Indonesian president urges dialogue to help solve global challenges, end wars
\n JAKARTA
\nIndonesia, the world\u2019s largest Muslim-majority country, kicked off on Wednesday the Group of 20\u2019s first-ever Religion Forum ahead of the upcoming G20 summit in Bali.
\nThe forum, R20, organized by Indonesia\u2019s biggest Muslim organization Nahdlatul Ulama and the Muslim World League, is part of a series of events initiated under Indonesia\u2019s presidency of the group of the world\u2019s 20 leading economies.
\nMore than 300 religious leaders and scholars from around the globe attended the opening of the two-day meeting.
\nIndonesian President Joko Widodo, who inaugurated the forum, called on participants to work together to help resolve global challenges and put an end to wars for the future generation to inherit a peaceful, united world.
\n\u201cI hope you succeed in building understanding and agreement and will concur on concrete steps so that religion will have a bigger contribution for civilization and humanity, and for a happier world for everyone,\u201d he said, addressing on a large screen the audience in Nusa Dua, Bali \u2014 the venue of the G20 Summit, which Indonesia will host on Nov. 15 to 16.
\nMWL Secretary-General Dr. Mohammed bin Abdulkarim Al-Issa announced in his opening speech the launching of the Building Bridges Between the East and West initiative under the R20 forum\u2019s platform.
\n\u201cI am pleased to launch the initiative of Building Bridges Between the East and West for a better world understanding, peace, and mutually accepting societies,\u201d the league\u2019s chief said.
\n\u201cWe discussed in this platform many initiatives comprising human diversity, religious diversity, and civilizational diversity on the platform of human brotherhood. This diversity is important. God has wanted it from us in his wisdom.\u201d
\nYahya Cholil Staquf, head of Nahdlatul Ulama, said the R20 initiative came from a \u201csincere concern of all believers\u201d about the future of humanity.
\n\u201cOn behalf of the Nahdlatul Ulama, I want to express our utmost gratitude to the MWL and especially to Dr. Mohammed bin Abdulkarim Al-Issa for the willingness to have a collaboration with NU to co-host this forum for all of you.
\n\u201cMay God\u2019s blessings, guidance, and help always be with us during this event and afterwards, and our joint endeavor contribute in a positive and constructive way for all humanity,\u201d he added.
\nUlil Abshar-Abdalla, head of NU think tank Lakpesdam, told Arab News from the summit\u2019s venue that the very fact the forum had been initiated by the organization \u2014 which with a membership of 90 million was also the largest Muslim body in the world \u2014 highlighted its importance.
\n\u201cThe purpose of this forum is, among others, to promote an honest conversation among religious leaders from diverse faith traditions through rethinking religious doctrines and traditions that hamper dialogue and peaceful coexistence,\u201d he said.
\n\u201cThis is the first time that the meeting of government leaders is preceded by a forum of religious leaders. The goal is to encourage the leaders of G20 to give religion a voice in any decision they make that touches the interest of people, given the importance of religion in the lives of many.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Indonesian president urges dialogue to help solve global challenges, end wars JAKARTA Indonesia, the world\u2019s largest Muslim-majority country, kicked off on Wednesday the Group of 20\u2019s first-ever Religion Forum ahead of the upcoming G20 summit in Bali. The forum, R20, organized by Indonesia\u2019s biggest Muslim organization Nahdlatul Ulama and the Muslim World League, is part […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":293218,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-293197","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-world"},"yoast_head":"\n