Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08JAKARTA2104
2008-11-14 10:51:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Embassy Jakarta
Cable title:
CATHOLIC-MUSLIM FORUM -- KEY INDONESIAN MUSLIM
VZCZCXRO0991 OO RUEHBC RUEHCHI RUEHCN RUEHDA RUEHDE RUEHDT RUEHGI RUEHHM RUEHJS RUEHKUK RUEHLH RUEHPW RUEHROV DE RUEHJA #2104 3191051 ZNR UUUUU ZZH O 141051Z NOV 08 FM AMEMBASSY JAKARTA TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 0658 INFO RUEHZS/ASSOCIATION OF SOUTHEAST ASIAN NATIONS PRIORITY RUEHROV/AMEMBASSY VATICAN PRIORITY RUCNISL/ISLAMIC COLLECTIVE RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 5619 RUEHBY/AMEMBASSY CANBERRA 3294 RUEHLM/AMEMBASSY COLOMBO 1456 RUEHKA/AMEMBASSY DHAKA 1432 RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI 2431 RUEHPB/AMEMBASSY PORT MORESBY 4100 RUEHTV/AMEMBASSY TEL AVIV 0243 RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO 2731 RUEHHK/AMCONSUL HONG KONG 3105 RUEHPT/AMCONSUL PERTH 1283 RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA 7843 RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 0993 RHHJJPI/USPACOM HONOLULU HI RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC
UNCLAS JAKARTA 002104
SIPDIS
DEPT FOR EAP, EAP/MTS, EAP/MLS, DRL, DRL/AWH, DRL/IRF
NSC FOR E. PHU
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV KISL KIRF ID VT TH PP
SUBJECT: CATHOLIC-MUSLIM FORUM -- KEY INDONESIAN MUSLIM
LEADER LAUDS EVENT
REF: A. VATICAN 087
B. JAKARTA 1792 AND PREVIOUS
UNCLAS JAKARTA 002104
SIPDIS
DEPT FOR EAP, EAP/MTS, EAP/MLS, DRL, DRL/AWH, DRL/IRF
NSC FOR E. PHU
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV KISL KIRF ID VT TH PP
SUBJECT: CATHOLIC-MUSLIM FORUM -- KEY INDONESIAN MUSLIM
LEADER LAUDS EVENT
REF: A. VATICAN 087
B. JAKARTA 1792 AND PREVIOUS
1. (U) SUMMARY: The Catholic-Muslim Forum held in Rome
November 2-4 promoted strong inter-religious relations, the
leader of a mass Muslim organization--with over 30 million
members--told an audience of religious and civic leaders on
November 11. Din Syamsuddin, chair of Muhammadiyah, also
spoke about initiatives he is planning to help facilitate
peace in the southern Philippines and southern Thailand. The
Forum also featured a Jewish leader from Australia who
delivered greetings in Hebrew, a positive--if rare--event in
Muslim majority Indonesia. END SUMMARY.
2. (U) Muhammadiyah Chair Syamsuddin was recently selected
to be president and moderator of the Asian Conference of
Religions for Peace (ACRP). (Note: Along with Nadhlatul
Ulama, Muhammadiyah is one of Indonesia's two mass Muslim
organizations. By most estimates, they are among the largest
Muslim organizations in the world.) DepPol/C attended a
dinner held in Jakarta on November 11 to celebrate
Syamsuddin's selection to these positions. Leaders of all
six major faiths in Indonesia--Islam, Catholicism and
Protestantism, Buddhism, Confucianism and Hinduism--addressed
the dinner, plus a Jewish scholar visiting from Australia who
delivered greetings in Hebrew. Judaism is not one of the
officially recognized religions in Muslim-dominated
Indonesia, so asking a representative of that faith to
address an important inter-religious event was a significant
goodwill gesture.
3. (U) In his remarks, Syamsuddin praised the recent
Catholic-Muslim Forum hosted by the Vatican, commenting on
its good effect in building better understanding between the
two religions. He was one of three Southeast Asian Muslim
leaders who attended the Forum. Several prominent Indonesian
Catholics also traveled with Syamsuddin, including Benny
Susetyo, Executive Secretary for the Interfaith Commission of
the Indonesian Catholic Bishops Conference. Syamsuddin's
upbeat assessment was particularly noteworthy given that in
September 2006 he had harsh remarks concerning Pope Benedict
XVI's Regensburg University statement about the Prophet
Muhammad. "Whether the Pope apologizes or not, the Islamic
community should show that Islam is a religion of
compassion," Syamsuddin said at the time.
4. (U) Syamsuddin also talked about upcoming initiatives at
interfaith peace mediation. A delegation of 15 Buddhists and
15 Muslims from southern Thailand might visit Indonesia early
next year under his good offices. Indonesian Vice President
Yusuf Kalla had hosted talks in Indonesia in September aimed
at reaching a settlement to the conflict in southern Thailand
(see Ref A).
5. (U) Secondly, Syamsuddin said five members each from the
Moro National Liberation Front (MILF) and the Moro Islamic
Liberation Front (MNLF) in the southern Philippines have been
invited for a dialogue to take place in Indonesia early next
year.
HUME
SIPDIS
DEPT FOR EAP, EAP/MTS, EAP/MLS, DRL, DRL/AWH, DRL/IRF
NSC FOR E. PHU
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV KISL KIRF ID VT TH PP
SUBJECT: CATHOLIC-MUSLIM FORUM -- KEY INDONESIAN MUSLIM
LEADER LAUDS EVENT
REF: A. VATICAN 087
B. JAKARTA 1792 AND PREVIOUS
1. (U) SUMMARY: The Catholic-Muslim Forum held in Rome
November 2-4 promoted strong inter-religious relations, the
leader of a mass Muslim organization--with over 30 million
members--told an audience of religious and civic leaders on
November 11. Din Syamsuddin, chair of Muhammadiyah, also
spoke about initiatives he is planning to help facilitate
peace in the southern Philippines and southern Thailand. The
Forum also featured a Jewish leader from Australia who
delivered greetings in Hebrew, a positive--if rare--event in
Muslim majority Indonesia. END SUMMARY.
2. (U) Muhammadiyah Chair Syamsuddin was recently selected
to be president and moderator of the Asian Conference of
Religions for Peace (ACRP). (Note: Along with Nadhlatul
Ulama, Muhammadiyah is one of Indonesia's two mass Muslim
organizations. By most estimates, they are among the largest
Muslim organizations in the world.) DepPol/C attended a
dinner held in Jakarta on November 11 to celebrate
Syamsuddin's selection to these positions. Leaders of all
six major faiths in Indonesia--Islam, Catholicism and
Protestantism, Buddhism, Confucianism and Hinduism--addressed
the dinner, plus a Jewish scholar visiting from Australia who
delivered greetings in Hebrew. Judaism is not one of the
officially recognized religions in Muslim-dominated
Indonesia, so asking a representative of that faith to
address an important inter-religious event was a significant
goodwill gesture.
3. (U) In his remarks, Syamsuddin praised the recent
Catholic-Muslim Forum hosted by the Vatican, commenting on
its good effect in building better understanding between the
two religions. He was one of three Southeast Asian Muslim
leaders who attended the Forum. Several prominent Indonesian
Catholics also traveled with Syamsuddin, including Benny
Susetyo, Executive Secretary for the Interfaith Commission of
the Indonesian Catholic Bishops Conference. Syamsuddin's
upbeat assessment was particularly noteworthy given that in
September 2006 he had harsh remarks concerning Pope Benedict
XVI's Regensburg University statement about the Prophet
Muhammad. "Whether the Pope apologizes or not, the Islamic
community should show that Islam is a religion of
compassion," Syamsuddin said at the time.
4. (U) Syamsuddin also talked about upcoming initiatives at
interfaith peace mediation. A delegation of 15 Buddhists and
15 Muslims from southern Thailand might visit Indonesia early
next year under his good offices. Indonesian Vice President
Yusuf Kalla had hosted talks in Indonesia in September aimed
at reaching a settlement to the conflict in southern Thailand
(see Ref A).
5. (U) Secondly, Syamsuddin said five members each from the
Moro National Liberation Front (MILF) and the Moro Islamic
Liberation Front (MNLF) in the southern Philippines have been
invited for a dialogue to take place in Indonesia early next
year.
HUME