REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- The High-Level Consultation of World Muslim Scholars to discuss the Wasatiyat al-Islam (Islam middle path) concept is expected to be held in Indonesian city of Bogor from May 1 to 3. Around 50 world ulemas and scholars are expected to attend the consultation, which will be opened by President Joko Widodo (Jokowi).
Meanwhile, the event will be closed by Vice President Jusuf Kalla at the Vice Presidential office in Jakarta.
The invitees, Grand Sheikh of the Al-Azhar University in Cairo, Egypt, Prof Ahmad Muhammad Ath-Thayyib, arrived in Jakarta on Sunday night.
The Grand Sheikh arrived on schedule at 10:20 p.m. local time on a special aircraft at Halim Perdana Kusuma international airport.
Upon arrival at the airport, the Grand Sheikh was greeted by the Indonesian president's special envoy for Inter-religious and Civilization Cooperation, Din Syamsuddin; Vice Foreign Affairs Minister, AM Fachir; Director General of Islamic community guidance of Religious Affairs Ministry, Muhammadiyah Amin; and a number of friendly countries' envoys.
Ahead of the event, President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) has received a courtesy call from Prof. Ath-Thayeb at the Merdeka Palace here on Monday. Ath-Thayeb is visiting Indonesia at the invitation of Jokowi.
Syamsuddin remarked in a press statement released recently that Indonesia specifically invited Sheikh Ath-Thayeb to the event because it sees Al-Azhar as the leading Islamic study center in the country.
The organizing committee of the High-Level Consultation of World Muslim Scholars summit also invited President of Muslim Community Peace Promotion Forum, Prof Abdullah bin Bayyah, who is concurrently the president of the International Muslim Scholars Union; Imam (priest) of Haram Grand Mosque in Mecca, Syaikh Saleh bin Abdullah bin Hamid; and the Imam of Aqsa Mosque, Syaikh Muhammad Ahmad Husein.
Other invitees include Canadian Muslim scholar, Jamal Badawi; Secretary-General of the European Muslim Conference from France, Muhammad Bechari; Secretary-General of the Islamic World League, Muhammad Abdul Karim Al Isa; Iranian cleric, Shaykh Ayatullah Ali Taskhiri; Russian Mufti, Shaykh Ravil Ismagiloviich; and Japanese Muslim Chairman, Amin K Tokomasu.
According to Syamsuddin, the Consultation of World Muslim Scholars summit in Bogor also serves as an event to promote moderate Islam in Indonesia.
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