RIYADH, 12 February 2004 — Saudi Arabia will participate in a global forum to discuss the issue of Islamic education in the Middle East and the Muslim world at large.
“More than 300 Islamic scholars from around the world will participate in the four-day conference in Jakarta from Feb. 23 this year,” said Djoko Santoso of the Indonesian Embassy.
The conference will strengthen confidence-building measures, settle religious conflicts and foster mutual understanding and respect between Muslims and other communities, particularly those in the West.
It is being organized in response to a proposal submitted at the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC) summit last year. It seeks to raise various issues that are confronting OIC member states in general.
“Though we may not agree with the unfair images portrayed by the media, the repetition of misleading facts closely links Islam with recent acts of terrorism,” said a statement released by the Indonesian Embassy.
The statement said, “Indonesia with over 170 million Muslims shoulders the responsibility of bridging the gap between Muslims and non-Muslims, particularly with Western countries.”
The theme of the conference is “Islam: A Blessing for Humanity.” The conference which will be opened by Indonesian President Megawati Sukarnoputri will also announce a joint action plan which will reflect a more comprehensive view of Islam and its role in promoting global peace and prosperity.
Referring to papers to be presented by Saudi scholars on the issues of religion, media, peace and economy, Santoso said two prominent scholars from the Kingdom were among the keynote speakers.
“They will present their views on the development of Islamic education in the Middle East and the development of the economy using microcredit facilities,” said the spokesman.
The event is being organized by the Jakarta-based Nahdatul Ulema (NU) — a well-known Indonesian religious organization — in cooperation with the Indonesian government. NU, the largest Muslim organization, has 40 million members.
The global conference at which 26 Islamic scholars will present study papers will discuss a range of subjects related to Islam: Islam as a religion portrayed by international media, Islamic education, and peace and economic development.
