Religious leaders to gather for peace prayers

Religious leaders to gather for peace prayers

Suherdjoko, The Jakarta Post, Semarang

Around 350 Buddhist monks from 31 countries and a number of
prominent Indonesian religious leaders will gather for a peace
prayer ceremony on Friday in the Borobudur Temple complex in
Magelang, Central Java.

Event organizing committee chairman KB Sutrisno said on
Tuesday that before partaking in the World Peace Prayer ceremony,
the delegates would visit the Yogyakarta Kraton where Sultan
Hamengkubuwono X would cordially greet them.

The delegations of male and female monks will include those
from Malaysia, Thailand, the Philippines, Myanmar, Cambodia,
South Korea, India, Hong Kong and Macau.

Also present will be monks from Australia, Canada, the
Netherlands, Britain, Switzerland, Laos, the United States,
Bangladesh and Denmark, as well as observers from China.

Indonesian participants include Muslim scholars Abdurrahman
"Gus Dur" Wahid and Nurcholish "Cak Nur" Madjid, Indonesian
Bishops Conference chairman Julius Kardinal Darmaatmadja,
Communion of Indonesian Churches leader Nathan Setiabudi and
Moral Indonesian Reconciliation Movement chairman Habib Chirzin.

Indonesian Confucian Highest Assembly (Matakin) chairman Budi
Santoso Tanuwibowo, Hindu priest Ida Resi Dwijawanti and leader
of the Indonesian Conference on Religion and Peace (ICRP) Djohan
Effendi will also attend.

The prayer ceremony is sponsored by the World Buddhist Sangha
Council (WBSC) executive conference in observance of the end of
2003, Sutrisno told a news conference, accompanied by WBSC
official Bikkhu Sri Pannyavaro Mahathera.

Minister of Religious Affairs Said Agil Munawar is scheduled
to open the gathering.

"What is of great importance in holding the World Peace Prayer
is to respond to evil crimes like terrorist attacks that have
taken place across the globe including Indonesia," Mahathera
said.

"We hope the prayers would permeate and bring the message of
peace, wisdom and love for all people," he added.

Mahathera said the Buddhist monks want to bring peace, and it
must start from deep within their heart as a candle for others.

Sutrisno further said the event was hoped to instill a
spiritual experience for the participating religious leaders from
several parts of the world and bring good news that Indonesia is
a safe place to visit, unlike what has so far been reported in
the foreign media.

Besides the event, a Buddhist conference on education and
culture will be held on Dec. 18.

Furthermore, the delegation will attend the opening ceremony
of the Mahavira Graha temple at Marina Beach in Semarang which
would later be closed by the president and secretary general of
the World Buddhist Sangha Council.

Earlier on Thursday, the monks will convene for a conference
of world Buddhist leaders in Jakarta to discuss cooperation in
culture and education.