ID :
14500
Fri, 08/01/2008 - 07:21
Auther :
Shortlink :
http://m.oananews.org//node/14500
The shortlink copeid
DIVERSITY A BLESSING IN THE WORLD: ASEAN SECRETARY GENERAL
Jakarta, July 30 (ANTARA) - "We do not send you down except to give a blessing of all mankind," ASEAN Secretary General Surin Pitsuwan quoted one of the holy Koran ayahs in his speech at the third International Conference of Islamic Scholars (ICIS) here Wednesday.
As general secretary of the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN), he suggested to mediate in conflicts in ASEAN countries by being a good person universally.
There is the difference between a good man and a good citizen, he said, adding that a good man is a good person to everybody, irrespective of time and place, but a citizen is good if its government said he is good.
Only through free will and choice, a moslem could be a good moslem as well as a good person, and a good person is needed to mediate in the conflicts in the world, he said.
He believed that the West and Islam were in conflict for many reasons, and the road for consolidation runs through Southeast Asia.
Meanwhile, he said Pancasila as touched by Megawati Sukarnoputri, one-time President, in her speech earlier, was the Indonesian state ideology which was expected to give a positive contribution to solving conflicts.
Pancasila consists of five philosophical tenets -- belief in God, humanity, unity, democracy and social justice.
He also gave examples of the conflict between Thailand and Cambodia on Preah Viar temple, and between Indonesia and Malaysia on the Sipadan and Ligitan islands.
In the Priah Viar conflict, both the countries involved demanded ASEAN to mediate in the problem. Surin said the two countries should settle the conflict by themselves. Then ASEAN sent in a Moslem to settle the conflict. Now their troops are to be 're-deployed' instead of 'pulled back' to relief the tension.
Conflicts in the world occurred as we could not find a joint resolution, he said. "Diversity is a blessing," he added.
"We struggle and fight until lose track we don't know what to struggle for. In Islam we learn about human progress, freedom, independence, and respect for wisdom," he said.
As long as we believe in God, globalization would not affect us through the same pattern around the world, he said.
As general secretary of the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN), he suggested to mediate in conflicts in ASEAN countries by being a good person universally.
There is the difference between a good man and a good citizen, he said, adding that a good man is a good person to everybody, irrespective of time and place, but a citizen is good if its government said he is good.
Only through free will and choice, a moslem could be a good moslem as well as a good person, and a good person is needed to mediate in the conflicts in the world, he said.
He believed that the West and Islam were in conflict for many reasons, and the road for consolidation runs through Southeast Asia.
Meanwhile, he said Pancasila as touched by Megawati Sukarnoputri, one-time President, in her speech earlier, was the Indonesian state ideology which was expected to give a positive contribution to solving conflicts.
Pancasila consists of five philosophical tenets -- belief in God, humanity, unity, democracy and social justice.
He also gave examples of the conflict between Thailand and Cambodia on Preah Viar temple, and between Indonesia and Malaysia on the Sipadan and Ligitan islands.
In the Priah Viar conflict, both the countries involved demanded ASEAN to mediate in the problem. Surin said the two countries should settle the conflict by themselves. Then ASEAN sent in a Moslem to settle the conflict. Now their troops are to be 're-deployed' instead of 'pulled back' to relief the tension.
Conflicts in the world occurred as we could not find a joint resolution, he said. "Diversity is a blessing," he added.
"We struggle and fight until lose track we don't know what to struggle for. In Islam we learn about human progress, freedom, independence, and respect for wisdom," he said.
As long as we believe in God, globalization would not affect us through the same pattern around the world, he said.
