Indonesia hosts R20 International Summit of Religious Authorities

Indonesian President Joko Widodo speaks at the international summit of religious authorities. (Photo: antaranews.com)

Jakarta (VNA) - The international summit of religious authorities, part of the G20 Religious Forum (R20), opened in Jakarta, Indonesia, on November 27.

Speaking at the event, Indonesian President Joko Widodo said that open wars and genocides that have occurred in today's world are absurd and do not make sense, ANTARA News reported.

Regarding the conflict between Hamas and Israel that claimed the lives of innocent civilians, including women and children, the President emphasised that the humanitarian tragedy cannot be tolerated at all.

He said a ceasefire must be implemented along with the delivery of humanitarian assistance and peace negotiations that must begin.

According to the President, Indonesia is home to 280 million people of 714 tribes, with more than 1,300 local languages. They believe in different religions and live on 17 thousand different islands.

“It is not easy to unite them all, but we manage to do such a thing," he remarked.

He said that unity in diversity cannot be realised without support from religious leaders who teach that love for the country and tolerance are part of faith. The role of religion, religious figures, and society are very important in creating peace, harmony, and unity within a country, in the region, and in the world.

He called for dialogue between religions and across nations to bridge differences and stop all forms of disputes.

For his part, Yahya Cholil Staquf, Chairman of Nahdlatul Ulama, Indonesia's largest Muslim organisation, expressed his hope that ISORA will reach an agreement with specific actions to solve current conflicts, including that between Israel and Hamas.

Yahya said that with the participation of many religious leaders from R20 forum member countries, ISORA will focus on discussing common subjects to resolve conflicts./.