Former President of Pemuda Muhammadiyah Promotes Islam as Rahmatan lil Alamin at the R20 Meeting

MUHAMMADIYAH.OR.ID, NUSA DUA — Former President of Pemuda Muhammadiyah Imam Addaruqutni mentioned that Muhammadiyah always promotes Islamic values that are progressive, tolerant, inclusive and rahmatan lil alamin through all Muhammadiyah charity institutions, including ones in education.  

Imam said Muhammadiyah education is for all without any discrimination in developing the country through providing access to education that is open to anyone without discrimination. 

“Muhammadiyah has more than 200 universities that accept more than 1000 non-Muslim students,” said Imam representing  Muhammadiyah in the Religion of Twenty (R20) Forum at the Grand Hyatt Hotel, Nusa Dua, Bali on Thursday (3/11). 

Indeed, Muhammadiyah established universities in the eastern of Indonesia, whose people are mostly non-Muslims. In the 1998 conflict, Muhammadiyah universities in Papua protects Christians due to the inclusiveness. 

“Muhammadiyah universities in Nusa Tenggara are called ‘Universitas Kristen Muhammadiyah’ (Christian universities of Muhammadiyah,” said Imam. 

Thus, a speculation telling that Muhammadiyah is fundamentalist or radical is not true at all. Altering a state system has never come on Muhammadiyah’s view.  

Muhammadiyah emphasized its commitment by issuing an official document regarding Negara Pancasila Darul Ahdi wa Sahadah (the Pancasila State)  

“Some groups of people misunderstood the notion of Muhammadiyah toward Indonesia. For its more than 100-year establishment, Muhammadiyah has vivid visions and missions and won’t ever change the state ideology,” Imam highlighted.  

In addition, in the R20 meeting, Imam was with a number of religious leaders from other countries such as Rabbi Silvina Chemen, Elder Gary E. Stevenson, Bishop Matthew Hassan Kukah, Ulil Abshar Abdallah and Prof. Ahmet Kuru.The R20 meeting was cconducted by Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) with the Muslim World League (MWL) in Nusa Dua, Bali, on 2-3 November 2022 as part of the G20. This forum was held to discuss how religion-based conflicts should end and how religion can be an answer to global crises. The NU committee mentioned 338 confirmed participants from 32 countries at the R20 meeting. 124 came from other countries. The forum also presented 45 speakers from five continents.