Extremism, injustice disrupt world order: Interfaith group

The Jakarta Post ,  Jakarta   |  Sat, 05/17/2008 11:15 AM  |  National

Asian religious leaders have called on believers worldwide to fight extremism and injustice, which they blame for disrupting world order.

"We must fight against all extremism and injustice because it has caused trouble in the world today," the Asian Conference on Religions for Peace (ACRP) president Mir Nawaz Khan Marwat said at a meeting with the Regional Representatives Council (DPD) here Friday.

Khan, who represents Pakistan, said war and terrorism were the problems that stemmed from extremism and injustice.

"War and terrorism are still occurring in some parts of the world. I think that is a great loss for humanity," he said.

Khan also declared ACRP's stance against religious terrorism. "We condemn terrorism, fanaticism, and extremism by any faith."

He urged all people to fight these types of ideology. "It's our job to promote peace and persuade people to be more respectful toward each other."

Khan argued that the true spirit of religion never advocated violence, citing Islamic teachings which value human life as an example.

"God says in the Koran that if you kill one person without justification, it amounts to killing the whole of humankind. And if you protect a single individual, it amounts to protecting all human life," Khan explained.

He said Islam also obliged its followers to combat injustice. "The Prophet Muhammad said if you don't chose what you don't like for yourself, don't chose that for others. This means that justice should be for all people, irrespective of their race and religion."

The ACRP ended its two-day meeting here Wednesday, which was seeking input for its seventh assembly scheduled for Oct. 17 to 21 in Manila, the Philippines.

At the Friday meeting, Rev. Ishak Pamumbu Lambe, a DPD member from South Sulawesi, shared his experience of being involved in finding solutions for religious conflicts in Maluku and Poso.

"If there was no interfaith cooperation, this country would never have been built."

"There is no such thing as an Islamic stomachache or a Christian headache. All of us face the same human problems, he said.

Aryanthi Baramuli Putri, a DPD councillor from North Sulawesi, said religious tolerance was practiced in her province.

"For example in the (Christian) villages of Likupang, Christian and Muslim communities there always send each other cookies during the Idul Fitri and Christmas seasons," she said.

DPD deputy speaker Irman Gusman said the state ideology Pancasila had managed to unify Indonesia, despite all of its differences of culture and religion. (alf)

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