Vice President Ma'ruf Amin Affirms Islam Embraces Human Values

JAKARTA - Vice President Ma'ruf Amin emphasized that the presence of Islam has transformed into a civilization that upholds human values.

"Islam is a religion that upholds human values, so since its arrival, Islam has been transformed into a civilization," said the Vice President at the "Islamic Book Fair 2022" organized by the Al-Muslim Hukama Council at the Jakarta Convention Center, Jakarta, as reported by ANTARA, Friday, August 5th.

The vice president said that the Koran explained that the position of all humans, regardless of ethnicity and nationality, was equal, because they came from the same source of descent.

"Because we humans are of any nation, any descendants of the same lineage, from the descendants of the prophet Adam who are called the children of Adam," added the Vice President.

In the teachings of Islam, the Vice President said, human beings have a very high position, namely as the caliph (leader) of the earth as long as they have good behavior and produce positive things to build civilization.

"But when humans do not have good and constructive behavior, then humans are then in the lowest position," said the Vice President.

The Vice President explained that in building harmony and harmony in Indonesia, Muslims develop the principle of tri ukhuwwah (brotherhood), namely ukhuwwah islamiyyah (brotherhood in Islam), ukhuwwah wathaniyyah (national brotherhood), and ukhuwwah insâniyyah (human brotherhood).

"Therefore, we want Islamic boarding schools to be not only a printer for people who understand religion but also a place for community economic empowerment," said the vice president.

The Vice President hopes that holding the Islamic Book Fair in 2022 can present the views of moderate-minded scholars.

"And also give color to the life of the Indonesian people and describe Islamic civilization and humanity, especially in Indonesia in a clear and bright way," he concluded.

Previously, the Executive Member of the Al-Muslimin Hukama Council Tuan Guru Bajang (TGB) Muhammad Zainul Majdi said that one of the objectives of the event was to answer the challenge of Islamophobia.

"Fighting Islamophobia is not enough just with narration and words but with concrete examples from the history of how Islamic civilization has been able to humanize mankind," said TGB.

One of the founding figures of the Hukama Al-Muslimin Council, Quraish Shihab, in his speech explained the nature of Islamic civilization. According to him, whoever and from any religion a human being if he succeeds in creating a work that benefits humans both physically and spiritually, then the results of his work are part of Islamic civilization.

"Because Islamic civilization emphasizes on the human side, it is very open. Anyone who creates (works) whether Muslim or non-Muslim, as long as it is wisdom, as long as it is useful, then it is Islamic civilization," said Quraish.

Present at the event were former Minister of Religion Lukman Hakim Saifudin and Secretary General of Majma' Al-Buhuts Al-Islamiyah (Egypt's Al-Azhar University Research Institute) Nazhir Ayyad.