November 29, 2023
JAKARTA – President 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.
“This would have not been possible without the support of religious leaders and their teachings about love for the country being part of faith, and tolerance of difference being part of faith, and maintaining unity also being part of faith,” he said as quoted by detik.com.
R20 ISORA has been organized by the Nahdlatul Ulama central executive board to discuss the Israel-Palestine conflict and come up with a solution. Some 150 religious leaders from within and outside the country attended the international forum.
Jokowi expressed his appreciation for the R20 ISORA and hoped that it could establish a peaceful, harmonious and prosperous world.