YOGYAKARTA, Suara Muhammadiyah – Center for Security and Peace Studies (PSKP) of Universitas Gadjah Mada to prepare documents to put forward Muhammadiyah and Nahdlatul Ulama as Nobel Peace Prize laureate candidates.These two Islamic Civil Organizations have been considered as pioneer of moderate Islam and contributor to peace and democracy in Indonesia.
This International prestigious award has been initiated by Alfred Nobel and since 1901 this prize has been given to people with a great contribution to peace and comradery among nations, abolition or reduction of the armed forces, and for the implementation or promotion of the peace congress. The laureates will be chosen by the Norwegian Nobel Committee, a committee of five members elected by the Norwegian Parliament.
This proposal has been fully supported by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Indonesia and many more. Among them are Indonesian Ambassador for Norway and Iceland Todung Mulya Lubis, and also Anthropology Professor of Boston University Robert W Hefner.
Head of Center for Security and Peace Studies UGM Muhammad Najib Azca stated that the oldest feature of Islamic world has globally represented by middle east and south eastern Islam which identical with its anti-democracy, rigidity, and extremism.
“Islam in Indonesia has been able to merge with democracy. In the global peace and democracy landscape, Indonesia has achieved great accomplishment and it keeps expanding,” he said in his speech in International Conference ‘Indonesian Islam at the Global Stage: Inspiration for Peace of the Progressive Nation for the World” at Balai Senat UGM, Januari 25, 2019.
“In the middle of conflict and chaos that happen mostly in Muslim world like Middle East, Islam in Indonesia still able to walk side by side with the development of peace and democracy. One of the factors behind this glorious achievement is the active role of Indonesian Islamic Civil Organizations,” Najib said.
Muhammadiyah and Nahdlatul Ulama said to have a very important role in the process of democratization in Indonesia because of their roles on developing various Islamic ideas that in line with democracy and civil society empowerment. In addition, these two Islamic organizations are also very active on maintaining international and regional peace building process.
“Muhammadiyah and Nahdlatul Ulama are the key to the democratic transition process in Indonesia,” he added, saying that these two have contributed to peace that has gone beyond race, nationality, and faith. Hence for their huge contribution, these two are considered very worthy to be awarded by Noble Peace Prize.
Head of Universitas Gadjah Mada Panut Mulyono said so. To him, Muhammadiyah and Nahdlatul Ulama have a played real and important contribution to the transition and consolidation of democracy in Indonesia. The transition proccess, he said, can only be progressed by the wide support from civil society. Here is the role of Muhammadiyah and Nahdlatul Ulama by using their structural and cultural power to keep strengthening the peace and democracy even internationally.
“Muhammadiyah and Nahdlatul Ulama have been the antidote to the global islamic world feature,” said Panut Mulyono. Therefore, UGM is fully supporting Muhammadiyah and Nahdlatul Ulama to be Nobel Peace laureate.
These two have been actively contributed on spreading the peace and democracy to the world through Islam. “This Nobel Peace Prize proposal has become the contribution of UGM to peace and democracy in Indonesia dan also the global world,” Panut Mulyono mentioned.
In this International Conference, UGM has welcomed Former Timur Leste President Jose Manuel Ramos Horta who is also a Nobel Peace Prize laureate in 1998 to deliver speech about ‘Indonesian Islam at the Global Stage: Inspiration for Peace of the Progressive Nation for the World”. Several figures such as Ahmad Syafii Maarif, KH Yahya Cholil Staquf, Mark Woodwark, and Azyumardi Azra have also attended the conference.
Ramos Horta has been awarded by the Nobel Peace Prize along with Carlos Belo Bishop considering their active contribution to peace and justice in Timor Timur transition proccess. After finishing his reign, Horta has been assigned by the officiate Secretary General Ban Ki Moon, to be the special envoy in Guinea Bissau. Horta has been successfully done the mission on bringing the country towards democratic election and peaceful power transition. (ribas/alih bahasa: Th)
