Keynote Address at The International Conference of Islamic Leaders for Reconciliation in Iraq

TRANSCRIPT
KEYNOTE ADDRESS
BY
H.E. DR. SUSILO BAMBANG YUDHOYONO
PRESIDENT REPUBLIC OF INDONESIA
AT THE INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE
OF ISLAMIC LEADERS
FOR RECONCILIATION IN IRAQ
BOGOR PRESIDENTIAL PALACE, 3 APRIL 2007




Bismillahir-Rahmanir-Rahiim
Assalaammu’alaikum wa-Rahmatulahi wa-Barrakatuh

Excellencies Ministers and Ambassadors,
Honorable Ulamas and Islamic Leaders,
Distinguished Guests and Participants,

Let us praise Allah SWT, for by His grace, we have been able to gather here at this International Conference of Islamic Leaders for Reconciliation in Iraq.

I wish to commend both the Nahdlatul Ulama under leadership of Bapak Hasyim Muzadi and the Muhammadiyah under leadership of Bapak Din Syamsudin, for working closely with the Government of Indonesia, in bringing to reality this international conference.

We are indeed delighted and proud, to host this conference. To all of you who have undertaken this journey in the cause of peace, I bid you a very warm welcome to Bogor.

We are gathered here in the name of peace, in the hope that by pooling our experiences, insights and ideas, we could find a way that leads to reconciliation in a conflict-torn Iraqi nation.

The toll of that conflict is horrible. The United Nations recently reported that, in 2006 over 34.000 Iraqis were killed, nearly 37.000 were wounded, and some 471.000 were displaced. These are the grim statistics of a humanitarian catastrophe that now obtains in Iraq. There seems to be no sign that such a trend will change in the near future.

Compounding that catastrophe is the increasing polarization of Iraqi society along what appear to be sectarian lines. The spiral of factional violence has dreadfully eroded the national tradition of religious tolerance and mutual respect. Where there used to be a great deal of goodwill and solicitude for one another, there is now so much violence, threat of violence and distrust. This is not the natural state of affairs between the Sunnis and Shi''ites of Iraq.

The mass of followers of the two main sects of Islam once lived in peace and harmony in Iraq. They can do so again. They can go back to the practice of dialogue and learn to trust one another again. They can be saved from the clutches of the provocateurs and other vendors of hatred. And they can be gathered back into the fold of fraternal harmony by their own spiritual leaders as good numbers of whom are here with us today. I truly believe in that.

At the same time, I cannot accept the claim being spread in various circles that the Islamic world is not overly concerned at the conflict in Iraq. This is not true. The entire Ummah is hurting, because of the factional violence in Iraq. Every Muslim is concerned at every Muslim death in Iraq. Indonesia, the country with the world’s largest Muslim population, is very concerned about this.

We in Indonesia, wish to help bring about peace and reconciliation in Iraq. That is the call of Islam. It is also the call of the 1945 Constitution of Indonesia—to call to work for peace and social justice everywhere in the world, and the call for a foreign policy that is independent and active.

We have answered that call many times before. Indonesia has contributed to many United Nations peacekeeping missions in various parts of the world, since the Suez crisis in 1955. We have helped bring to an end decades of fratricidal violence in Cambodia and in the Southern Philippines. And in that same independent and active spirit, Indonesia has always supported all efforts to achieve a just peace in the Middle-East.

We actively supported the cessation of hostilities between Israel and Lebanon, through the United Nations and the OIC, and presently an Indonesian battalion is taking part in UNIFIL peace-keeping operations in Southern Lebanon.

We call for an early establishment of an independent and viable Palestinian state, and we support the National Unity Government in Palestine. In fact, at the end of this month, we will host a meeting between Hamas leaders and European figures here in the Bogor Palace.

We support Iran’s right to develop nuclear energy for peaceful purpose, and this present dispute over this issue, should be resolved peacefully through negotiations and diplomacy. We also ask Iran to continue its cooperation in a constructive way with the IAEA, as is expected of all IAEA members.

Of course, the conflict in Iraq is unique. And so is every other conflict. But it is fundamental to all conflicts that their long-term solution involves dialogue, trust, and goodwill.

These are the fundamentals that Indonesia has always worked for—as a founding member of both the Non-aligned Movement and the Organization of the Islamic Conference, as a founding member of ASEAN, and as an ardent member of the United Nations.

Today, as a non-permanent member on the UN Security Council, we will work hard to contribute to the solution of conflicts and disputes everywhere in the world, including in the Middle East and in Iraq itself.

Last November, within these same premises of the Bogor Palace, I proposed a triple-track solution to the conflict in Iraq. The first and most vital track in this proposed solution is the launching and unrelenting pursuit of reconciliation in that embattled country. This is the essential first step not only to peace, but also to genuine Iraqi sovereignty. It is the door to a brighter future for all Iraqis. Once that national reconciliation is achieved, the second track, is the withdrawal of the coalition forces, replaced by a new coalition of forces comprising of like-minded Moslem countries. And this is then followed by the third track: namely, for the reconstruction of Iraq.

Much of Iraq’s problems can be cured with the spread of soft power. Presently, no amount of hard power will resolve the situation on the ground because ultimately this is a battle for the hearts and minds, which cannot be won by guns or bombs. The Iraqis need to experience the explosion of soft power: they need to see national reconciliation; they need more dialogue and more outreach; they need spiritual comfort and guidance from their leaders; they need to feel safe; they need hope and compassion; they need jobs, education and health care; and they need to feel that they are not alone. I believe this is true not just for Iraq, but for all conflict-torn societies—at least, from what I have seen up close from my experience in Bosnia, East Timor and in Aceh, where recently we were able to achieve a permanent peace that ended 30 years of conflict.

In this process of reconciliation in Iraq, religious leaders have a vital role to play. Many past conflicts have been resolved for all time, because of the engagement—the deep involvement—of religious leaders. You have a unique role, because you have the ear of the Ummah in Iraq, many of whom at this time are not only suffering, but also desperate for spiritual guidance and wisdom.

The process of reconciliation requires enormous self-restraint and resistance, against the impulse to revenge past wrongdoings. It requires many acts of forgiveness, and for that to be possible, the individual and his community must call upon tremendous reserves of spiritual strength.

Hence, this is a process that needs the guidance and encouragement of those, who speak to and for the spiritual side of the human being—our religious leaders.

That is why we have this Conference. We realize that a process of national reconciliation is bound to succeed in Iraq, if it is launched by you, who are the nation’s religious leaders, and encouraged, guided and sustained by you all.

I therefore urge you, to reflect on how the Ulama can contribute to rebuild in peace and harmony in Iraq. You can deliberate on how the Ulama can initiate, encourage and sustain dialogue toward reconciliation and mutual forgiveness for the benefit not only of the nation but also of the Ummah. And indeed, the Ulama can provide the vision, the wisdom and the appeal to the better nature of all human beings that will serve as the foundation for long-term peace in Iraq, and perhaps eventually elsewhere in the Middle East.

And I am confident, that the counsel of the Ulama will be so much more acceptable to the Iraqi people, than all the carrots and sticks that external forces can bring to bear upon the nation. I appeal to you, to search deeply within yourselves for inspiration, for fresh initiatives to help restore harmony to Iraq, and to her suffering people.

We do need concrete initiatives that will halt the fratricidal violence, that will allay the impulse for revenge, and promote civilized fraternal dialogue leading to reconciliation.

When that process has been launched, then and only then, can we say that the Iraqi nation is on its way, to genuine sovereignty and functioning democracy. Only then, can we say that the future of Iraq is now, in the hands of the Iraqi people.

We have arrived at a crossroads. Our commitment and initiative are vital at this crucial juncture. In the Holy Quran Surah Al-Hujurat, 49:9, Allah SWT, exalted be His name, says: “And if two parties of believers fall to fighting, then make peace between them.”

It is therefore our religious obligation, to help resolve the plight of the Iraqi people. Each and everyone of us is obliged to help promote peace at all levels: starting with the family, the community, then the state, and finally the global level. The cause of peace, progress and justice in Islam goes beyond religious and state boundaries. It is a rahmatan lil-alamin.

I also hope that in this Conference, you will be able to build on the results of previous efforts, such as the Makkah Conference held under the umbrella of the Organization of the Islamic Conference and the International Fiqh Academy, which adopted the Makkah Al-Mukarramah Declaration on the Iraqi Situation, during Holy Ramadhan on 19 October 2006.

Excellencies, Honorable Ulamas, Distinguished Participants,
Finally, we must never cease in our quest for solutions, and never abandon our commitment to the peace of Islam. We must keep on building bridges through dialogue and cooperation, no matter how high the obstacles. Yes, we have arrived at a crossroads. And I believe that we all know the initiative importance of choosing the right path.

By saying ”Bismillahir-Rahman ir-Rahiim”, I declare the International Conference of Islamic Leaders for Reconciliation in Iraq open.

I thank you.
Wa-assalamu’alaikum wa-Rahmatullahi wa-Barokatuh.


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