Jakarta, NU Online
The U.S. Muslim delegation to Indonesia considers the country the center for the development of Islam as Muslims here always campaign for peace and tolerance in dealing with the current global challenges.<>

"Indonesia is the world's center for Islamic development. This was the main theme raised in all the programs conducted by the U.S. Muslim delegation in Jakarta for five days, from April 27 to May 1," Indonesian Ambassador to the U. S. Budi Bowoleksono said in a press release received by Antara in here on Monday.

Bowoleksono added that the theme was of crucial importance, especially in the midst of the current situation in the world where Islam was being used to achieve political goals through violent means.

"Various acts of radicalism and extremism that we see today have nothing to do with the teachings of a particular religion," he emphasized.

According to Ambassador Bowoleksono, the program to showcase a peaceful and tolerant Islam to the entire world was initiated by the Indonesian Embassy in the U. S., along with the Office of the U. S. Special Envoy to Muslim Communities.

Moreover, the U. S. Muslim delegation to Indonesia included representatives of governments, youths, entrepreneurs, members of the mass media and academics.

They were businessman/CEO of Ethan Allen Farooq Kathwari, Media and Communications Consultant Mustafa Tameez, educators and managers of Islamic universities in the U. S. Jihad Turk, and an activist of the U. S. Islamic Community, Alejandro Beutel.

The primary purpose of their visit to Indonesia was to give a strong message to the Muslim community in the country that Islam in the U. S. has an equal opportunity to grow and flourish in western countries, including in the United States.

"The perception that Islam and Muslims in the United States are subjected to discrimination is not entirely true and must be corrected. In fact, two Muslims members of the U. S. Congress are members of the Indonesian Caucus in the congress," he pointed out.

During its visit, the U. S. delegation met with Muslim religious leaders of Indonesian Islamic organizations, interfaith leaders, Muslim teachers, Muslim youths, as well as students and the representatives of the government.

The U. S. Muslim leaders asked Indonesian Muslims to become leaders to promote peaceful and tolerant Islam, which is an inherent characteristic in Indonesians.

"Indonesia, as the largest Muslim country and the third-largest democratic country in the world, can be the center for the development of Islam," the U. S. Special Envoy to Muslim Communities, who was the chairperson of the U. S. Muslim delegation to Indonesia, Shaarik Zaafar affirmed.

Editing by Sudarto Murtaufiq