`Jakarta`s role in the world` a topic of conference on Islamic studies

Jakarta - Indonesian and international Islamic scholars are taking part at the 7th Annual Conference on Islamic Studies (ACIS) that opens in Pekanbaru, Riau province, on Wednesday.

The director of the Higher Islamic Education at the Indonesian religious affairs ministry, Abdurrahman Masud, said the four-day conference is meant to keep abreast of developments in Islamic studies.

“It is also meant to think how Indonesia can provide contributions and solutions to problems faced by mankind in the third millennium,” he said according to a report on Indonesia`s state-run Antara news agency.

Indonesia, the country with the world`s largest Muslim population, is seen internationally as an example of how Islam and democracy can coexist.

Under the leadership of current president, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, Jakarta has also tried to play a more active role in solving international problems that involve Muslim-majority countries, like the Palestine issue and the tension between Iran and the western world.

Among the speakers from Indonesia are Azyumardi Azra of Syarif Hidayatullah Islamic University (UIN) in Jakarta, the director general for labour affairs Fasli Jalal, Dewi Fortuna Anwar of the Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI) and Solahuddin Wahid of the Tebu Ireng Islamic Boarding School in Jombang, East Java.

The foreign scholars attending are Mark Woodward of Arizona State University, Ronald Lukens Bull of the University of North Florida, Peter Suwarno of Arizona State University and Nasr Hamid Abu Zaid of Leiden University in the Netherlands.

“All of the four foreigners would be speakers at the conference,” said Masud.

The conference is also expected to establish an "ACIS 2007 Corner" in the Sultan Syarif Kasim UIN`s library in Pekanbaru, Riau.

Source: www.adnkronos.com (22 November 2007)
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