MUHAMMADIYAH.OR.ID, JAKARTA – Muhammadiyah and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) reaffirmed their commitment to interfaith dialogue and global peace during a recent meeting at the Muhammadiyah headquarters, Jakarta.
The visit by ELCA clergy on Tuesday, November 5, aimed to strengthen relations between the two organizations and address pressing humanitarian issues, particularly the ongoing crisis in Palestine.
The Secretary of the Muhammadiyah Department of International Relations and Cooperation Yayah Khisbiyah emphasized the shared concerns of both organizations regarding the humanitarian situation in Palestine.
“This visit marks a significant step forward in our collaboration. Both Muhammadiyah and ELCA share a deep commitment to humanitarian issues, particularly the plight of the Palestinian people.”
“This visit is from the Lutheran Federation based in the United States. During our discussions, it became clear that they have a deep concern for humanitarian issues, and I can say that their commitment is very much in line with our own values as Muslims within Muhammadiyah,” explained Yayah.
Meanwhile, an ELCA pastor and Executive Director of Service and Justice Home Area Khader Naim El-Yateem expressed his gratitude for the opportunity to visit Muhammadiyah.
“This is a historic visit for us. We see this as an opportunity to work together to promote justice and peace in the world, especially in Palestine,” said Khader.
Besides, another ELCA pastor from Jordan Ashraf Tannous highlighted the dire situation in Palestine.
“The situation in Palestine is very grave. There is a lot of fear and uncertainty. People are unsafe and in danger. They are being killed, injured, and displaced. This must stop. We need to find a solution to this conflict. We must find a solution to this ongoing conflict. This is a war against humanity, and we must care about it,” said Ashraf.
Both organizations hoped that this dialogue will lead to a more collaborative approach to addressing global challenges. Khader Naim El-Yateem stressed the importance of joint advocacy efforts to end the Israeli occupation of Palestine.
“We hope to have a collaborative partnership as people of faith. We can stand together in this advocacy work to end the Israeli occupation of Palestine. The war in Palestine has killed more than 50,000 people, displaced over a million people from their homes, destroyed property and infrastructure, and disrupted the lives of Palestinians. Students cannot go to school, people are killed in their own homes. We cannot witness this genocide. Silence is complicity and we cannot be complicit in this genocide, that is why we need to take an active role to end this issue,” he asserted.
