REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, BOGOR -- Indonesia has supported the establishment of a global moderate Islamic axis, President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) stated. He said, Indonesia's position is very clear.
"We believe that with moderate Islam, we want to demonstrate to the world that Islam is a 'rahmatan lil alamin' religion that is a mercy for the whole universe," Jokowi remarked at the Bogor Palace on Tuesday.
The president made the remarks at the opening of the High-level Consultation of Muslim Ulema and Scholars on Moderate Islam that was attended by some 100 Indonesian ulemas from Indonesia as well as from Yemen, Egypt, Iran, Morocco, Italy, the United States, and other countries.
The high-level consultation was also attended by Grand Imam and Grand Sheikh Al-Azhar Ahmad Muhammad Ath-Thayeb and was initiated by the President's Special Envoy for Dialogue and Interreligious Cooperation and Civilization Din Syamsuddin.
"We, as Muslims, should become role models in developing peace and unity. We must be leaders in world peace. We must be a developed nation that serves as a driving force for global progress," the president emphasized.
Jokowi reiterated the need for significant progress, including in the fields of economy, politics, and science and technology, in Muslim nations.
"Development in Muslim countries is no less than in other parts of the world, but on the other hand, there is alarming development in various parts of the world," the president pointed out.
With rapid growth in communication technology, the use of social media has lead to significant implications. "On one hand, it can increase interaction, but on the other hand, social media is also used to disseminate hate speeches and to spread radicalism," the president stated.
The president also urged the scholars to unite to spread Islam that is wasaathiyah.
"If the scholars are united for a common cause to promote moderate Islam, then I am optimistic that the axis of the Islamic world would become mainstream and would give hope for the birth of a peaceful, safe, and prosperous world that is just and becomes an Islamic movement to bring about social equality," Jokowi added.
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