MUHAMMADIYAH.OR.ID, BEIJING – A delegation of Muhammadiyah visited the Chinese Bureau of Religious Affairs on Wednesday, June 12th. They were warmly received by Director-General Wo Guosheng, with the discussion focusing on potential collaboration in the religious realm.
“Muhammadiyah is a large organization with a vast network. We have schools and 174 universities across Indonesia and abroad. In the health sector, we manage 126 hospitals and 300 clinics. Additionally, Muhammadiyah also has orphanages and youth development programs such as the Muhammadiyah Student Association (IPM), the Muhammadiyah University Student Association (IMM), the Muhammadiyah Youth (Pemuda Muhammadiyah/PM), and Nasyiatul ‘Aisyiyah (NA),” mentioned Secretary General of Muhammadiyah Abdul Mu’ti.
Kyai Saad Ibrahim, Chairperson of Muhammadiyah, offered his perspective on the meeting. “This visit to China presents an opportunity to learn valuable experiences, particularly regarding religious affairs,” he said. “Both Muhammadiyah and China share a commitment to religious rights, as evidenced by the Chinese government’s prioritization of mosque construction in the Muslim-majority Uyghur region of Xinjiang.”
Finding common ground on the importance of religious freedom, the discussion led to a proposal for further collaboration. Muhammadiyah expressed their interest in inviting the Director-General to participate in their religious dialogue activities, with the possibility of establishing a bilateral dialogue channel.
“Muhammadiyah actively promotes interfaith dialogue,” Mu’ti concluded. “We believe this meeting can pave the way for future collaboration in creating a platform for productive discussions between our two faiths.”
