Imanuddin Razak, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Believe it or not! Southeast Asia can play a very important role in bridging the gap and settling the worrisome misunderstandings between the West and the Muslim world.
At least such a belief was ushered in by the secretary-general of the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), Surin Pitsuwan, at the 3rd International Conference of Islamic Scholars (ICIS) here Wednesday.
"I am confident that the road to reconciliation between the West and the Muslim world runs through Southeast Asia," Surin told a jam-packed audience of the conference's plenary session.
He was specifically referring to a statement by former Indonesian president Megawati Soekarnoputri, who shared a table with him during the conference's plenary session Wednesday afternoon, that "the increasing radicalism and violence among (elements) in the Muslim world is a result of poor relations between the West and Islam".
Surin called on Indonesia, whose population accounts for about half of ASEAN's 467 million people and represents the largest body of Muslims in the world, to take the lead in bridging the West-Islam gap.
"We (ASEAN) rest on you (Indonesia) to take the initiative.
"It's therefore a challenge for (Indonesia's) Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), Muhammadiyah, Indonesian Muslims and Muslims of the Southeast Asian region as well to promote Islam as
rahmatan lil alamin (a blessing for all mankind) not only in the region but also in the world," Surin said.
Surin, of Thai origin and himself a Muslim, quoted a
surah in the Holy Koran: "We did not send you (Prophet Muhammad) except as mercy to all mankind."
He, however, stressed the importance for Southeast Asian countries to also settle problems within their own backyards prior to playing a greater role in promoting an understanding of Islam to the world.
"Beside the Cambodia-Thailand dispute," he said, referring to the two countries' ongoing conflict over the ownership of a temple, "there are still a number of territorial conflicts within ASEAN. It is therefore a challenge for all of us here to manage all the potential of conflict and turn it into assets for regional building and cooperation".
As a prelude to the conference's plenary session, former president Megawati called on the international community to learn from Indonesia in managing conflicts.
"We have experienced numerous internal conflicts -- sectarian, social, etc.
"We have not always been successful in managing them, but at least we can learn in order not to repeat them," she said. "After all, there is no such thing as easily achieved success."
Megawati added that the key to success in maintaining unity in a pluralistic Indonesia was the commitment of all citizens to uphold Pancasila as the unifying ideology.
"The spirit of
Bhinneka Tunggal Ika (unity in diversity) has been proved to be the unifying factor in maintaining a pluralistic, multicultural, multiethnic and multireligious Indonesia," she said.
"The five principles in Pancasila have been, are and should still be relevant in the future, not only for Indonesia, but also for the world due to their universal values," she added.
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