NU to hold international ulema meeting

Jakarta, NU Online
Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), the Indonesia's largest Muslim organization will reportedly hold an international conference taking up issues on the importance of Muslim scholars (ulema) in propagating moderate Islamic values.

In regard with the NU-sponsored international forum, General Chairman of NU KH Said Aqil Siroj, popularly known as Kang Said held a meeting with Vice President Jusuf Kalla here onTuesday in addition to inviting him to attend the International Summit of Moderate Islamic Leaders (ISOMIL) that will be held on May 9-11.

"We met Vice President Jusuf Kalla with a request that he kindly attends the closing session of the upcoming conference," Kang Said told journalists after his meeting with the member of the Advisory Board of Nahdlatul Ulama.

Through the upcoming conference, Islamic scholars (ulema) from some 45 countries will share their views on moderate Islam and shed light on ways to promote Islam as a religion that upholds peace, truth, and anti-radicalism.

The ISOMIL is a follow-up to the special summit of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) that Jakarta and the Turkish city of Istanbul had recently hosted, he remarked.

"If the OIC summits are held for the heads of state and government of member countries, the ISOMIL is the meeting of ulema," he pointed out.

According to Kang Said there would be many ulema from 45 countries confirming their participation in the much-awaited event.

The NU has been mandated by President Joko Widodo to organize the ISOMIL in an effort to safeguard the nation from the threats of radicalism, he affirmed. (Masdar)