VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

VOINews, Jakarta - Indonesia's Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi has said that one of the goals of ASEAN is to ensure that the people in the region live peacefully.

"One of the goals (ASEAN) is to ensure our peoples live in peace in a just, democratic, and, once again harmonious environment," she said at the ASEAN Intercultural And Interreligious Dialogue Conference (IIDC) in Jakarta on Monday.

According to Marsudi, in a region so diverse as Southeast Asia, dialogue is very important to bridge mutual understanding and promote mutual respect.

"Indeed, the peace and stability that we enjoy in the region is the result of ASEAN's hard work for years in promoting a culture of dialogue," she said.

In today's world, where geopolitical rivalry has become pervasive and a trust deficit is preventing countries from cooperating, dialogue among nations is more important than ever, she added.

"This is why our foreign policy works hard to foster the habit of dialogue, building on Indonesia's status as a country with the world's largest Muslim population," she continued.

According to Marsudi, there are three goals of ASEAN. First, creating harmony among civilizations.

"If not managed well, diversity only breeds suspicion and hatred. With a growing trend of Islamophobia globally, we may be heading towards a clash of civilizations," she explained.

Indonesia has had interfaith dialogue as a permanent tool in its peace diplomacy to bridge a better understanding of Islam and hold a dialogue with 34 countries worldwide from India to Ethiopia and the Holy See.

"We also seek to show the world how diversity can be used to strengthen social cohesion. A few years back, we built schools, hospitals, and markets in Rakhine State, Myanmar, to provide a space for coexistence between the country's different ethnic and religious groups.

The second goal, Marsudi said, is projecting the image of Islam as rahmatan lil' alamin. Indonesia is a living example of Islam being compatible with modernity and where Islam and tolerance reinforce each other.

"The key is moderation and we are committed to inspiring other Muslim countries to also take a strong stance against radicalism. Islam must be a source of peace," she said.

The third goal is promoting women's rights to education. Marsudi said that Indonesia is always promoting education for all, including women and girls.

"For example, Indonesia and Qatar hosted an International Conference last December in Bali to bolster international support for women's education in Afghanistan," she added.

Marsudi stressed that everyone must actively maintain these efforts by serving as agents of peace in their respective communities.

"Together, we can create a peaceful Southeast Asia, an epicentrum of tolerance and harmony," she added. (Antaranews)

VOInews, Jakarta: Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi underlined the importance of interfaith dialog, especially in the ASEAN region. According to her, one of ASEAN's goals is to ensure that people live in a just, democratic and harmonious environment.

"In a very diverse region like Southeast Asia, dialogue is very important to bridge mutual understanding and encourage mutual respect," Retno said in her keynote speech at the 2023 ASEAN Interfaith and Intercultural Dialogue Conference (IIDC), in Jakarta, Monday (7/8).

Retno said the current peace and stability in the region were the result of ASEAN's hard work over the years in promoting a culture of dialogue. She explained that at a time when the world is experiencing geopolitical competition and a trust deficit like today, dialogue between countries is more important than ever.

"This is why our foreign policy works hard to foster the habit of dialogue, building on Indonesia's status as the country with the largest Muslim population in the world," she said.

The foreign minister said it aims to create harmony between civilizations. According to her, if not managed well, diversity will only breed suspicion and hatred. With the current trend of Islamophobia, according to her, the world could lead to a clash of civilizations.

"There is a popular saying in Indonesia, tak kenal maka tak sayang, which means you cannot love what you do not know," she said.

Another thing that encourages Indonesia to build a foreign policy by fostering the habit of dialog is to show the image of Islam which is rahmatan lil 'alamin. According to Retno, Indonesia is a living example where Islam can be in harmony with modernity and where Islam and tolerance strengthen each other.

"The key is moderation and we are committed to inspiring other Muslim countries to also take a firm stance against radicalism," she said.

In addition, according to Retno, Indonesia also continues to encourage women's right to education. According to her, Indonesia is committed to always promoting education for all, including women and girls. (VOI/Andy)

Philippines President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said on Monday the country continues to assert its sovereignty and territorial rights despite challenges in the South China Sea.

The Philippines on Sunday accused China's coast guard of blocking and water-cannoning a Philippine military supply boat in the South China Sea. (Reuters)

Rahul Gandhi returned to India's parliament on Monday after a Supreme Court ruling, boosting the profile of his Congress party and its opposition allies ahead of a no-confidence vote against Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government.

The vote is not expected to affect the popularity of Modi's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which enjoys a strong majority.

However, the return of Gandhi, the scion of one of India's most renowned political dynasties, to parliament is expected to strengthen the voice of the newly formed, 26-party opposition alliance led by Congress.

Lawmakers are expected to debate, and then vote, on the government's performance from Tuesday to Thursday.

Gandhi, whose father, grandmother and great-grandfather were prime ministers, was convicted in March in a case brought by a BJP lawmaker over 2019 comments deemed insulting to Modi and others with the same name, including the lawmaker.

Upon his conviction, Gandhi, 53, lost his parliamentary seat and was jailed for two years but granted bail.

The Supreme Court last week suspended the conviction, allowing Gandhi to return to parliament and contest next year's elections.

On Monday, Gandhi entered the parliament building after showing respect to the statue of freedom movement leader Mahatma Gandhi in the complex. He did not speak to reporters.

"I have returned to parliament after paying my respects to Bapu," Gandhi later posted on Facebook, referring endearingly to Mahatma Gandhi as father.

JUBILANT OPPOSITION

Lawmakers from Congress and other opposition parties gathered outside the parliament's entrance to cheer Gandhi and their new alliance called INDIA, or the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance.

The alliance is making plans to run against the BJP in national elections due by May 2024.

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said the decision to reinstate Gandhi "brings relief to the people of India, and especially to Wayanad", his constituency in the southern state of Kerala.

BJP has said the Supreme Court has only suspended Gandhi's conviction and had not overturned it.

Gandhi's disqualification from parliament galvanised India's splintered opposition to form the INDIA alliance to jointly take on BJP.

Leaders of the alliance, which has less than half of BJP's 301 members in the lower house of parliament, have held two meetings since June and are due to meet again on Aug. 31 and Sept. 1 to name a convenor and a co-ordination panel.

Ghanshyam Tiwari, spokesperson for the Samajwadi Party, a key member of the INDIA alliance, said Gandhi had "emerged as a formidable architect and leader" of the alliance.

"A strong Congress party with the rising stature of Rahul Gandhi and determined leadership of Kharge will make the alliance the leading force in every state," he told Reuters.

Analysts, however, cautioned that Gandhi taking centre stage again risked overshadowing the national ambitions of regional party leaders in the alliance and could destabilise it.

"It is very likely that any strident attempts by Congress to project Gandhi as their PM candidate would scupper the goal of broad opposition unity heralded by the INDIA alliance," political analyst Asim Ali wrote in the Times of India newspaper on Monday. (Reuters)