OIC ministers try to erase negative views on Islam
OIC ministers try to erase negative views on Islam
JAKARTA (JP): Foreign ministers from Islamic countries around
the world are coming to Jakarta next week to try to combat
perceptions that often equate Islam with terrorism.
This five-day gathering of the Organization of Islamic
Conference marks the first time Indonesia has hosted the foreign
ministers' meeting.
Indonesian Minister of Foreign Affairs Ali Alatas, who will
chair the meeting, said yesterday that efforts to correct this
erroneous image will top the agenda.
"There are so many misperceptions about Islam," Alatas said,
"As if Islam were synonymous with violence, terrorism."
Ministerial level representatives from 53 delegations will
attend the meeting, which will be held at the Jakarta Convention
Center. As host, Indonesia will take over the ministerial level
chair from Guinea.
President Soeharto will open the meeting.
Among the dignitaries scheduled to attend are Iranian Foreign
Minister Ali Akbar Velayati, Palestinian Foreign Minister Farouk
Quaddoumi, Egyptian Foreign Minister Amr Moussa and former
Turkish Prime Minister Tansu Ciller.
Formed in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, in May 1971, the OIC is
composed of 53 countries which are either Islamic states or, like
Indonesia, states whose majority population is Moslem.
Middle Eastern and African states dominate the membership
roster. Indonesia, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Brunei, Malaysia and
Pakistan make up the Asian contingent of OIC membership.
Alatas said the ministers would seek to find solutions to
correct prevailing misperceptions about Islam.
"We are trying to develop a cultural information program to
combat this," he said.
Among other negative views, Islam is often considered
synonymous with radicalism, extremism and fundamentalism in the
eyes of the non-Moslem world.
"(We want to) point out that radicalism and extremism is found
in all religions," Alatas said.
The label of religious fundamentalist is also wrongly equated
with terrorist tendencies, he said, while in essence the term
means nothing more than someone who holds dear the fundamental
teachings of a belief.
Without ignoring the importance of burning political issues,
Alatas said in its chairmanship, Indonesia would like to focus on
strengthening mutual investment and trade among Islamic nations.
Despite the huge potential, economic cooperation within the
OIC is an area not yet fully exploited. Alatas pointed out that
the OIC is the only Third World organization which has its own
bank, the Islamic Development Bank.
Another major issue on the agenda is selecting a new OIC
secretary general to replace the outgoing Hamid Algabid.
On-going political issues such as the Middle East peace
process and the crisis in Afghanistan will also figure into the
meetings.
Indonesia's most notable contribution in the OIC framework was
facilitating the peace settlement between the Moro National
Liberation Front and the government of the Philippines two months
ago. (mds)