Islamic leaders urge fragmented Muslim communities to pursue unity and solidarity to settle internal conflicts, and that majority tyranny over minorities must end to achieve tolerance and harmony.
"Solidarity and unity are actually key solutions to the major problems fragmented Muslim communities are facing. These two international values have long disappeared due to spreading sectarianism and fanaticism," chairman of Indonesia's largest Islamic organization Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), Hasyim Muzadi, said at the opening of the International Conference of Islamic Scholars.
Saturday's meeting was held jointly by NU and the International Forum for Islamic Scholars with more 100 intellectuals attending from Iran, Egypt, Syria, Lebanon, Libya, Iraq, Palestine, Jordan, Malaysia, Thailand, the Philippines, Singapore and Indonesia.
Hasyim said about 60 percent of problems among Muslims reflected internal conflicts and this dialog was expected to provide a good example for Muslims to transcend the boundaries of these internal conflicts.
"The world's Muslim community has been fragmented because of the emergence of internal factions *each* with their own claims as the truest one. In Iraq, Lebanon and Pakistan, this has provided the main reasons to kill one another," he said.
He argued that part of the Muslim community was trapped in internal conflicts and this was not a reaction to the global economic crisis.
Hasyim said Muslims in Indonesia had mostly adopted Sunni beliefs, while Muslims in Iraq mostly adopted Syiah theology.
"Although the ideologies are different, we are now sitting together for extensive dialogue to achieve a common vision," he said.
Meanwhile, Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs, Djoko Suyanto, said the government welcomed this initiative for mutual understanding among Muslims.
"Islam is a big religion. Muslims make twenty-five percent of the world's population. The large number affects many decisions in the world," Djoko said in his opening speech.
He also predicted that Muslims would account for 30 percent of the world's population by 2025.
The secretary-general of the World Forum for Proximity of Islamic School of Thought in Iran, Ayatollah Muhammad Ali Taskhiri, said Islamic factions had common reasons to pursue a mutual acceptance and recognition, as the Prophet Muhammad had urged that Islam was a logical religion, encouraging freedom of expression and dialogue.
"This conference is important for the pursuit of peace. It gives an important and strategic significance to the reality of the world's Muslim community because it features delegates from countries playing roles in determining the development of Islam in the world," he said.
Islamic scholar Sri Mulyati said that as part of an effort at promoting unity in diversity, everybody should practice tolerance at all levels.
"Tolerance should be a political and legal requirement," she said.
Said Agil Siradj, argued that current disputes among Muslims, either within the country and overseas, had been triggered by political differences, not religious differences.
"We have to fight against ignorance, which has become Islam's largest enemy," he said.
He looked up to the Prophet Muhammad, who had managed earlier to create civilized nations. (nia)
