Vice President Jusuf Kalla Opens Gathering of ASEAN Ulemas

Vice President Muhammaad Jusuf Kalla.

Bogor, West Java, 14 Rabiul Awwal 1438/14 December 2016 (MINA) – Indonesian Vice President Jusuf Kalla has declared the Halaqah (gathering) of the ASEAN countries Ulemas, which will last until Thursday (December 15, 2016), open here on Tuesday.

According to Antara News, the ulemas gathering under the theme “Developing Islamic Moderate through Pesantren (Islamic Boarding School) was marked by the beating of gongs by the vice president, who was accompanied by Religious Affairs Minister Lukman Hakim Saifudin.

“I hope this theme is not just a seminar, but is also carried out together to unite us in ASEAN,” he pointed out.

ASEAN comprising Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam.

Meanwhile, the Religious Affairs Minister Lukman Hakim Saifudin stated that the first ASEANs Halaqah of ulemas was held in 2010.

The ASEANs gatherings of ulemas as an effort to mainstream the moderate Islam in the region, were conducted in 2012, 2014, and this year.

The minister did not explain whether or not the ASEANs Ulemas gatherings are carried out annually.

“This constitutes part of the ASEAN Economic Community. This years seminar also discusses the manuscript of ASEANs ulemas as a form of Islamic intellectual quarrying,” the minister disclosed.

This years gathering is being attended by 120 participants, and will last until Thursday.

“The Pesantren is the oldest educational institution in the country which has been established more than 200 years ago, or long before this nation was founded,” the minister noted.

The Islamic values were taught in the Pesantren in this country that has always stressed moderation, he also argued. (T/R07/R01)

Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA)