JAKARTA (THE JAKARTA POST/ASIA NEWS NETWORK) - The world should not be trapped in extremities based on religious beliefs or national ideologies; instead, it should take the "middle path", according to the resounding message driven home at the seventh biennial World Peace Forum in Jakarta that began on Tuesday (Aug 14).
Extremist beliefs of all kinds, including ones represented by religions and national ideologies, were identified as the cause of global disorders, uncertainties and disruptions. These came in the form of crises such as climate change, food insecurity and war, as well as economic meltdowns.
"The middle path should be a solution for the crises of world civilisations," said religious scholar Muhammad Sirajuddin "Din" Syamsuddin, the presidential special envoy for interfaith and intercivilisational dialogue and cooperation, at Tuesday's opening ceremony.
The forum was attended by dozens of religious figures, academics and peace activists from 43 countries, as well as leading figures from Indonesia.
The three-day event - not to be confused with the Schengen Peace Foundation's annual World Peace Forum that held its 12th instalment in Canada in April - is jointly organised by the Office of the Presidential Special Envoy for Interfaith and Intercivilisational Dialogue and Cooperation, the Centre for Dialogue and Cooperation among Civilisations of Indonesia, and the Kuala Lumpur-based Cheng Ho Multicultural and Education Trust.
The forum was opened by Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi, who emphasised that mainstreaming the middle path approach was not easy and required commitment and determination.
"The middle path approach should be implemented in an open and tolerant community, and translated into do-able programmes," she said.
Professor Din Syamsuddin told reporters after the opening ceremony that the forum was aimed at sending a moral message to the world without a legally binding agreement.
"Radical extremities take place in many aspects of people's lives," he said, taking the example of an extreme economic system in which the rich become richer and poor become poorer, creating imbalances.
Meanwhile, he said religious radicalism was caused by a misconception of religious teachings.
"Radicalism is mostly triggered by non-religious factors such as inequality and disparity in the economy and politics," he said, assuring that Indonesia, as the country with the largest Muslim population in the world, was moderate.
"It is impossible to have stability if Muslims are not tolerant," he said.
Numerous studies published by human rights watchdogs such as the Setara Institute and Wahid Institute have reported the opposite, as there has been an increase in acts of religious intolerance in Indonesia.
The Setara Institute revealed last year that violations of religious freedom increased to 208 incidents in 2016 from 197 in 2015 and 134 in 2014, while acts of religious intolerance increased to 270 last year from 236 in 2015 and 177 in 2014.
After the opening ceremony of the forum, a special panel moderated by former Indonesian foreign minister Hassan Wirajuda was held late in the evening. During the discussion, Dr Hassan said the middle path approach was needed to bridge differences among various civilisations, so as to prevent conflict.
The Federated States of Micronesia President Peter Christian said peace should be a permanent topic of discussion, and not just arise in times of conflict.
He said the middle path must be clearly defined, "otherwise we will be accused of not wanting to take wrong as wrong, or right as right, and taking the easiest way out".
On Wednesday, separate panels will be held on the implementation of the middle way in religion, national ideologies, the economy and politics, while another panel focus on culture is to be held on Thursday.
