VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

VOINews, Jakarta - The International Conference on Religious Moderation (ICROM) 2023 involving delegates, researchers, academics, and practitioners from countries in Southeast Asia, Europe, Africa, and the United Arab Emirates produced recommendations for building religious harmony and moderation in ASEAN.

Director of Islamic Religious Affairs and Sharia Development of the Religious Affairs Ministry (Kemenag) Adib explained that the recommendations aim to overcome challenges in maintaining interfaith harmony in the diverse ASEAN region.

"The ICROM conference was held to build a moderate religious life, especially in the ASEAN region," he noted in a written statement in Jakarta on Monday.

At the conference, 70 researchers from home and abroad submitted scientific papers on the phenomenon of religious life in ASEAN, African, and Middle Eastern societies.

Head of the Sub-Directorate for Development of Islamic Religious Understanding and Conflict Handling at the Directorate of Islamic Religious Affairs and Sharia Development, Directorate General of Islamic Community Guidance of the Ministry of Religious Affairs of Indonesia Dedi Slamet Riyadi stated that cooperation between ASEAN countries in the field of religious moderation is very strategic.

He noted that the ASEAN is a region, with high religious diversity. By improving cooperation among ASEAN countries, the ASEAN can share experiences and information in an effort to strengthen religious moderation.

Furthermore, Riyadi affirmed that the 2023 ICROM recommendation is an important step to realize harmonious religious understanding in the ASEAN, considering that it is a region with high religious diversity.

"By implementing religious moderation, ASEAN people can understand each other and respect differences, so they can coexist peacefully and harmoniously," Riyadi stated.

The 2023 ICROM recommendation also received international attention. Representative of the Strength in Diversity Development Centre Imam Shefiu Abdulkareem Majemu from Nigeria stated that Nigeria lauded the idea of religious moderation promoted by the Ministry of Religious Affairs of Indonesia.

According to Majemu, the idea of religious moderation promoted by Indonesia is important and relevant to the current global conditions.

Furthermore, he remarked that Nigeria is also striving to implement religious moderation in the country. Majemu believes that religious moderation is the key to creating peace and harmony among religious believers in Nigeria.

Geographically, Nigeria is a multi-ethnic and multi-religious country which has more than 200 ethnic groups and more than 500 different religious groups. This is a challenge, but it is also an opportunity, Majemu remarked.

He expressed hope that Indonesia can help Nigeria to build a tolerant and inclusive society through religious moderation. (Antaranews)