Thousands to join Muslim conference in Maluku

Thousands to join Muslim conference in Maluku

AMBON, Maluku (JP): Thousands of Muslims were scheduled to
gather in the compound of Al-Fatah Grand Mosque here to take part
in a three-day conference starting Monday, the event's organizer
said on Sunday.

Chairman of the Maluku Muslim conference Lutfi Sanaki said the
conference would mainly discuss how to unite the Muslim people's
vision in connection with the current communal conflict in
Maluku.

"We insist on holding the conference despite protests from
many groups asking for the event to be postponed. This gathering
is urgent to unite the vision and mission of Muslims in response
to the current conflict here," Lutfi told The Jakarta Post.

More than 2,000 people from across and outside the islands
were invited to the event, he added.

Noted Muslim scholar Nurcholish Madjid, former chairman of the
Indonesian Muslim Intellectuals Association (ICMI) Adi Sasono,
rector of the Jakarta-based Syarif Hidayatullah Islamic Teaching
Institute Azyumardi Ahzra, former Maluku military commander Lt.
Gen. Suaidi Marasabessy and another former top military officer
who served in the province, Brig. Gen. (ret.) Rustam Kastor, are
scheduled to speak in the gathering.

Many have expressed apprehension and concern that the event
would worsen the already shaky ceasefire in the Maluku capital of
Ambon, which has been unsettled by a prolonged clash between
Muslims and Christians.

Chairman of Maluku's Islamic Defenders Front (FPI) Abbas Samed
met the Maluku Governor Saleh Latuconsina on Friday to ask the
latter to ban the planned gathering, saying certain groups could
exploit the conference to create chaos and this in turn would
tarnish Islamic teachings. (49)