ASIA/INDONESIA - Muslim students at the Vatican: from the post-September 11 protests to the invite to the Pope

Vatican City (Agenzia Fides) – To seek support to open the door to dialogue and religious pluralism; to begin forms of collaboration; to invite Pope Benedict XVI in Indonesia to give a speech at an international conference on the themes of dialogue and peace to be held in Bali October 2012: that of young representatives of the Association of Indonesian Muslim Students (Himpunan Mahasiswa Islam, HMI) is an ambitious agenda, and were received today, September 10, at the Vatican by Cardinal Jean Louis Tauran, President of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue . Founded in 1947, the HMI is the oldest, the largest and most influential Muslim student association in Indonesia (more than one million members), which has trained many Indonesian politicians such as Nurcolish Madjid (1939-2005), a well-known moderate Muslim intellectual .
As sources of Fides explain, the delegation comprises the President of the HMI, Noer Fajrieansyah; the Secretary-General, Basri Dodo; and Nuhammad Makmoen Abdullah, head of the international relations. The Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue has welcomed the request to receive the delegation, to hear the proposals and start a worthwhile comparison.
The leaders of the Islamic scholars are in the Vatican on the occasion of the 10th anniversary of the Twin Towers attack, September 11, 2001. Ten years ago the HMI - with other names such as the Indonesian Islamic Movement (GPI), the Indonesian Muslim Workers Union (BBDC), the Islam Defenders' Front (FPI), the Muslim Student Action Front (KAMM ) - vigorously protested the U.S. bombing and military intervention in Afghanistan, rejecting the accusations of al Qaeda ties to radical Islam of Indonesia. The then leader of the HMI, Ahmad Muzak, and his colleague Ayat Hidayat were even arrested for the burning of the American flags.
Today, Muslim students have once again embarked, peremptorily, the path of dialogue and pluralism, and intend to work next to Christian and other religious organizations, to build inter-religious harmony and combat extremism and fundamentalism in Indonesia. This is why they seek support from the Indonesian Church and the Holy See. (PA) (Agenzia Fides 10/09/2011)