The Muslims of Indonesia welcome "with
favour" Pope Francis' visit to the country, the world's most
populous Muslim-majority nation, according to a statement issued
on Wednesday by the Central Council of Muhammadiyah, one of the
main Indonesian Islamic organizations.
"Pope Francis' visit is an honour and a sign of respect for the
Indonesian people", said the statement.
"It is important for Indonesia to use the visit and the meeting
with the pope as an incentive to kickstart and develop its role
in world peace in a more proactive way to seek permanent
solutions for the future of Palestine by involving various sides
on a global scale", it added.
The statement went on to say that "Pope Francis is happy to
visit Indonesia by using commercial flights and by travelling
long distances and not staying at five-star hotels.
"This proves that an example can be an important inspiration for
national leaders on a national and global level", the note
added.
Speaking about relations between different religious
communities, in particular Islam and Catholicism, the statement
said the pontiff's visit "highlights the importance of Indonesia
and the commitment of Pope Francis in building and strengthening
Catholic relations with the Muslim world".
Muhammadiyah recalled that, "together with the Grand Sheikh of
al-Azhar, Ahmad el-Thayeb, Pope Francis signed the document of
Abu Dhabi on human brotherhood", which "stresses the same spirit
of Islamic teachings and the commitment of Catholicism in
building human dignity and cooperation between faiths in peace".
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