Indonesian President Opens International Conference on Islam’s Moderation

Mataram, West Nusa Tenggara, 27 Syawwal 1437/01 August 2016 (MINA) – Indonesian President Joko Widodo has opened an international conference on Islam’s moderation to combat terrorism and sectarianism.

Held on Saturday night in Mataram, the provincial capital of West Nusa Tenggara, the event was attended by D. Abdullah bin Abdulmohsen Al-Turki, Secretary General of Makkah-Based Muslim World League (MWL).

Addressing the gathering, President Joko Widodom called on thinkers, Ulema and callers to exert more effort to conquer the deviant thoughts, confirming that Islam calls for moderation and rejection of extremism and violence.

The president added that Indonesia should serve as an Islamic study center for the world because it is home to Islam Washatiyah or moderate Islam.

Other countries, he recalled, are still looking for an ideal Islamic format. “Therefore, I have issued a presidential regulation to establish an international Islamic university.”

He hoped that the university would serve as a source of Islamic knowledge and studies, a source of Islamic moral enlightenment, and a fortress to uphold egalitarian Islamic values and tolerance.

He lauded the efforts being exerted by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, led by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, his Crown Prince and Deputy Crown Prince, on combating terrorism and sectarianism and spreading of moderation.

In a key speech, Dr. Al-Turki confirmed that extremism leads to violence and terrorism in the name of martyrdom or promotion of virtue or prevention of vice or so, hoping that the conference would contribute to enhancing the unity of the Islamic nation and spread of the culture of moderation and confrontation of sectarianism. (T/R07/R01)

Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA)