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)