President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) denounced French President Emmanuel Macron's statement that insults Islam.
"Indonesia strongly denounces the statement of the French President that has insulted Islam that has hurt the sentiments of Muslims around the world," President Jokowi stated at the Merdeka Palace here on Saturday.
President Jokowi conveyed the statement after meeting with religious leaders in Indonesia, including representatives from the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI), Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), Muhammadiyah, the Indonesian Church Trustees Conference (KWI), the Indonesian Church Association (PGI), Parisada Hindu Dharma Indonesia (PHDI), the Indonesian Buddhist Association (Permabudhi), the Indonesian Confucian Religion Council (Matakin) and Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs Mahfud MD, Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi, and Minister of Religious Affairs Fachrul Razi.
"That can create divisions among followers of various religions at a time when the world needs unity to face the COVID-19 pandemic," Jokowi stated.
The head of state believes that freedom of expression that fails to uphold honor, sanctity, and the holiness of religious values and symbols can under no conditions be justified and should be stopped.
"Associating religion with acts of terrorism is a big mistake. Terrorism is terrorism. Terrorists are terrorists. Terrorism has no law with any religion," he noted.
Indonesia also strongly denounced the violence in Paris and Nice.
"Indonesia strongly condemns the violence that occurred in Paris and Nice that claimed lives," the president stated.
Earlier, the Indonesian Foreign Ministry denounced Macron's remarks on Islam and support for depiction and publication of cartoons on Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), which have sparked much ire in the Islamic World. To register its protest, the Indonesian Foreign Ministry summoned French Ambassador to Indonesia and Timor Leste, Olivier Chambard, on Tuesday, October 27, 2020, and sought an explanation for Macron's controversial statements.
Foreign Ministry’s spokesperson, Teuku Faizasyah, told ANTARA here on Wednesday that Ambassador Chambard was summoned to apprise him of Indonesia's official stance on the anti-Islam remarks made by Macron recently in a speech.
The Indonesian government objected to President Macron's comments linking Islam to terrorism or extremism, affirming that associating any religion to acts of terror cannot be justified and would deeply offend adherents of the religions, Faizasyah stated.
Macron's remarks following the beheading of Samuel Paty, a history and geography teacher, for showing cartoons of Prophet Muhammad during a class recently have sparked controversy and fueled a backlash from Muslims worldwide over the past few days.(ANTARA)
President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) denounced French President Emmanuel Macron's statement that insults Islam.
"Indonesia strongly denounces the statement of the French President that has insulted Islam that has hurt the sentiments of Muslims around the world," President Jokowi stated at the Merdeka Palace here on Saturday.
President Jokowi conveyed the statement after meeting with religious leaders in Indonesia, including representatives from the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI), Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), Muhammadiyah, the Indonesian Church Trustees Conference (KWI), the Indonesian Church Association (PGI), Parisada Hindu Dharma Indonesia (PHDI), the Indonesian Buddhist Association (Permabudhi), the Indonesian Confucian Religion Council (Matakin) and Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs Mahfud MD, Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi, and Minister of Religious Affairs Fachrul Razi.
"That can create divisions among followers of various religions at a time when the world needs unity to face the COVID-19 pandemic," Jokowi stated.
The head of state believes that freedom of expression that fails to uphold honor, sanctity, and the holiness of religious values and symbols can under no conditions be justified and should be stopped.
"Associating religion with acts of terrorism is a big mistake. Terrorism is terrorism. Terrorists are terrorists. Terrorism has no law with any religion," he noted.
Indonesia also strongly denounced the violence in Paris and Nice.
"Indonesia strongly condemns the violence that occurred in Paris and Nice that claimed lives," the president stated.
Earlier, the Indonesian Foreign Ministry denounced Macron's remarks on Islam and support for depiction and publication of cartoons on Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), which have sparked much ire in the Islamic World. To register its protest, the Indonesian Foreign Ministry summoned French Ambassador to Indonesia and Timor Leste, Olivier Chambard, on Tuesday, October 27, 2020, and sought an explanation for Macron's controversial statements.
Foreign Ministry’s spokesperson, Teuku Faizasyah, told ANTARA here on Wednesday that Ambassador Chambard was summoned to apprise him of Indonesia's official stance on the anti-Islam remarks made by Macron recently in a speech.
The Indonesian government objected to President Macron's comments linking Islam to terrorism or extremism, affirming that associating any religion to acts of terror cannot be justified and would deeply offend adherents of the religions, Faizasyah stated.
Macron's remarks following the beheading of Samuel Paty, a history and geography teacher, for showing cartoons of Prophet Muhammad during a class recently have sparked controversy and fueled a backlash from Muslims worldwide over the past few days.(ANTARA)
Former vice president Jusuf Kalla and Secretary General of Rabithah Alam Islami (Muslim World League) Mohammad Abdul Karim Al Issa witnessed the signing of a cooperation agreement on the construction of the Prophet Muhammad SAW and Islamic Civilization History Museum.
The agreement document was signed in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Saturday by Chairman of the Prophet Muhammad SAW History Foundation retired commissioner general Syafruddin and Deputy Executive of the Muslim World League Abdul Rahman bin Muhammad Al Mathar.
Kalla, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Prophet Muhammad SAW and Islamic Civilization History Foundation, in a statement on Sunday, expressed his joy that the plan to build the Prophet Muhammad SAW and Islamic Civilization History Museum in Indonesia would soon be realized.
"Muslims in Indonesia are looking forward to a museum that will present the history of the Prophet Muhammad to increase his love for the Prophet and his faith in Allah SWT," he remarked.
Jusuf Kalla also said that the museum would also feature specifically the history of traders from the Arabian peninsula introducing Islam in Indonesia.
In addition, the museum will also display the history of the arrivals of Islamic scholars from Arabia to Indonesia in order to teach Islam at that time, so that 90 percent of Indonesia's population became Muslims.
The museum will become a new icon for Jakarta and attract Muslim tourists from neighboring countries, according to Kalla.
Syafruddin, who is also the Chairman of the Committee for the Construction of the Prophet Muhammad SAW and Islamic Civilization History Museum, said that the signing of the cooperation agreement was a great momentum for the Indonesian people, especially Muslims in Indonesia and the neighboring countries.
The museum is the first one of its kind to be built outside Saudi Arabia. So far, the Museum of the History of the Prophet Muhammad and Islamic Civilization exist in Makkah, and Medina.
The museum to be built in North Jakarta, will display all life, exemplary, family, the role of peace, and civilization built by the Prophet Muhammad with 3D technology, holograms, and augmented reality. Hence, the museum will become a place of research for students, lecturers, and researchers to study the life of the Prophet Muhammad.
Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan followed the signing of the agreement via a tele-conference facility. (ANTARA)
Former Indonesian vice president Muhammad Jusuf Kalla, who is on the panel of judges for the Zayed Award for Human Fraternity, met Pope Francis at the Vatican on Friday to discuss humanity and world peace.
“The Pope told me the meaning of human fraternity — the togetherness of people as well as their companionship, as it is crucial for today when the world is facing many crises,” Kalla, who has served as the 10th and 12th Indonesian vice president, said in a statement received in Jakarta.
“The Pope also delivered a message on the importance of us maintaining harmony with other people in this world since there would be no peace without such good human interaction,” he added.
During the interaction, Pope Francis urged all the judges to objectively assess nominees, and he "elaborated some measures for this matter, underlining this event's aim for humanity purposes”, Kalla said.
The Zayed Award for Human Fraternity is named after the first president of the United Arab Emirates and the ruler of Abu Dhabi, Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan. It is presented to individuals and entities for breakthrough work in human development.
During an internal meeting with the judges, Kalla suggested crowning the inventors of COVID-19 vaccines and treatments as awardees, as they are being counted as heroes during this pandemic on account of their efforts to save people's lives.
Since it was instituted in 2019, the Zayed Award for Human Fraternity will be presented for the first time in 2021, with nominees ranging from government officials, United Nations representatives, representatives of international non-government organizations, as well as supreme court justices, and academicians.
The deadline for nominee submissions is December 1, 2020, while the award is scheduled to be announced on February 4, 2021. The award carries a cash prize of US$1 million.
Besides Kalla, other judges for the Zayed Award for Human Fraternity include the ex-president of the Central African Republic, Catherine Samba-Panza; the 27th Governor General of Canada, Michaelle Jean; Cardinal Dominique Mamberti; and former special adviser to the United Nations on genocide prevention, Adama Dieng.(ANTARA)