Ary Hermawan, Jakarta – Ending religious violence and promoting peace will take concrete measures, according to the Indonesian Conference on Religion and Peace (ICRP).
"We require action for this, not just dialog," ICRP chairman Djohan Effendi said here Monday. He was speaking at a news conference promoting the Kyoto Declaration, which was issued during the 8th World Conference of Religions for Peace (WCRP) in Kyoto, Japan.
Djohan, a prominent moderate Muslim scholar, was involved in drafting the document.
The declaration says religions must play a greater role in identifying and opposing violence in any form, and that religious communities must prevent the exploitation of religion to justify violence.
It also calls for religions to create local, regional and global networks to invigorate interfaith cooperation among religious institutions.
It urges governments and international bodies to support religious leaders in resolving conflict in order to achieve the Millennium Development Goals: eradicating poverty, hunger and disease, and establishing sustainable development.
"Young people and women should be a part of carrying out this call," said Djohan.
The WCRP was founded 36 years ago. From its office at United Nations headquarters in New York, it unites religious leaders around the globe to work for world peace using faith-based approaches.
Some 600 leaders of 20 religions from 100 countries attended the five-day conference that ended last Wednesday.
During the conference, the leader of Indonesia's Nahdlatul Ulama, Hasyim Muzadi, was elected one of nine WCRP presidents, while Muhammadiyah chairman Din Syamsuddin was elected honorary chairman.
Hasyim's top position in the WCRP was previously held by former Muhammadiyah chairman Ahmad Syafii Maarif, who took over the post from former president Abdurrahman Wahid.
"The election of Pak Hasyim as one of the presidents means that international communities are putting their trust and hope in Indonesia to foster global peace," Djohan said. Hasyim did not attend Monday's news conference.
NU deputy leader Rozy Munir said poverty is a crucial factor in religious conflicts. "Poverty can make people distressed and therefore they are prone to violence," he said.
The NU, he said, has long embraced pluralist traditions and is always opposed to any form of violence.
"We may disapprove of the teachings of Ahmadiyah and Lia Eden. But we also disapprove of violent acts against them," he said, referring to religious minority groups that are often the targets of attacks by Muslims.
Catholic priest Johannes Hariyanto of the ICRP criticized the media for publicizing acts of religious violence rather than peace. "The media always urges us to promote peace but when we speak about it they don't give us space," he said.
He urged news outlets to reconsider before publishing stories that might provoke the anger of a religious community. "The media should be more pluralist," he said.