"People, who prioritize religion in their life, would certainly be aware of basic teachings in Islam on environmental preservation," Qoumas stated while serving as the keynote speaker of the Islamic Ummah Congress for Sustainable Indonesia here Thursday.
Maintaining the environment is one of the Islamic religious tenets, he noted, adding that the 11th verse of Surah Al-Baqarah, the second chapter of the Quran, prohibited humans from causing damage to the environment.
The minister then endorsed the congress on environment and expressed optimism that the assembly would conceive new guides and ideas to mitigate the negative effects of climate change.
He also reminded residents and Indonesian Muslims to implement climate change mitigation ideas through concrete actions.
"Do not let Islam become only the aspiration, but Islam must also become an inspiration that will guide its beliefs in all aspects consistent with the values of Islam," Qoumas affirmed.
Meanwhile, the Indonesian Ulema Council's (MUI's) Environmental and Natural Resources Exaltation Institute Secretary Hidayat Tri Sutardjo stated that three major agendas will be discussed at the Islamic Ummah Congress for Sustainable Indonesia.
Those agendas are the millennial generation as the successor of climate change mitigation, measures to mitigate disasters caused by climate change, and effects and solutions of sustainable development, he explained.
"Muslims in Indonesia must become the leader, particularly in (suggesting) solutions on climate change handling. As Indonesia is a country, with the largest Muslim population, we must become the leader in handling climate issues," Sutardjo remarked.
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Translator: Asep Firmansyah, Nabil Ihsan
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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