Among Muslim figures: Vice President Jusuf Kalla (second right) shakes hands with the Iranian Ambassador to Indonesia, Behrooz Kamalvandi, (left) while Muhammadiyah chairman Din Syamsuddin looks on during an international seminar on Islam and civilization, in Jakarta, on Monday. JP/J. Adiguna
Vice President Jusuf Kalla blames the disparities in prosperity levels between rich and poor Islamic countries for terrorist attacks in the world, urging leaders of Islamic countries to work together to distribute wealth more fairly.
In a seminar held by the World Islamic People’s Leadership (WIPL) in Jakarta on Monday, Kalla asked attendants and delegates from Islamic countries to work toward balancing wealth in Muslim
countries.
He cited the wealth imbalance that resulted when oil prices skyrocketed above US$140 (Rp 1.3 million) per barrel last year. The hike in oil prices created misery for the majority of Muslims living in developing countries, and huge profits for a small number of Muslims in oil-producing countries.
“About 70 percent of Muslims living in developing countries were severely affected. And yet some 20 percent of Muslims profited from the rise of oil prices,” Kalla told seminar attendants at the Sahid Jaya Hotel in Jakarta.
He said the imbalance of wealth fuelled terror attacks as many of the terrorists’ pawns came from poor and downtrodden families, looking for a cause to fight in life.
Indonesia became the victim of a terrorist bombing attack earlier this month. Suicide bombers entered the JW Marriot and Ritz-Carlton hotels in Kuningan, South Jakarta. The attack killed seven people, some of whom were expatriates, and wounded 50 others.
Kalla said leaders of Islamic countries needed to work together address the differences in wealth and move toward a better equilibrium, adding the leaders had more to lose if they did not.
“Terrorism causes huge losses. With a bomb only costs US$7,000 to make, terrorist can provoke losses of nearly $25 million,” he said.
Kalla complimented the seminar, which preludes the upcoming meeting of WIPL members in Tripoli, Libya, in October, for encouraging governments of Islamic countries to create fair policies, but reminded delegates the most important issue was unifying Muslims when taking measures to address challenges.
“Civilization will end if there is no prosperity and justice,” he said. “Our most important task is to act to solve that problem. Together, we can do this.”
Din Syamsuddin, the chairman of Muhammadiyah — the country’s second largest Islamic organization — and WIPL’s deputy secretary-general, agreed with Kalla.
“Muhammadiyah and the WIPL have already condemned these terrorist attacks and, as Vice President Kalla has mentioned before, the WIPL is ready to take this matter to our international conference in October,” he said.
“We will work to open dialogues and bridge differences between Islamic leaders on this matter, to ensure a more balanced wealth distribution,” he added.
Din said members of the WIPL had proven their commitment by coming to Indonesia, despite the recent bomb attacks in Kuningan.
“The bomb attacks have damaged the image of Indonesia…but our delegates who are here today saw the real essence of our country and praised Indonesia for its strength in facing crisis,” he said.
Indonesia has been rocked by a number of bombing attacks since 2000 in Jakarta and Bali.
