Supporting the moderate Muslims

Jakarta. Vice President Jusuf Kalla received the visit of Muhammadiyah board of leaders led by its chairman, Haedar Nashir, today at his office.

At the meeting, Mr Nashir reported to the Vice President the results of the 47th Muhammadiyah national congress held in Makassar last August and the organization’s strategic agenda to affirm itself as an Islamic movement that is tolerant, moderate, progressive, and anti-radical.

“If we, in the country with the biggest number of Muslims, can show the world the moderate Islam, insha Allah (if God wills) Islam in Indonesia can be the world reference and role model,” he said, adding that Muslims are still fighting to catch up with the advanced development of science and technology.
Responding to this, the Vice President said that Indonesia has been a role model for its tolerance.

“I am deeply sad to know that due to intolerance, many Muslims are forced to migrate from their home town in Iraq and Syria to Europe with all the hardships they had to face,” said Mr Kalla.

The Vice President then said that he is fully supportive to Muhammadiyah’ efforts to increase people’s competitiveness. This, according to him, is to optimally utilize the country’s rich natural resources and to make Indonesia a progressive and outstanding country.

Mr Nashir at the meeting was accompanied by some Muhammadiyah prominent figures such as Busro Muqoddas, Yunahar Ilyas, Anwar Abbas, Dahlan Rais, and Agus Taufiqurrahman, while the Vice President was coming with Head of the Vice President’s Secretariat Mohamad Oemar, Vice President’s Deputy on Human Development Bambang Widianto, and Vice President’s Special Staff Syahrul Udjud.

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