REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, SURABAYA - President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono met with ulamas and scholars, as well as local government of Madura, East Java on Thursday night to discuss reconciliation and the fate of Shiite refugees from Sampang.
"We involve government and religion leaders, as well as ulama to find solution to reconcile more quickly, especially before Eid al-Fitr," Yudhoyono said in Grahadi Building on Thursday night.
A number of ministers and senior officials also attended the closed meeting. They were Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs Djoko Suyanto, Minister of Religious Affairs Suryadharma Ali, Coordinating Minister for Economy Affairs, Hatta Rajasa, Armed Forces Commander Admiral Agus Suhartono and National Police Chief Timor Pradopo.
An ulama who joined the meeting, Saifullah Yusuf, expressed his expectation that meeting would be part of solution in addressing refugee's issues of Shiite in Sampang, Madura. Moreover, now the month of Ramadan and Eid are considered as the right moments for reconciliation.
A year ago, Shiites were reported expelled from their homeland. Local community still reject them despite a number of efforts and meeting have been conducted to find solution. While the government tried to form a reconciliation team led by Rector of Islamic University of Sunan Ampel, Abdullah A'la.
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