Vice President Opens International Summit of Moderate Islamic Leaders

Jakarta, (Antara)- Vice President M. Jusuf Kalla officially opened the International Summit of Moderate Islamic Leaders (ISOMIL) at the Jakarta Convention Center, here, Monday.

The international meeting is being attended by representatives from 33 countries, ambassadors of Muslim majority nations, and leaders of the Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) as the organizer.

The summit is being held for the first time in Jakarta with the aim of influencing public policies in dealing with radicalism and terrorism and promoting peace in the Middle East.

The ISOMIL is a follow up to the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) summits held recently in Jakarta and Turkey.

"The OIC summits were attended by state leaders, and ISOMIL is a meeting of ulemas," Said Aqil Siroj, NU chairman, explained.

Aqil said President Joko Widodo had called on him to organize the meeting in a bid to prevent the spread of radicalism in Indonesia and other friendly countries.

"In fact, the vice president expressed his concern when we attended the OIC Summit in Turkey recently as he noticed that certain Islamic leaders, whose countries were in conflict, did not greet each other," he remarked.

President Widodo was earlier scheduled to officially open the two-day ISOMIL, but he later asked Kalla to represent him.

Among those present at the opening ceremony were former president Megawati Soekarnoputri and Maruf Amin of NU.(*)