Religion enters the realm of foreign affairs

Religion enters the realm of foreign affairs

Endy M. Bayuni and Wahyoe Boediwardhana, Nusa Dua Beach, Bali

Diplomats, bureaucrats and journalists take note: Religion, long
regarded as one's personal and private domain, is entering the
realm of foreign affairs.

Religious scholars and leaders took center stage in Bali as
President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono opened an interfaith dialog on
Thursday, bringing representatives from 39 countries grouped to
the Asia Europe Meeting (ASEM) forum.

The message could not have been clearer from the President --
religions were now too precious to be left out of international
diplomacy.

"Not long ago, in international discourse on peace and
security, religious leaders and scholars used to take a back
seat. And even when they gathered, they were hardly noticed,"
Susilo said in his keynote speech launching the two-day dialog.

"Your presence here today is a break from that. By taking part
you are taking a frontline position in actively promoting
cooperation, tolerance and understanding, without which no
national or international order can succeed."

Leaders of the world's major faiths took turns in speaking
about the need to promote interfaith dialog and the challenges
facing communities and nations they face.

The event, organized by the Indonesian and British
governments, came two weeks after the deadly London bomb attacks
that killed more than 50 people, and raised fears of sowing
further discords in interfaith relations, not only in Britain but
also worldwide. British police have identified the four
perpetrators as their own citizens of Pakistani origins.

Kim Howells, the British Minister of State for the Foreign and
Commonwealth Office, said the London bombing made the discussions
here even more relevant.

"It is especially poignant that I should be saying this in
Bali which three years ago was also the victim of a vicious and
heartless terrorist attack. The messages from Bali and London are
the same," said Howells in his opening remarks.

"When you try to divide us or weaken our resolve, we will not
be divided and our resolve will hold firm," he said, quoting
Prime Minister Tony Blair.

What the dialog is not about is that Asian and European
governments are starting to bring down the walls that separate
state and religion. The Indonesian government is facilitating the
discussions, but it is largely staying out of the discussions of
the substance. The same holds for diplomats represented in ASEM
present in Bali.

It is clear however that the ASEM governments hoped to see a
greater role played by religious scholars and leaders, as Susilo
said in his speech.

"For you are more than just leaders and scholars of your
faith. Millions of people over the world look to you for
guidance, direction and inspiration. You therefore have a
responsibility, and have much to contribute, to the wellbeing of
our world."

This is the second international interfaith dialog organized
by Indonesia, the country with the largest Muslim population in
the world. The first one at the Asia Pacific level was held in
Yogyakarta in December.

Among the religious leaders who addressed the forum on
Thursday were Azizan Baharuddin of Malaysia, Iqbal Sacranie of
Britain, Azyumardi Azra of Indonesia, University of Aarhus
scholar Viggo Mortensen of Denmark, Jaran Maluleem of Thailand,
Abraham Velez de Cea of Spain, Eswaran Sukumar of Singapore and
Judith Belifante of the Netherlands.

Azyumardi welcomed the involvement of governments in matters
that essentially have been the domain of religious and community
leaders in promoting peaceful coexistence among people of
different faiths.

"It takes the dialog to a higher and crucial level, and it is
needed in the context of fighting off violence and terrorism
conducted by groups professing to fight in the name of their
religion," he told The Jakarta Post.

All participants agree that the spirit and the cordiality
shown in the discussion should be replicated at the grassroots
level.

The session broke into four groups later on Thursday to
identify actions and measures on interfaith dialog in the sectors
of education, culture, the media and religious leaders.

The meeting winds up later on Friday with a declaration.