NU says religions often used as tool of provocation

Rome, NU Online
General chairman of the Central Board of Nahdlatul Ulama (PBNU) KH Hasyim Muzadi said that religions in the world had most of the time misused as a means of provocation.

"We live in a world where religions have often been misused or Abused as a tool of provocation. As a result, religions are often misunderstood. Islam is no exception," Hasyim said as speaking at a conference on religious coexistence in Rome on Wednesday.<>

The president of the World Conference of Religions for Peace said Islam was also one religions having been used misunderstood.

"Islam is a misunderstood religion, on account of both internal factors within the Islamic communities and external ones. Internally, Muslims have yet to prove themselves as representations of the holiness and morality of Islam," he said, adding there was a gap between religious teachings of Islam and the behaviour of Muslims.

While the external factors triggering the misuderstanding, Hasyim said, among others, were the fact that non-Muslim communities remained regarding "the current behaviour of Muslims as a reflection of the teachings of Islam".

The Secretary general of the NU-sponsored International Conference of Islamic Scholars (ICIS) stressed the importance of returning religions to their rightful place: as religious teachings.

"In a multi cultural world, religions should naturally be in harmony with the principles of humanity," Hasyim said.

On account of the importance of appreciating the principles of humanity, Hasyim called on all communities all over the world to take into account of such principles as tawasuth (middle-way), tasamuh (tolerance), tawazun, (balance) and dialogue (tasyawur) as adopted by the Indonesia's largest Muslim organization, Nahdlatul Ulama (NU). (dar)