Radicalism and modernization, two Islamic world’s main challenges

West Lombok-West Nusa Tenggara, wapresri.go.id – The Islamic world today faces two major challenges, namely radicalism and modernization. Radicalism must be tackled with good science and teaching, while modernization must be faced with another modernization.

“Modernization is a challenge and an advantage for us at the same time. We cannot do as what we did in the past. Modernization must also be responded to by modernization in our education system, our spirit, and so on,” said Vice President Jusuf Kalla when officially closing the National Meeting (Munas) of Ulemas and the Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), the largest Islamic organization in Indonesia, Major Conference at Darul Quran Islamic boarding school in Bengkel, Labuapi, West Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara, on Saturday (Nov. 25).

The Islamic world, Mr. Kalla said, needs to welcome and go along with the advancement of technology to bring prosperity and reduce inequality.

“For that, Islamic organizations should encourage the development of entrepreneurship and improve the standard of education in accordance with the current development,” he said.

Ending his remarks, the Vice President reminded that the decisions made in this forum should be implemented in real life.

“A conference must be followed with hard work of implementation,” he affirmed.

The National Conference of Ulemas and the NU Major Conference is held from 23 to 25 ​​November 2017 with the theme “Strengthening Nationalism Values through De-radicalization Movement and Economic Empowerment”. Opened officially by President Joko Widodo, the forum produced several decisions to strengthen NU’s internal organization and generated several recommendations for the government.

Accompanying the Vice President at the event were Head of the Vice Presidential Secretariat Mohamad Oemar, Deputy for Policy Support on Human Development and Equitable Development Bambang Widianto, Special Staff to the Vice President for Poverty Reduction and Regional Autonomy Syahrul Udjud, and Special Staff to the Vice President for Bureaucracy Reform Azyumardi Azra. (AKS / FM, KIP Setwapres)