Abdul Khalik, Jakarta – More than 300 Muslim scholars ended a three-day international conference here Friday with a decision to form an ulema body to address global conflicts within the Muslim world.

"We decide to establish Ulama sans Frontieres (ulema without borders," the scholars from some 70 countries said in their "Jakarta Message" at the close of the third International Conference of Islamic Scholars (ICIS).

They said the front would embrace ulema regardless of their different mazhab (schools of thought) and nationalities to help resolve intra-faith conflicts and wage a campaign for world peace.

These ulema will "play a more active role in waging a campaign of compassion and comprehension", added the statement.

It said the Ulama sans Frontieres would have offices in East Asia/the Pacific, South/Central Asia, the Middle East, Africa, America and Europe.

Indonesian Foreign Minister Hassan Wirayuda, who replaced Vice President Jusuf Kalla to close the conference, praised the establishment of the body as a way to strengthen conflict prevention and peace building.

"With compassion and dedication to peace and social justice, the ulema will bring the message of peace to the Muslim world," he said in his closing remarks to the conference co-hosted by Hassan's office and Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), Indonesia's largest Islamic organization.

Hassan said he hoped the ulema body would be able to formulate measures to overcome political, economic and social barriers in efforts to promote global peace and development.

NU chairman Hasyim Muzadi said Islamic scholars in the new body would be those able to transcend their own national and sect boundaries so all Muslim groups could accept them.

"We have yet to build a culture of peace and dialogue that may overcome the trend of aggression and ignorance that pervades the Muslim world and the rest of humankind.

"But I am confident if we work in concert we can uncover an effective and durable solution to these problems," he said at the closing ceremony.

Practical actions outlined in the "Jakarta Message" for the new body include capacity building of Muslim scholars at all levels in peace building and conflict prevention, the study of conflicts in the Muslim world and the establishment of an early warning system for conflicts at grassroots levels.

The Islamic scholars also vowed to boost the protection of children, women, the elderly and those with disabilities while conducting efforts to empower the Muslim youth and women.

They expressed a commitment to helping eradicate poverty, depravation, illiteracy and all forms of injustice, and encouraged the media to provide balanced and objective coverage of issues in the Muslim communities without creating an Islamophobia or demonizing the religion.