"It is really absurd and does not make sense. It is not in accordance with our conscience that in this modern era, we still have wars and genocide," he remarked at the R20 International Summit of Religious Authorities (ISORA) in Jakarta on Monday.
He called the genocide occurrence in Palestine a massacre that claimed the lives of innocent civilians, including women and children.
The president emphasized that the humanitarian tragedy in Palestine cannot be tolerated at all.
"The massacre (in Palestine) obviously claimed the lives of innocent civilians. A ceasefire must be implemented along with the delivery of humanitarian assistance and peace negotiations that must begin," he urged.
The head of state said Indonesia believes that independence is the right of all nations, and this is clearly stated in the Indonesian Constitution.
Moreover, Indonesia had years of experience in maintaining diversity and bridging differences in uniting the country, he remarked.
"Indonesia is home to 280 million people consisting of 714 tribes, with more than 1,300 local languages. They believe in different religions and live on 17 thousand different islands. It is not easy to unite them all, but we manage to do such a thing," he remarked.
According to Jokowi, Indonesia was able to erase tribal, religious, and regional egos to be able to realize its slogan of Bhinneka Tunggal Ika, or Unity in Diversity.
"Unity in Diversity cannot be realized without support from religious leaders who teach that love for the country and tolerance are part of faith," he remarked.
The president then affirmed that Indonesia believes the role of religion, religious figures, and society are very important in creating peace, harmony, and unity within a country, in the region, and in the world.
"Therefore, I really appreciate this forum. Let us realize a dialogue between religions and across nations to bridge differences and stop all forms of disputes. We need to create a peaceful, harmonious, and prosperous world together," he stated while inaugurating the opening of R20 ISORA.
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Translator: Rangga Pandu A J, Resinta Sulistiyandari
Editor: M Razi Rahman
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