Nobel laureate to visit Indonesia

JAKARTA: Iranian Nobel laureate Shirin Ebadi is expected to present her view on Islam during an international seminar hosted by the Swiss government and the Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie (OIF) here on March 18.

The OIF is an international organization of French speaking countries.

Ebadi, who won the Nobel peace prize last year, will join Soheib Bencheik of France, Remy Madinier of the French National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS), Mathias Diedrich of the Goethe Institute, Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) chairman Hasyim Muzadi and Muhammadiyah chairman Ahmad Syafii Maarif and Franz Magnis Suseno of the Driyarkara Institute of Philosophy as speakers of the seminar in Jakarta.

This year, Switzerland is coordinating the seminar, to be held at the Nikko Hotel on Jl. MH Thamrin.

Titled "Islam and Universal Values: Islam's Contribution to the Construction of a Pluralistic World", seminar participants will share their views on Islam's contribution as a religion and a value system to world ethics and how it could serve as a common denominator in international relations and in tackling global challenges in a pluralistic world. -- JP