Statement Of The OIC Secretary General International Ministerial Conference On Refugees In The Muslim World

Ashgabat, Turkmenistan
11-12 MAY 2012

Your Excellency Mr. Gurbanguly BERDIMUHAMEDOV the President of Turkmenistan,

Your Excellency Antonio Guterres, The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees,

Your Excellencies Ministers and Heads of Delegation,
Distinguished Delegates,

Distinguished Observers and Guests,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

It gives me great pleasure to address you as we all gather here today in the opening session of the OIC International Ministerial Conference on Situation of Refugees in the Muslim World. At the outset, I wish, on behalf of all of us, to express our sincere thanks and deep appreciation to H.E. the President of Turkmenistan, the Government and People of Turkmenistan for hosting this important conference. At the same time, I express my appreciation for the High Commissioner for Refugees and my utmost satisfaction for the effective partnership between our two organizations, in a process that successfully led to the convening of this Conference. We also thank all OIC Member States and institutions and others who have made various contributions and in different forms, to facilitate the holding of this historic humanitarian event.

Your Excellencies,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

When we took a decision within the OIC to hold this Conference on Refugees, we established a partnership with the Office of United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, in order to ensure that this humanitarian endeavor serves our noble objectives and translates the will of our member states into actions that satisfy our moral, legal and deeply rooted humanitarianism. Providing asylum, protecting refugees and assisting them in compassion and conviction are fundamental pillars in our Islamic tradition. Assisting and protecting refugees, irrespective of their faith, color or ethnic origin ,is not only a legal obligation, but also a moral and a religious duty as stipulated in these teachings and embodied in deeds throughout history within the Muslim World. The idea of protecting ” Almustamin” or asylum seeker was never compromised in these teachings and practices. Hence, the extradition of “Almustamin” was prohibited, a notion which was much later in history, came to be known in international refugee law as the principle of “non-refoulment” a corner stone of modern refugee law.

In essence, there is total compatibility between refugee principles in Islam and those of our modern day international refugee law. This doctrinal base, has been a strong driving force in our efforts to play an effective role in the humanitarian arena, not only within the domain of our member states, but also, whenever possible, beyond that and in the world at large.

Your Excellencies,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

There are over 17 million refugees and displaced persons within the OIC Member countries, and that includes some protracted refugee situations . We should tirelessly continue to make every effort possible , to address these refugee and displacement situations, with provision of assistance and protection, as the case may be, in a purely humanitarian effort . We should also engage , with the will of all concerned governments, in durable and lasting solutions to these refugee situations, in order to end the suffering of these human beings and enhance social harmony, peace ,stability and development. Our common political will and coordinated efforts are corollaries for achieving this objective, and I must hasten to add here that this is an international problem that goes beyond state or even continental borders and its solutions require solidarity of the international community while cooperating with all sovereign governments concerned. In this light, we see the objective of this Ministerial Conference as a historic opportunity to shed ample light on the refugee problem in the Muslim World, mobilize efforts to address this humanitarian problem and find ways and means of enhancing these efforts. Such collective and well coordinated approaches will no doubt generate solutions that address the immediate humanitarian needs and aim at the root causes within a long term and durable arrangements for the interest of all.

Your Excellencies,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

It is evident that refugee problems are not limited to the Muslim World and they have been experienced in all regions, in all cultures and in all religions. Our endeavors within the OIC is not meant to overdramatize this problem in our midst, but rather meant to give it its proportionate and realistic dues. We all know that we do live in a less- than- perfect world community and coexistence amongst states and communities requires interaction of different cultures in an environment of multiculturalism. Hence, refugee situations continue to be products of intolerance, xenophobia, injustice, denial of basic rights, conflict over resources domestically or across state borders and instances of foreign intervention. Accordingly, we look forward to see that, root causes are addressed consciously, objectively and systematically. Standards should therefore be set without subjective variations, while addressing these problems, and I can assure you that the OIC member states have been exerting strenuous efforts to assist in refugee and displacement situations without any shadow of subjective factors. And we will continue these efforts within the OIC and we will maintain coordination and collaboration, whenever possible, with UNHCR and all other humanitarian organizations dedicated to this humanitarian cause.

Your Excellencies,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

As we consider the cases of refugees in the Muslim World , we should underscore the plight and injustice to which the Palestinian refugees continue to be subjected. Their situation, being the most protracted situation of refugees in the world since the late 1940s remained unresolved and their rights continue to be usurped unless a political settlement is concluded within the UN resolutions and the Arab Initiative, guaranteeing their legitimate rights. Thus, theirs is not just a refugee humanitarian issue, but it is a political cause that should be dealt with accordingly. The OIC member states, continue to make all possible efforts for a just and lasting peace in the Middle East.

Your Excellencies,
Distinguished Delegates,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

I wish to remind us all that this Conference is indeed a land mark event in our search for solutions to problems of true humanitarian nature. To this end, we reiterate our commitment to a strategic partnership with UNHCR and we will continue to find ways and means of appropriate and effective cooperation with them and others to achieve our noble humanitarian objectives. For this reason, we hope that declaration of this conference would help us charting the way forward.

Finally, Let me take the opportunity, to reiterate that our OIC Charter and our guiding principles enable us to remain an effective force of wisdom, peace and fruitful dialogue, in a world faced by constant economic, political and social challenges. Indeed, no one would dispute the fact that refugees are amongst the most vulnerable populations and they deserve our serious attention. It is not only an attention of the moment, but it is an attention of our political resolve, an attention of provision of lasting solutions , in a spirit of international burden sharing. In sum, let us turn the refugee challenges into opportunities for action.

I wish all, fruitful, substantive and inspiring deliberations and above all a successful outcome.

I thank you.

Suorce: OIC Secretariat General

“Islam bukan Agama Kekerasan”

Jakarta, 14 Mei 2012

Siti Ruhaini Dzuhayatin

Ketua at-interim Komisi Independen HAM Organisasi Kerjasama Islam (IPHRC OKI)

Beberapa waktu terakhir, dalam konteks pendewasaan menjadi bangsa yang demokratis Indonesia diuji dengan pelbagai macam peristiwa yang mengarah pada tindakan intoleransi, diskriminasi dan kekerasan. Maraknya pelarangan pendirian rumah ibadah agama tertentu, pengrusakan rumah ibadah kelompok minoritas, kekerasan terhadap aktivis penggiat keberagaman, pelarangan diskusi-diskusi tema-tema yang mengandung unsur sensitifitas dengan keyakinan, sampai tindakan kekerasan terhadap komunitas yang dipandang berbeda pemahaman dan pandangan, semuanya telah menjadi hiasan media massa dan ruang publik masyarakat Indonesia dewasa ini.

Sebagai berpenduduk Muslim terbesar yang dikenal paling demokratis, Indonesia tengah disibukkan dengan permasalahan mendasar tentang kebhinekaan dan toleransi. Sebuah perdebatan lama yang sebetulnya telah dijawab oleh bangsa ini, bahkan sebelum dilahirkan. Tak ayal pula, sikap ekstrem yang ditampakkan oleh umat Islam tersebut semakin menguatkan pandangan Islamphobia di antara umat lain, sedangkan di sisi lain, komunitas Muslim di seluruh dunia tengah memperbaiki citra Islam untuk lebih manusiawi, berperadaban dan menampilkan wajah Islam yang ramah.

Sebagai Komisioner HAM OKI yang diberikan mandat untuk menghadirkan nilai-nilai HAM yang selaras dengan ajaran luhur keislaman, kami hendak menekankan bahwa tindakan intoleransi dan kekerasan yang didasarkan atas nama agama bukanlah menjadi cerminan Islam itu sendiri. Sebaliknya, tindakan tersebut hanya bagian kecil dari pemaknaan sejumlah kecil umat Islam terhadap Islam yang tentunya tidak bisa dilegitimasi sebagai pendapat seluruh umat Islam.

Piagam Organisasi Kerjasama Islam (OKI) menyatakan secara tegas, bahwa bersatunya umat Islam dalam Organisasi ini adalah untuk memajukan nilai-nilai perdamaian, kasih sayang, toleransi, persamaan, keadilan dan martabat manusia. Nilai-nilai ini pula yang dapat melestarikan warisan Islam dan mempertahankan universalitas Islam sebagai agama. Hal ini menjadi dasar bagi umat Islam sedunia untuk menyebarkan pemahaman Islam yang moderat dan toleran, memajukan HAM dan kebebasan dasar, demokrasi dan penegakan hukum, serta bagi setiap Negara Muslim hendaknya mengimplementasikan dan memajukannya di tingkat nasional atau internasional.

Dalam hal ini, OKI meletakkan agenda reformasi – moderasi dan modernisasi – sebagai bagian penting pembangunan Negara-negara Muslim di era kontemporer, dengan selalu mengedepankan dialog antar peradaban dan menghadirkan nilai-nilai Islam yang luhur.

Program Aksi Sepuluh Tahun OKI (2005 – 2015) sangat tegas menyebutkan, bahwa sebagai organisasi Muslim terbesar di dunia, OKI mengedepankan sikap moderat dan toleran, seraya menentang segala bentuk ekstrimisme, tindakan kekerasan dan terorisme, sekaligus pula menolak adanya Islamphobia.

Program sepuluh tahun mendorong agar OKI menyebarkan pemahaman yang benar tentang Islam sebagai sebuah agama yang moderat dan toleran dan melindungi pemaknaan Islam dari pendapat-pendapat ekstrem dan sempit yang bertentangan dengan nilai-nilai keislaman dan kemanusiaan. Dialog antar agama/keyakinan dengan pencarian titik temu dan nilai bersama merupakan sebuah keharusan. Dan demikian, OKI mengecam adanya ekstrimisme agama atau sektarian dan menghentikan tindakan saling kafir-mengkafirkan antar penganut untuk hidup secara berdampingan dan saling menghormati.

Deklarasi HAM Islam Kairo 1990 telah mencatat, bahwa setiap manusia memiliki hak rasa aman atas dirinya sendiri, agamanya, kemerdekaannya, kehormatannya dan harta bendanya (Pasal 18), yang harus pula menjadi pedoman bagi umat Islam di seluruh dunia dalam memandang manusia lain, serta menjadi kewajiban Negara pula untuk memberikan perlindungan maksimal terhadap hak setiap orang tersebut.

 

Berkaitan dengan maraknya tindakan intoleransi, kekerasan dan diskriminasi yang terjadi di Indonesia akhir-akhir ini, kami menyampaikan;

1. Kepada seluruh umat Islam, hendaknya selalu melakukan dialog terkait suatu pandangan keagamaan, baik sesama umat Islam ataupun dengan umat yang lain. Tindakan kekerasan atau sikap intoleransi lainnya bukanlah merupakan cerminan nilai luhur Islam yang menjadi rahmat bagi seluruh alam; sebaliknya, merusak dan memperburuk citra Islam itu sendiri.
2. Tantangan peradaban global dewasa ini telah menuntut seluruh umat manusia yang ada di bumi untuk saling menghargai dan menghormati keyakinan, agama, dan pandangan masing-masing, sehingga peradaban kemanusiaan sejati dapat dicapai melalui kerjasama terbuka di antara para penganut agama. Saling fitnah, saling mengkafirkan dan menyesatkan, ataupun mempropagandakan untuk saling membenci adalah tindakan yang sama sekali tidak pernah dianjurkan oleh Islam, bahkan sejak kehadiran Nabi Muhammad Saw. di tanah Arab.
3. Kepada Pemerintah Indonesia, hendaknya pula melindungi, menghormati dan memenuhi hak-hak dasar beragama dan berkeyakinan seluruh warga Negara. Citra baik Indonesia sebagai Negara berpenduduk Muslim terbesar yang paling demokratis dan toleran jangan pula sampai dirusak oleh tindakan-tindakan intoleran dan tidak demokratis yang nota bene bertentangan dengan Pancasila dan UUD 1945.
4. Telah menjadi kewajiban Negara untuk menjamin hak asasi setiap orang di tingkat Nasional, tanpa memandang latar bekalang, baik ras, suku, agama, keyakinan, budaya, etnis dan lainnya, karena Pemerintah merupakan perpanjangan tangan dari seluruh komponen masyarakat yang berbeda-beda. Penegakan hukum secara akuntabel dan transparan terhadap siapapun yang menyalahi norma kehidupan bersama merupakan prasyarat penting bagi terwujudnya Indonesia yang lebih demokratis dan toleran.

 

*Press release Siaran Pers Komisioner HAM OKI pada 14 Mei 2012 di UIN Jakarta, diselenggarakan oleh Human Rights Working Group (HRWG), CSRC UIN Jakarta dan The Wahid Institute.  

 

 

Islam Dorong Toleransi Moderasi dalam pemikiran agama perlu dikembangkan

 

Republika, 15 Mei 2012

Tindakan tak toleran dan menjurus pada kekerasan atas nama agama tak mencerminkan ajaran Islam.
Hal ini disampaikan Ketua AdInterim Komisi Independen HAM Organisasi Konferensi Islam (IPHRC-OKI) Siti Ruhaini Dzuhayatun dalam diskusi publik di Universitas Islam Negeri (UIN) Syarif Hidayatullah, Jakarta, Senin (14/5).

Dialog dalam penyelesaian masalah, termasuk dengan sesama Muslim, sangat dianjurkan. Menurut Ruhaini, Piagam OKI menyatakan bersatunya umat Islam dalam organisasi ini bertujuan memajukan nilai perdamaian, toleransi, dan keadilan. “Nilai-nilai inilah yang dapat digunakan untuk melestarikan univer salitas Islam,“ katanya.

Dengan demikian, negaranegara yang bergabung dengan organisasi ini mampu menuntun warga negaranya yang Muslim, khususnya mampu berlaku toleran terhadap nonMuslim dan saudara Muslim yang berbeda pandangan.
Dalam konteks ini, kata Ruhaini, OKI mengembangkan reformasi, moderasi, dan modernisasi di negara-negara anggotanya.

Bukan hanya itu, melalui aksi 10 tahun, mulai 2005 hingga 2015, OKI menentang semua bentuk ekstremisme, tindakan kekerasan, serta terorisme.
“Kami juga menentang berkembangnya Islamofobia,“ jelasnya. Ia menganjurkan agar moderasi pemikiran agama dikembangkan untuk mengatasi sikap intoleransi yang terkadang muncul.

Dengan demikian, kelompok ekstrem didorong agar tak membiarkan dirinya melakukan tindakan kekerasan. Sebab, di masyarakat ada keberagaman yang tak bisa dihindarkan.
“Bila tak dicoba, dampaknya akan buruk bagi citra umat Islam serta membuka jalan bagi kelompok tertentu memanfaatkan kondisi ini,“ jelas Ruhaini.

Direktur Center for the Study of Religion and Culture (CSRC) UIN Syarif Hida yatullah Irfan Abubakar melihat, kekerasan yang ditempuh sekelompok orang terjadi karena perbedaan melihat konsep kebebasan beragama. Bagi sebagian masyarakat, kebebasan itu dinilai berbahaya bagi kualitas keimanan dan umat Islam. Menurut dia, dari sinilah muncul golongan keras.

Meski, ia mengakui, kebebasan itu milik semua orang, termasuk mereka yang dianggap sebagai kelompok garis keras. Dalam survei yang dilakukan lembaganya, jelas Irfan, ditemukan bahwa tingkat religiusitas masyarakat di Indonesia tinggi. Meski demikian, didapati pula fakta bahwa mereka tak menganggap tindakan bertoleransi dengan cara menghargai kelompok lain sebagai bagian penting religiusitas.

 

Kaum Muslim Moderat Harus Lebih Lantang

Senin, 14 Mei 2012 | 23:09 WIB

JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com — Kaum Muslim moderat di Indonesia masih merupakan mayoritas dan menjadi arus utama. Namun, mereka diminta untuk bersuara lebih lantang, terutama dalam menolak tindakan intoleran atas nama agama, apalagi disertai dengan kekerasan.

“Penolakan atas tindakan intoleran harus disuarakan lebih keras oleh mayoritas umat Islam yang moderat. Jika tidak, sikap antiperbedaan pendapat dan kebebasan berpikir itu akan semakin mendapat tempat di negara yang menjamin kebebasan berpendapat dan berkeyakinan,” kata anggota Komisi Independen Hak Asasi Manusia (HAM) Organisasi Kerja Sama Islam (OKI), Siti Ruhaini Dzuhayatin, di Jakarta, Senin (14/5/2012).

Menurut Siti Ruhaini Dzuhayatin, ada sejumlah kasus yang menggambarkan toleransi di kalangan masyarakat Indonesia belakangan ini semakin tergerus. Salah satunya, penolakan dan pembubaran diskusi dengan pemikir Muslim asal Kanada, Irshad Manji, di Jakarta dan di Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM) Yogyakarta.

Pada saat bersamaan, kontroversi atas keberadaan jemaah Ahmadiyah dan Syiah juga masih terus bergulir.

Untuk mengantisipasi kondisi itu, kaum Muslim moderat yang merupakan arus utama umat Islam di Indonesia diharapkan tidak tinggal diam atas perilaku tidak toleran dan kekerasan atas nama agama.

“Jika kekerasan ini dibiarkan, dan kelompok mayoritas moderat tidak bersuara, situasinya bakal semakin mengkhawatirkan,” katanya.

Komisi HAM OKI sudah membahas soal ini. “Semua komisioner sepakat, kelompok minoritas harus dilindungi, termasuk di Indonesia. Indonesia harus menunjukkan keseriusan untuk menjaga aset penting sebagai bangsa, yaitu hasrat untuk hidup bersama dan menerima perbedaan,” katanya.

Vigilante groups ‘could battle’ Muslim radicals

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Tue, 05/15/2012 8:00 AM

Muslim activists are warning that people might form vigilante groups if the government takes no action against the violent campaigns carried out by a number of hard-line organizations.

Wahid Institute pluralism activist Rumadi said members of the public were likely to take the law into their own hands because they believe the police have been protecting hard-line groups .

“It is possible because the police continue to side with the hard-line groups and people know they can’t rely on the police anymore for protection,” Rumadi said on Monday.

After harassing minority groups across the country, some radical groups recently turned their attention to attacking individuals and institutions that promote liberal ideas.

Last week, such groups disrupted book discussions featuring Irshad Manji, a Canadian liberal Muslim activist, both within and outside of the capital.

Muslim scholar Ulil Abshar Abdalla said that the violent actions taken by firebrand groups had raised the ire of some members of the community.

Ulil said that communities could set up a “neighborhood watch” to contain the movement of radical groups.

“It’s not an ideal solution to the problem, but it would probably do for now because we can’t expect much from the police,” he said.

Ulil, member of the Democratic Party’s central board, said that he once suggested that the government disband these hard-line groups.

But the government declined to do so because it lacked the legal grounds to take the action, Ulil said.

On May 4, members of the Islam Defenders Front (FPI) broke up Manji’s discussion at the Salihara Cultural Center in Pasar Minggu, South Jakarta.

Five days later, the rector of Yogyakarta’s Gadjah Mada University (UGM) cancelled Manji’s speech, organized by the Center for Religious and Cross-Cultural Studies, citing “security reasons”.

UGM said that it had been under pressure from a number of groups to cancel the talk.

The following day, members of the Indonesian Mujahidin Council (MMI) ransacked the office of the Institute for Islamic and Social Studies (LKiS) in Yogyakarta, where Manji was expected to participate in a discussion.

The mob vandalized the publisher’s office and tore pages out of Manji’s books, which had been displayed for sale.

Manji and her assistant suffered minor injuries in the attack.

Witnesses have said that no police officers were seen during the attack.

Between January 2011 and May 2012, as many as 20 attacks on minority groups were recorded in
Indonesia.

Ahmadiyah communities, Shiite groups and Christian congregations were among those targeted.

Irfan Abubakar, the director of the Center for the Study of Religion and Culture, said the government could no longer promote Indonesia as a model for a pluralist society to the rest of the world.

“This has turned into an empty slogan used by the government in international diplomacy,” Irfan said.

His comments came as Siti Ruhaini Dzuhayatin from the Independent Permanent Human Rights Commission (IPHRC) said that Indonesia should protect the rights of minority groups.

The IPHRC oversees human rights issues for the Organization of Islamic Conference’s (OIC) member countries.

She said that member countries should protect minority groups with the same zeal that they have called for protection for Muslim minorities in other countries.

She also said that OIC has the authority over what was considered Islamic and non-Islamic.

“The OIC has never banned the Ahmadiyah and Shiite movements, and this should mean something to Indonesia,” Siti said. (tas)

Souce: www.thejakartapost.com