Indonesia's two largest Muslim organizations have agreed to jointly promote Islam as a peaceful and protective religion. The two, the Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) and the Muhammadiyah, reached agreement in talks between their leaders on Wednesday, reported Indonesian newspaper Kompas daily.
Muhammadiyah chairman Syafii Ma'arif said the majority of Muslims in Indonesia were moderate adherents of Islam and wanted a 'moral movement' to restore its image as a pacifist religion, and added that weak law and order in the country was behind the rise of radicalism in Islam, as some Muslim groups have begun to take the law into their own hands. Mr Ma'arif said the two organizations would also approach radical Muslim groups in an effort to 'synchronize our perceptions'
Hasyim Muzadi, who chairs the some 30-million strong Nahdlatul Ulama, said the moral movement would begin by spreading the spirit of Muslim brotherhood among believers. It will also seek to forge a common perception of the struggles of Islam. Mr. Muzadi was quoted as saying: "In the unitary context, it would include how to campaign for inter-religious harmony, to be followed by harmony among groups, races and political organizations."
© 2002 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
