Tall Islamophobia, Vice President Ma'ruf Amin: Read More And Knowledge About Islam From Various Angles

JAKARTA - Vice President Ma'ruf Amin said Islamophobia could be countered by increasing interest in reading and literacy in Islamic books.

"This book exhibition is even more complete to provide the wealth of our children's treasures, and we want to encourage through this 'book fair' interest in reading and knowledge about Islam from various angles so that generations understand Islam more fully correctly and not extreme, and counter what is developing, namely 'Islamophobia'," said Vice President Ma'ruf Amin while attending the 2022 Islamic Book Fair at the Jakarta Convention Center, Jakarta, Antara, Friday, August 5.

Islamophobia is an irrational fear or prejudice against Islam, especially in terms of Islamization and sources of terrorism.

"So there are actually two sides. On the one hand there is extreme Islam and on the other hand there is anti-Islam, namely 'Islamophobia'. Through the books distributed, these two things, namely extreme extremes can be solved and Islamophobia is expected to disappear by understanding Islam which is actually because 'Islamiphobia is because there is extreme Islam,' said the vice president.

With the correct understanding of Islam, according to the Vice President, both those who have "Islamophobia" or extreme understanding will be enlightened by the understanding of wasathiyah or moderate Islam.

"Well, we hope that this 'Islamic Book Fair', as a vehicle in developing a true understanding of Islam, is Islam that is wasathiyah," added the Vice President.

To develop Wasathiyah Islam, the government synergizes with Islamic organizations, such as the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI), Muhammadiyah, Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), and other mass organizations.

"Even we, the Ulema Council have asked to build an Islamic da'wah center that unites the Ulema Council and mass organizations of various government agencies to carry out a more massive movement about the spread of moderate Islam so that it is more organized," said the Vice President.

Furthermore, at the same time, he explained, the government is also targeting other groups that still have radical ideas or those that lead to terrorism.

"So that later we can do the counter, in addition to also carrying out various rehabilitation and deradicalization. We target all if there are still radical terrorist groups so that we do the counter by carrying out various rehabilitation and deradicalization, so it's already there from all parties, all levels, "added the vice president.

Present at the event were former Minister of Religion Lukman Hakim Saifudin, founder and member of the Indonesian Muslim Hukama Council Quraish Shihab, Member of the Executive Committee of the Indonesian Muslim Hukama Council TGB. Zainul Majdi Secretary General of Majma' Al-Buhuts Al-Islamiyah (Islamic Research Institute) Al-Azhar Egypt Doctoral Nazhir Ayad, and other invitees.