Soeharto to open Islamic conference on technology

JAKARTA (JP): President Soeharto will open the first conference of The International Islamic Forum for Science, Technology and Human Resources Development next Friday, while Malaysian Deputy Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim is scheduled to give an address.

The forum, also known by its acronym IIFTIHAR, will establish a "plan of action" rather than study Islamic concepts on issues such as science, technology or human resource development, according to organizers.

"The event will be action-oriented, not a conceptual one," announced conference chairman Jimly Asshiddiqie at a press conference here yesterday.

Some 400 local and foreign participants of the three-day conference will discuss strategies for accelerating human resource development, and exchange views on science and technology development. However, the gathering is also expected to foster international cooperation among Moslem communities.

The "plan of action" will address developing databases for information networking, exchanging experts, conducting training and research, and establishing Islamic centers.

Minister of Education and Culture Wardiman Djojonegoro, scholar Imaduddin Abdulrachim, and Ahmad Totonji of Saudi Arabia attended the press briefing.

The Jakarta-based IIFTIHAR is a non-governmental organization founded in Mecca on June 2 of this year by leaders of six Islamic organizations. They were B.J. Habibie of the Association of Indonesian Moslem Intellectuals (ICMI), Ahmad Mohammad Ali of Islamic Development Bank, Saleh bin Obeid of Mecca-based The Moslem World League, Abdullah Musleh of The Commission on Scientific Miracles of the Quran and the Sunnah, Tawfik Al-Shawi of The International Federation of Arabic and Islamic School and Ahmad Totonji of The International Institute of Islamic Thought.

The forum appointed B.J. Habibie chairman.

Totonji told The Jakarta Post that Habibie was elected chairman and Jakarta named the forum's center because Indonesia is already noted for science and technology development.

"We hope we can benefit much from the forum because Indonesia is the model for other Moslem countries," Totonji said.

About 97 percent of Indonesia's 195 million population are Moslems. (03)