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Annette Gisella

Mr. Tim

English 9.3 #4

17 March 2017

King of Saudi Arabia in Support of Interfaith Unity

On March 3, King Salman bin Abdul Aziz al Saud of Saudi Arabia voiced support for

religious tolerance during a conference with Indonesian president, Joko Widodo in Hotel

Raffles, Jakarta.

The discussion was opened by President Jokowi, who mentioned the need to counter

extremism and radicalism, especially in Muslims. In response, the king stated his

appreciation towards Indonesias inter-religious unity. In addition, he said that he hopes that

Indonesia will continue to improve peaceful relations between religions. King Salman also

stated that he wishes strengthen ties between Saudi Arabia and Indonesia in order to improve

interfaith communication. He supported a moderate Islam that would peacefully coexist

with other religions while still maintaining their beliefs.

The government had been hoping a discussion such as this would improve religious

tolerance in the country. Saudi Arabia is seen as the source of Islam. Meanwhile, Indonesia is

the worlds largest Muslim-majority country. Over the years, Saudi Arabia has influenced

Indonesia by teaching its branch of Islam called Salafism. In Indonesia, there are now over

150 mosques, 100 boarding schools, several Arabic language institues, as well as a free

university in Jakarta spreading this belief. In recent years, amongst the development of ISIS

and world-wide terrorism, several small-scale attacks have occurred in Indonesia, including

an attack in Jakarta in January 2016 and a more recent bomb in Bandung just a few days prior

to King Salmans visit. Several people have blamed Salafism for these attacks, and the kings
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visit served as an opportunity to convince Salafists and other Muslims alike to turn away

from extremism.

A number of government officials, as well as a majority of the population had also

been hoping that during the conference, King Salman would make several financial

investments in Indonesia. However, it appears that the king had only made one investment

deal of one billion USD, significantly less than the estimated 23 billion.

Also present during Fridays conference were 28 representatives of various religions

in Indonesia. This included four for each of the religions of Protestantism, Catholicism,

Buddhism, and Hinduism as well as a total of 9 representative for Islam, the chosen religion

of the majority of Indonesias population, and 3 representatives for Confucianism.

The kings stay in Indonesia is scheduled for 1-9 March. This state visit is part of a

regional tour around Asia, including several other countries like China, Japan, Malaysia,

Brunei, and the Maldives. While in Indonesia, the King would be able to meet with

Indonesias leaders to discuss political, economical and religious topics. Meanwhile, King

Salman and his entourage would fly to Bali during the last few days of this visit to enjoy a

vacation. The king brought along almost 1500 people, including state officials, princes, and

bodyguards and had 459 tons of equipment shipped to Indonesia, including two cars.
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Works Cited

Erviani, Ni Komang. King Salmans Arrival in Bali to Affect 39 Flights. The Jakarta Post,

4 Mar. 2017, www.thejakartapost.com/news/2017/03/04/king-salmans-arrival-in-bali-

to-affect-39-flights.html. Accessed 5 Mar. 2017.

Halim, Haeril, et al. Saudi King Calls for Moderate Islam. The Jakarta Post, 3 Mar. 2017,

www.thejakartapost.com/news/2017/03/03/saudi-king-calls-for-moderate-islam.html.

Accessed 5 Mar. 2017.

King Salman Meets Religious Figures, Praises Indonesia for Tolerance. Jakarta Globe,

www.jakartaglobe.beritasatu.com/news/king-salman-meets-religious-figures-praises-

indonesia-for-tolerance/. Accessed 6 Mar. 2017.

Koswaraputra, Dandy. I Appreciate Inter-Religious Unity in Indonesia: King Salman. The

Jakarta Post, 4 Mar. 2017, www.thejakartapost.com/news/2017/03/04/i-appreciate-

inter-religious-unity-in-indonesia-king-salman.html. Accessed 5 Mar. 2017.

News Desk. 459 Tons Equipment Brought along on Saudi Arabia's King's Visit to

Indonesia. The Jakarta Post, 25 Feb. 2017,

www.thejakartapost.com/news/2017/02/25/459-tons-equipment-brought-along-on-

saudi-arabias-kings-visit-to-indonesia.html. Accessed 5 Mar. 2017.

Panda, Ankit. What King Salman Seeks in Asia. Al Jazeera, 1 Mar. 2017,

www.aljazeera.com/indepth/opinion/2017/02/saudi-king-salman-seeks-asia-

170228095334605.html. Accessed 5 Mar. 2017.

Ramadhani, Nurul Fitri. King Salman's Visit to Indonesia Should Benefit Both Countries:

House. The Jakarta Post, 27 Feb. 2017,

www.thejakartapost.com/news/2017/02/27/king-salmans-visit-to-indonesia-should-

benefit-both-countries-house.html. Accessed 5 Mar. 2017.

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Varagur, Krithika. Saudi Arabia Is Redefining Islam for the World's Largest Muslim

Nation. The Atlantic, Atlantic Media Company, 2 Mar. 2017,

www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2017/03/saudi-arabia-salman-visit-

indonesia/518310/. Accessed 5 Mar. 2017.