By UCA News reporter
INDONESIA – Indonesia’s second-largest Muslim organization has held its anniversary event in a Christian-majority province for the first time to strengthen inter-religious ties in the Muslim-majority nation.
Muhammadiyah held its 112th anniversary event in Kupang in East Nusa Tenggara province — which is 85 percent Christian — on Dec 4 with President Prabowo Subianto and cabinet ministers attending.
The event took place at a university the organization founded in the city more than three decades ago.
“We want to continue to build cooperation with all parties for the prosperity of East Nusa Tenggara,” said Haedar Nashir, Muhammadiyah’s general chairman.
East Nusa Tenggara was selected as it is trying to shed its tag as the country’s poorest region, Nashir added.
We want “to expand Muhammadiyah’s charitable efforts throughout the country,” he said.
Muhammadiyah is already active in the province with its Muhammadiyah University of Kupang, founded in 1987.
Since a majority of the students are Christians and Catholic, it is often referred to as the ‘Muhammadiyah Christian University,’ he noted.
Archbishop Hironimus Pakaenoni of Kupang praised Muhammadiyah for its influence on the nation.
The annual event will facilitate more roles for Muhammadiyah in East Nusa Tenggara, the prelate said.
Muhammadiyah stands for the “welfare of society,” he said.
Divine Word Father Philipus Tule, rector of Widya Mandira Catholic University in Kupang, said his campus has collaborated with Muhammadiyah University because of its commitment to the state’s secular ideology.
“We welcome the presence of Muhammadiyah,” he said.
Yuvensius Tukung, head of the Catholic Youth of East Nusa Tenggara, said the annual event was important for East Nusa Tenggara.
Catholic Youth shares “its joy with the big family of Muhammadiyah,” he said.
Muhammadiyah was founded in 1912 and has 60 million members. In Christian-majority regions like Papua and East Nusa Tenggara, the organization has built schools and universities.
The newly appointed education minister Abdul Muti’i was Muhammadiyah’s former general secretary.
In February, together with Nahdlatul Utama, Indonesia’s largest Islamic organization, Muhammadiyah won the Zayed Award for Human Fraternity, given in honor of a pact signed by Pope Francis and Sheikh Ahmed Al-Tayyeb, grand Imam of Al-Azhar, in 2019 in Abu Dhabi. – Vatican News
