IIIT pays courtesy call on VP

Jakarta-wapresri.go.id. Vice President Jusuf Kalla received the visit of the President of the Board of Trustee of the International Institute of Islamic Thought (IIIT) Prof. Dr. Abdul Hamid Abu Sulayman, at the Office of the Vice President on Jalan Merdeka Utara, Jakarta on Monday (Oct. 3).

Abu Sulayman in the meeting shared the institute’s experiences related to Islamic thought and education, as an input to the Government of Indonesia in building the International Islamic University of Indonesia (UIII).

On his first visit to Indonesia, Sulayman was deeply impressed by the country which has the largest Muslim population in the world.

“God willing, Indonesia would be able to make changes to become the reference of Islamic thoughts in the world,” he said.

According to Abu Sulayman, there are many Muslims who misinterpret the meaning of the verses contained in the Koran, so many of them are doing things that are not in accordance with the teachings of Islam.

To that end, he added, human reasons and the teachings of Islam must go hand in hand.

“If something seems to be logical, we need to double check whether it is in accordance with Islamic teachings. For that, education is badly needed,” he said.

In response, the Vice President said, as the country with the largest Muslim population in the world, Indonesia aspires to contribute more to finding solutions to global issues, including the issue of refugees from Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya, and Nigeria because of the prolonged conflicts at home.

“The refugees tend to prefer Europe, and not Indonesia, as a destination because it is closer,” said the Vice President.

However, the Vice President said that the Indonesian government is committed to provide scholarships for the people from conflicting countries as abovementioned.

With regard to the construction of the International Islamic University of Indonesia in the near future, the Vice President said that the university is devoted to post-graduate program with faculty experts from around the world.

“With the university, it is expected Indonesia could be the center of Islamic thought and bring Islam as rahmatan lil ‘alamiin, blessings for the universe,” he said.

In the past, the Vice President said, many Muslims went to Iraq to learn about Islam.

“Learning about Islam means learning about good moral or good character. So, what can we learn in a country whose inhabitants are killing one another?” he affirmed.

Most important in Islamic education, said the Vice President, is how to harmonize between Islam, science, morality, and civilization.

“So, it is not only learning about the theory of Islam, but also about how to put it into practice in daily lives,” he continued.

Abu Sulayman saw Indonesia has the potential to realize these ideals.

“Muslim countries that are in conflict now need Indonesia. With the construction of IIIU, you will save the Islamic world,” said Abu Sulayman.

International Institute of Islamic Thought (IIIT) is a private, independent, and non-profit, institution, and is very concerned in the the fields of academic, culture, and education. The institution was founded in the USA in 1981.

http://www.wapresri.go.id/menerima-president-board-of-trustee-iiit/