Forgive and move on, NU says
Ary Hermawan, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Nadhlatul Ulama chairman Hasyim Muzadi called on Indonesian Muslims on Monday to accept Pope Benedict XVI's apology for offending Muslims, saying it was "an obligation" according to Islamic teachings.
"As long as it (the Pope's remarks) was made out of negligence, we are obliged to accept the apology," Hasyim said on the sidelines of a religious leaders conference at the NU office.
The conference, held by the Indonesian Conference for Religion and Peace (ICRP), was also addressed by Cardinal Julius Darmaatmadja of the Indonesian Bishops Conference (KWI).
Hasyim said the regret was "enough" and further resentment from the Muslims would only justify the pope's statement. "If the rage continues, perhaps what the pope said is true," he said.
The pope in his address at the University of Regensburg in Bavaria, Germany, quoted a medieval text linking Islam with violence.
Quoting a 14th century Christian, Byzantine Emperor Manuel II Palaeologus, the pope said everything the Prophet Muhammad brought was evil, "such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached."
The Vatican issued a formal statement Saturday, announcing the Pope's "sincere regret" over his remarks and the reactions of the Muslims around the world. The pope stressed Sunday that the medieval quotes he used in his speech address did not reflect his personal views. The speech was about the importance of reason, and not violence, in one's faith -- something he said many Christian and Muslim scholars agreed on.
In the conference, the KWI made a formal statement of apology to Muslims here for the pope's remark. The church said it shared the concerns of Muslims, who thought their prophet was belittled or their God blasphemed.
"I hope this incident does not damage the religious harmony we have tried to build all this time," the statement said, "and the act of forgiving each other will be the basis for better dialog in our coexistence."
Hasyim said the relationship between Islam and the Vatican here was good and would not be destroyed in a few days, although he admitted that the statement had caused tensions between the two faiths.
"The damage might have been done ... but it is regretted in the hope that it will not happen again," Cardinal Julius said. The incident taught a good lesson; that one should be extra careful when speaking about religion and holy books.
There are about six million Catholics in the country.
Speaking at the Non-Aligned Movement summit, in Havana, Cuba, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said he hoped the pope's apology would end the global outcry among Muslims.
He also praised Indonesia's religious leaders such as Hasyim, Muhammadiyah chairman Din Syamsudin and popular preacher Abdullah Gymnastiar, who he said had responded to the Pope's remarks "wisely".
"I would like to express my gratitude and appreciation to the ulema in Indonesia, who have urged their communities to refrain (from committing violence) and told them there would be a good end to the problem," he told Antara.
Meanwhile, Islamic Defenders Front members rallied in front of the Vatican embassy building Monday, demanding the pope apologize "directly" to Muslims.
"He has only expressed his regret, but he has not yet apologized," the hardline group's spokesman, Umar Nawawi, said.
