The Muslim world needs to end its internal conflicts and focus on economic development for the more than 600 million Muslims trying to escape poverty, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said Wednesday.
In his opening remarks at an international Islamic conference on peace and conflict prevention here, the President said many conflicts in the world today pit Muslims against each other despite the fact that Islam teaches love, compassion and tolerance.
Yudhoyono told the audience that conflict had prevented many Muslims from attaining economic empowerment.
"Almost 40 percent of the ummah (Muslim community) lives below the poverty line. Untold millions of Muslims live on less than US$1 a day. We can no longer tolerate a situation in which the vast majority of Muslims languish in poverty," Yudhoyono told some 300 Muslim scholars from across the world.
Muslims account for more than 20 percent of the world's population, some 1.5 billion people supplying 70 percent of the world's energy and 40 percent of the raw materials used by global industries for consumer products.
"If we unite, these numbers can translate into greater capacity for doing good, for promoting trade and investment and for fostering peace among ourselves and with the rest of the world," said Yudhoyono, the president of a predominantly Muslim country struggling with poverty.
The three-day event, organized by Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), the country's largest Islamic organization, as well as by Indonesia's Foreign Ministry, is themed "Upholding Islam as Rahmatan Lil Alamin (a Blessing for the Universe): Peace Building and Conflict Prevention in the Muslim World". The conference aims to find solutions to internecine Muslim conflicts.
NU chairman Hasyim Muzadi spoke on the underdevelopment faced by the Muslim world, highlighting the fact that almost all major conflicts in the world occurred in Muslim states such as Palestine, Iraq, Afghanistan and Sudan.
Hasyim asked Muslims to identify their key internal problems and to cooperate in solving them by practicing what they preached.
"Preaching about zakat (voluntary alms) and infaq (mandatory alms), for instance, must be followed by real actions. Those that are blessed with financial and economic resources can and must play a role in alleviating the poverty faced by our brothers and sisters," Hasyim said.
Yudhoyono and Hasyim said sect and nationality should not prevent ulema and scholars from playing a role in ending conflict and promoting peace.
"Bring the message of peace beyond the limits of your own communities, beyond the edges of your nations to a world that thirsts for the cessation of conflict and in so doing become Ulama sans frontieres (ulema without frontiers)," Yudhoyono told the forum.
In a speech read by his representative Zahidul Haque, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon underscored the key role of religious leaders in helping the UN resolve and prevent conflict.
MashaAllah, good to see some headlines on this topic aswell.
NU chairman Hasyim Muzadi spoke on the underdevelopment faced by the Muslim world, highlighting the fact that almost all major conflicts in the world occurred in Muslim states such as Palestine, Iraq, Afghanistan and Sudan.
Or Islamic African countries? Chechenya? Uyhgurstan? Darfur? Somalia? There are so many more places you could mention and I personally feel that the Muslim community hasn't done to help the poverty there as much as they could have. This is why I am thankful for the help to prevent poverty, although it does come from non-Muslims, their deeds such as charity etc, are of a Muslim's adaab. We should be the first to give an helping hand, but we ain't. Often I hear, "this country needs more, no, this this and this"... More? You help everywhere and anywhere you can. Muslims are in despair in many places, it's like lookin' in all directions seeing a pair of begging hands and eyes. It's so much nowadays, to concentrate on one target only or exclaim what poverty-filled country is worse off, would be so unfair and get you nowhere.
I feel sometimes we should just act rax-fax. This amount of money, go there, these clothes go there. No "over" thinking, just do it and collect, collect and collect. Give, give and give. Yes I do agree a system is needed and plans, but we tend to over-plan it all and then? Not so much action.
Hasyim asked Muslims to identify their key internal problems and to cooperate in solving them by practicing what they preached.
Practicin' what you preach, is something very hard for us Muslims to act upon as an whole community globally.
Key internal problems? There are so many, in every country it's ranged differently, but nonetheless do many alike problems occur in many countries. We've got poverty, education, Islamic education, rights of women, the children... There's much to fix. It's good to see awareness is being raised!!
“If only I had checked myself”
—
Guy who wrecked himself
True leaders don't create followers...
.... They create new leaders.
Exactly. We need to help out our less fortunate brothers and sisters, not only in Islam, but in humanity as well.
I believe that in just a few words you have said more than Abdul Khalik did in all of your opening post. Justice seems to be served in a greater way when we help total outsiders in the same way as we support our own kind.
In the spirit of praying for justice for all people
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