Indonesian Call for Tolerant Islam

VP Jusuf Kalla opens international summit of Moderate Islamic Leaders.

Jakarta, 02 Sya’ban 1437/10 May 2016 (MINA) – Indonesia’s vice president has called on Islamic leaders to spread messages about a tolerant Islam to curb extremism springing from misinterpretation of Islamic teachings.

Speaking at the International Summit of the Moderate Islamic Leaders on Monday, Vice President Jusuf Kalla said he believed that youths who don’t have deep faith are susceptible to be militants, not for wealth or political cause, but rather as a “shortcut” to heaven, AAP was quoted by Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA) as reporting.

“That’s why the role of Islamic clerics is needed to do more to correct the misinterpretation,” Kalla said.

“We gather here today for that purpose, to produce the solution to curb radicalism in the form of terrorism, wars and conflicts.”

He added that the existence of 1.6 billion Muslims spread across 57 countries should become a force to promote the goodness of Islam.

The meeting organised by Nahdlatul Ulama, Indonesia’s largest Muslim organisation, is expected to produce a message about the importance of promoting a peaceful Islam to combat radicalism worldwide.

More than 300 religious leaders from 33 countries, including clerics from Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Turkey, Syria and Iran are attending the three-day meeting. (T/R07/R0)

Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA)