WAMY conference opened by religious affairs minister

Jakarta, NU Online
Religious Affairs Minister Suryadharma Ali opened the 11st World Assembly of Muslim Youths (WAMY) here on Saturday.

Around 700 Muslims scholars and philatrophy experts from 80 countries were scheduled to attend the meeting at Hotel Sultan until October 4, according to a press statement received here on Saturday.&l<>t;br />
The event was initially to be opened by President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.
According to WAMY Secretary General Dr Shalih bin Sulaiman Al Wohaibi several world Muslim figures had been invited and believed to come to the gathering.

They include Syeikh Saleh bin Abdul Aziz bin M Alu Syeikh (the Saudi minister of Islam and Wakaf affairs and president of WAMY), Syeikh Abdullah bin Sulaiman Al Mani` (the Saudi Supreme Court chairman), Syeikh Isham bin Ahmad Al Basyir (former religious affairs minister of Sudan), Syeikh Amru Khalid (an international ulema) and Syeikh Salman Al Audah (an international ulema).

Actually WAMY also planned to invite charismatic international ulema Syeikh Yusuf Al Qardhawi but "because of his health condition and because he is already more than 80 years old he had said he would not be able to come."

During the event there will be seminars, discussions and workshops that would focus on discussing the role of Muslim youths in the social area with regard to creating a civil society.

Wohaibi said youths in the world were facing common problems such as religious fundamentalism and extremism, hedonistic lifestyle, pornography, free sex and crime.

"The recommendations of the meeting will be sent to parties concerned such as the governments or ministries of WAMY member countries, organizations and others. The heaviest task of MAMY would be implementing the results of the meeting in the field," he said.

WAMY Southeast Asia representative Makmur Hasanuddin meanwhile said the conference was a continuation of a conference in Cairo before.

He said "the main task of WAMY is educating and developing Muslim youths. WAMY also carries out various social activities such as developing mosques and other houses of prayer and extending aid to natural disaster victims."

WAMY Indonesia director Aang Suandi said in carrying out its tasks WAMY is focusing on work instead of words and therefore a lot of people in the country still do not know the organization. (ant/dar)