Nadine Osman
On August 8 Indonesia called for the need to “strongly” battle and avoid Islamophobia, adding it is willing to work with the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) to combat it.
During a meeting with OIC Secretary General, Hissein Brahim Taha, in Jakarta on August 8, Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Masrudi “stressed the need to firmly and strongly combat and prevent Islamophobia and reiterated Indonesia’s readiness to work closely with the OIC,” according to a group statement.
She also emphasised Indonesia’s efforts to assist people in war-torn Afghanistan and “provided guidance on how to better support Afghanistan within the OIC.”
On Palestine, Masrudi reiterated Indonesia’s “full support to the Palestinians and insisted on the leading role to be played by the OIC to restore peace in Palestine and respect its population’s rights.”
When the OIC chief also met with Indonesian President Joko Widodo, the president affirmed his country’s “full support for the OIC and its endeavours and its efforts appreciated in service of the Islamic world and its people.”
The Indonesian president praised “the OIC’s efforts and initiatives in dealing with the growing phenomenon of Islamophobia and the crimes of burning copies of al-Mushaf al-Sharif [Qur’an], stressing the need to support these efforts to address this phenomenon,” said the statement.
