Jakarta Globe, Yustinus Paat & Kiblat Said, Aug
07, 2015
Newly elected Muhammadiyah chairman Haedar Nashir, right, has stressed the ‘reality that we all live in a pluralist nation.’ (Antara Photo/Yusran Uccang) |
Makassar,
South Sulawesi. The newly elected chairman of Muhammadiyah, Indonesia’s second-biggest
Islamic organization, has urged the group’s 30 million followers to work toward
better protection for religious minorities in the country.
“The
reality is that we all live in a pluralist nation,” Haedar Nashir said at a
press conference at the Makassar Muhammadiyah University soon after his
election on Thursday evening. “The majority should protect minorities;
minorities should work with the majority.”
“We need
the capacity to mediate conflicts, whether they concern religious or ethnic
minorities, and we must create a pluralist culture that looks after minorities
wherever they are,” he added.
Haedar, who
until recently taught at the Yogyakarta Muhammadiyah University, was elected
chairman of Muhammadiyah at the group’s 47th congress in Makassar, South
Sulawesi, and will serve a five-year term.
At his
inaugural press conference as Muhammadiyah chairman, Haedar also reiterated his
intention to keep the organization politically neutral.
“Muhammadiyah
will not be affiliated with any political party or movement. Muhammadiyah will
not establish or have structural ties to any political party,” he said. “But we
are committed to fostering relations with all national actors, including
political parties.”
Haedar’s
position runs counter to a recommendation of the plenary session during the
Makassar congress that urged the organization to morph into a political party.
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