights, poverty,
\neducation, morality, interfaith and intercultural concerns.<\/p>\n
Former foreign affairs minister Alwi Shihab, who is also a
\nnoted Muslim scholar, said the summit could be used by Indonesia
\nto show the country's actual situation, following threats by
\nIslamic hard-liners to \"sweep\" Westerners in response to the
\nbombing of the Taliban by the U.S. and its allies.<\/p>\n
\"We can explain to the world that most Indonesian Muslims have
\nmoderate views, while Islamic radicals are only a minority
\ngroup,\" said Alwi, currently chairman of Gus Dur's National
\nAwakening Party (PKB).<\/p>\n
Gus Dur said radicalism and terrorism would also be discussed
\nduring the summit.<\/p>\n
Islam is against violence or terrorism, Gus Dur said, adding
\nthat anarchy carried out by certain Muslim groups could only be a
\nreaction against inequitable conditions, which the authorities
\nhad failed to handle properly.<\/p>\n
He cited, as an example, that the recent violent raid on
\ngambling dens and entertainment centers in the East Java town of
\nNgawi by militant Laskar Jihad forces was a response to the
\nreluctance by police to take firm action against what the former
\nperceived as sinful establishments.<\/p>\n
\"It is very clear that gambling is prohibited by the law, but
\nthe police did not take measures against them (gamblers). Some
\npolicemen even back up such activities,\" Gus Dur said.<\/p>\n
The police in Ngawi arrested 102 Laskar Jihad members after
\nthe sweep, in which they seized six gamblers. But the authorities
\napparently refused to detain any gamblers, including several
\nactivists of President Megawati Soekarnoputri's Indonesian
\nDemocratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan).<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/summit-to-counter-misperceptions-on-islam-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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