Show Islam peace-loving: Mega
Show Islam peace-loving: Mega
Fabiola Desy Unidjaja and Adianto Simamora, The Jakarta Post,
Jakarta
President Megawati Soekarnoputri urged Muslim leaders to show the
peaceful, moderate side of Islam in a bid to end the perception
that Islam and violence are one and the same.
In her speech marking the opening of the International
Conference of Islamic Scholars here on Monday, Megawati
emphasized the need for Muslims to work together to fend off the
stigma and formulate a movement to bring the peaceful nature of
Islam into reality.
The perception of violence in Islam should no longer be
prolonged as Indonesians need to show that it is peaceful, she
said. She added that the challenge for the Muslim scholars is to
prove that it was a fallacy to believe that different religions
could not co-exist.
"Islamic scholars need to formulate and develop socio-
religious conceptions that are more open and tolerant," the
President added.
The country's largest Muslim-based organization, Nahdlatul
Ulama (NU) is organizing the conference to promote moderate Islam
in the wake of the war against terrorism.
After the devastating Sept. 11, 2001 attack, perpetrated by
the militant Islamic group al-Qaeda, and ensuing acts of terror
across the world attributed to hardline Muslims, Islam has been
stigmatized.
Indonesia, the largest Muslim-majority country in the world,
fell victim to terror attacks at the hands of homegrown zealots
in the Bali blasts in October 2002 and the JW Marriot Hotel
bombing in Jakarta in August 2003.
The President emphasized that any act of violence, regardless
of one's conviction that they could be justified by religious
beliefs, would not be tolerated.
She boasted that Indonesia had shown unquestionable vigilance
to eliminate acts of terror.
"This nation repudiates and legally prosecutes those
perpetrating violence against others, despite (the perpetrators
defense that they were justified by jihad)," the President said.
NU chairman Hasyim Muzadi said the conference was aimed at
reinstating Islam as a way of life and not part of global
conflicts.
He added that Muslims should empower themselves, so there
could be no more reason to justify any moves to oppress Islam for
the sake of peace.
"Once we can show the world what true Muslims are, then there
will be no more justification for those who attack us because of
a religion or hatred," Hasyim said.
He went on to state that the conference should provide the
world with an understanding that Islam was a blessing for the
universe, and promised that Indonesian Muslim leaders would work
with leaders from other countries to promote a common perception
of moderate Islam.
"We hope the conference can improve the image of Islam and
contribute to world peace," Hasyim reiterated.
The conference hosed around 300 delegates from over 40
countries for the three-day meeting, and they will deal with
several issues, including education and the mass media.
At the end of the conference they are expected to issue a
declaration of peace and a series of action plans to promote and
empower moderate Muslims.
In another part of her speech, Megawati reiterated Indonesia's
stance against injustices that Muslims are facing when dealing
with developed countries.
The United States' occupation of Iraq and the ban against
Muslim headscarves in France are two examples of unjust treatment
of Muslims, Megawati claimed.
"Whether they realize it or not, those discriminative acts are
test cases on whether those big countries are serious in
practicing the human rights that they have preached to the whole
world," Megawati asserted.
Interview -- Page 2