REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- Indonesia is set to hold a Trilateral Ulema Conference of Indonesia, Afghanistan, and Pakistan, at the Bogor Palace on Friday. The historic and first-ever meeting of ulema from these three large Muslim countries will carry the theme "Islam as Rahmatan lil Alamin, Peace and Stability in Afghanistan", a press release from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated on Thursday.

Prominent ulema attending the meeting would discuss their role in sowing the seed for peace and stability in Afghanistan.

Five issues, such as peace and friendship in Islam; violent extremism and ai'tidal (tolerance); the role of ulema; the role of the state; and the way forward, will become the agenda of the conference.

President Joko Widodo is scheduled to officially open the Trilateral Ulema Conference on Thursday, with the Indonesia Council of Ulema (MUI) as the host.

Peace and stability in Afghanistan have been Indonesia's long-standing focus, as clearly reflected by Widodo's recent state visits to Pakistan and Afghanistan last January.

In the meetings with President Ashraf Ghani of Afghanistan and Mamnoon Hussain of Pakistan, as well as with Prime Minister Shahid Abbasi of Pakistan in January, Widodo conveyed a proposal to hold a trilateral ulema conference in Indonesia.

Indonesia's proposal was welcomed and received favorable support.

It is expected that the participating ulema at the meeting may convey the message of peace in Afghanistan, as expressed by Vice President Jusuf Kalla at the 2nd Kabul Peace Process Conference in Afghanistan last February.

Kalla is expected to close the meeting.

The Bogor Palace in Bogor District, West Java Province, was specifically chosen as the conference's venue as it is has been used for very special occasions, as one of the six Presidential Palaces, and since it has hosted a number of peace efforts initiated by Indonesia in the past.

The meetings in the past include the Jakarta Informal Meeting between factions in Cambodia (1988), mediation of Thai-Cambodian Conflict (2011), and MILF-MNLF special session (2012).

The Bogor Palace represents Indonesia's long-standing contribution to peace, as well as the nation's spirit for peace. The success of the Trilateral Ulema Meeting will hopefully bring a new chapter in the peace-building process.

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