Jordan, Indonesia to hold Conference on True Image of Islam

The conference, to be attended by Muslim scholars from several countries, seeks to highlight the true image of Islam, which is a religion of moderation and tolerance, Wardoyo said in a recent interview with The Jordan Times.

 “We will work together in Jordan to promote the correct image of Islam, which some groups seek to distort. This conference is very important to highlight how Islam calls for peace and civilisation,” the ambassador said, noting that Indonesia hosted the conference in 2013.

Participants will discuss efficient management of zakat (Islamic tax on income) to benefit all Muslims across the world; Islamic financing and facilities to businesses; and cooperation in the higher education sector, he added.

The conference will also highlight the Amman Message, which His Majesty King Abdullah launched in 2004 as a declaration aimed at clarifying the true nature of Islam to the world, according to Wardoyo, who added that the Monarch highlighted the message when he participated in the Nahdlatul Ulama Interfaith Conference “Islam for Peace and Civilisation” in Indonesia earlier this year.

Turning to bilateral ties, the ambassador said Jordan and Indonesia have a similar platform in seeking to maintain world peace and defending the Palestinian issue at international forums.

He added that there is room for increased cooperation in trade, investment and defence between the two countries.

Noting that his country is Jordan’s largest trade partner in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), Wardoyo said Amman and Jakarta need to negotiate a free trade agreement or preferential tariff scheme which can further improve the movement of goods and services.

Trade exchange in 2013 amounted to $475.1 million, while it stood at $201 million in the first half of this year, according to the ambassador.

He said Petro Jordan Abadi, a factory in Indonesia established by the Jordan Phosphate Mines Company (JPMC) in partnership with an Indonesian firm, will help meet Indonesia’s increasing demand for fertilisers.

The plant, which was inaugurated last month, is projected to annually produce 200,000 tonnes of phosphoric acid, the main component of fertilisers, 550,000 tonnes of gypsum, used to manufacture cement, and 550,000 tonnes of pure gypsum to be used in different industries, according to the JPMC.

In the labour field, the potential for increased cooperation remains large, with Indonesians working in different sectors in Jordan, including mining, hospitals, health and the plastics industry, Wardoyo noted.

Citing Labour Ministry figures, he said 3,500 Indonesians work in Jordan legally.

Turning to tourism, the ambassador said there is an imbalance in the numbers of tourists as over 50,000 Indonesians visit Jordan annually, mostly for religious tourism, while not more than 100 Jordanians visit his country every year.

“Those numbers are far below potential,” he said, adding that both governments are working on a memorandum of understanding on tourism to increase cooperation in this regard.