World Moslem leaders to visit Indonesia
World Moslem leaders to visit Indonesia
JAKARTA (JP): A group of prominent Moslem world leaders are
scheduled to visit Indonesia and meet with President Soeharto and
a number of Indonesia's Moslem figures this week.
Sudanese Gen. Abd. Rahman Siwaru El Zahab, deputy chairman of
the Islamic International Council for Da'wah (propagation) and
Relief, or IICDR for short, and several other council members
will arrive on Friday, and pay a courtesy call on President
Soeharto the next day.
Minister of Religious Affairs Tarmizi Taher will receive the
delegation that will also attend the seventh International
Seminar on the Miracle of Koran and Prophet Mohammad's Deeds in
Science and Technology from Aug. 29 to Sept. 1 in Bandung, West
Java.
El Zahab is a former president of the Republic of Sudan.
The other prominent members of the council include secretary
general Dr. Kamil El Syarif, who is a former minister of Jordan;
Dr. Abdullah Umar Nashif, deputy spokesman of the Saudi Arabian
parliament; Dr. Ahmad Mohammad Ali, former president of the
Islamic Development Bank; and Dr. Mochtar Ambo, former education
minister of Senegal.
Indonesia's representative will be Dr. Anwar Haryono, who is
also chairman of the Indonesian Council of Islamic Propagation
(DDII).
The delegation will also meet Minister of Foreign Affairs Ali
Alatas, as well as members of Moslem organizations including the
Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI), Nahdlatul Ulama and Muhammadiyah.
Mazni Yunus from DDII said the visit is intended to strengthen
ties between Indonesia and other Moslem countries, as well as
introduce the council.
Established in 1988 in Cairo, Egypt, IICDR concerns itself
with issues such as monitoring the plights of Moslem minorities
throughout the globe, protecting Islam from "deviationist
teachings", as well as efforts to proselytize the religion.
The seminar on Koran is hosted by the Indonesian Association
of Moslem Intellectuals (ICMI) and sponsored by the Mecca-based
Rabithah Alam Islamic organization.
Around 400 people, 60 of whom are experts on science and
technology from various Moslem countries, will attend the
seminar. (swe)