Moslems told to forge ties with non-Moslem groups
JAKARTA (JP): Moslems throughout the Asia-Pacific region must forge ties and cooperate with people of other religions, President Soeharto said yesterday.
Moslems in this part of the world live in plural societies, not only in terms religion, but also ethnicity, language and culture, Soeharto said when opening the Conference on the Propagation of Islam in the Asia-Pacific at the State Palace.
"Within this pluralism, the Moslem community must be able to show that Islam is a `blessing for the entire universe' and that the peace, salvation and prosperity that are the attributes of Islam must also be felt by people of other faiths," he said.
This principle, he said, should apply whether Islam is the predominant religion in a country, or a minority community, Antara reported.
The congress's opening ceremony, which was attended by the Saudi Arabia Minister for Islamic Affairs and Propagation, Abdullah Abdul Muhsin At-Turki, came on the eve of a major Islamic cultural festival in Jakarta.
The Istiqlal Festival, to be held at the Grand Istiqlal Mosque, will be opened by the President tonight and will run for two months.
Grand Imam
In a connected event, the chairman of the World Council for Da'wah, Grand Imam Shiekh Al-Azhar Gad Al-Haqq of Egypt, will begin a 10-day visit to Indonesia today. The council is an international organization which promotes the spread of the Islamic faith. The Grand Imam will also address the conference on Sunday.
Soeharto pointed out in his speech that a quarter of the estimated one billion Moslems in the world live in the Asia- Pacific region.
Moslems must strive to become role models wherever they live, he insisted.
The propagation of Islam must be able to answer some of the major problems confronting humankind, he said. It must also promote eternal peace and find peaceful ways of solving conflicts.
Soeharto cited the disparity between the rich and poor nations and the presence of abject poverty in many parts of the world as some of the major problems that remain to be solve.
Ulemas and Moslem leaders must be able to bring the people towards progress with the help of science, he said, adding that besides the study of religion, Moslems must also master science and technology.
The propagation effort must encourage Moslems, particularly youths, to master science and technology, he underlined.
The Saudi Minister, Abdullah Abdul Muhsin, said his government will continue to promote Islamic propagation efforts in the eastern part of the world.
He said Moslems must also dispel Islam's poor reputation and counter accusations leveled at Islam and its adherence, such as "terrorism and extremism". (emb)