INT'L ISLAMIC INTELLECTUALS SECRETARIAT TO BE SET UP IN INDONESIA

February 25, 2004 7:26pm Antara

Jakarta, Feb 25 (ANTARA) - The International Conference of Islamic Intellectuals has decided to set up a permanent secretariat in Jakarta and henceforth to meet biennially, an Indonesian Muslim figure said.

"The secretariat will be run by the Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) which is the biggest Muslim organization in Indonesia," NU Chairman Hasyim Muzadi said when briefing the press on the results of the conference which was closed by Vice President Hamzah Haz here Wednesday.

The international conference which took place from February 23 to 25, 2004, was attended by about 300 Muslim intellectuals from more than 30 countries. including the United States, China, India, Japan, Suriname, Timor Leste (East Timor) and the Netherlands.

The conference was jointly organized by NU and Indonesia's Foreign Affairs Ministry.

Conference participants agreed to hold the event every two years (biennially) while the delegation from Morocco expressed the hope the permanent secretariat would appoint their country to host the next conference in 2006, Muzadi said.

A workshop to discuss matters to be materialized through an action plan was expected to be held at a time between two conferences, he said, adding that the workshop would also formulate materials to be discussed at the next conference.

The first workshop was slated to be held in Indonesia, and a US Muslim has expressed readiness to sponsor the workshop and mobilize Muslims in the US to help make the conference possible, Muzadi said.

Muzadi said the conference had produced a Jakarta Declaration and Action Plan.

The Action Plan puts emphasis on education, economy (of the Muslim community) and media. The conference also agreed to initiate pilot projects in the three areas and stressed the importancce of cooperation among Islamis universities worldwide.

(THROUGH ASIA PULSE)

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