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President Jokowi highlights importance of religion at R20 Summit
President Jokowi highlighted the importance of religion, religious leaders and society in bringing about peace in the world.
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President Joko “Jokowi“ Widodo delivers a speech during the opening ceremony of the Religion Twenty Twenty International Summit of Religious Authorities (R20 ISORA) in Jakarta on Nov. 27, 2023. Jokowi highlighted the importance of religion, religious leaders and society in bringing about peace. (Courtesy of the Cabinet Secretariat/Agung)
P
resident Joko “Jokowi” Widodo has highlighted the importance of religion, religious leaders and society in bringing about peace, citing the ongoing humanitarian tragedy in Palestine inflicted by Israel.
“[The tragedy] is illogical because wars still happen in the modern world and massacres of civilians, women and children,” Jokowi said in a speech during the opening ceremony of the Religion Twenty International Summit of Religious Authorities (R20 ISORA) in Jakarta on Monday.
Jokowi added that the humanitarian tragedy in Palestine could not be tolerated.
“Therefore, a cease-fire must be implemented immediately, humanitarian assistance must be offered promptly, and peace negotiations must be started soon,” he said.
He added that Indonesia had a long experience in stitching together diversity to bridge differences and to unify.
“Today, Indonesia’s population has reached nearly 280 million, which consists of 714 ethnic groups with more than 1,300 local or regional languages, practicing different religions and living on 17,000 different islands. It is not easy to unite them, but we can,” said Jokowi.
He acknowledged that while building unity in diversity was difficult, Indonesia had managed to get rid of tribal antagonisms.
