Indonesian bishop: Obama visit will highlight ‘positive values’ in Islam

March 22, 2010

A bishop in south-central Borneo has told the news agency of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples that he is looking forward to President Barack Obama’s upcoming visit to the world’s most populous Muslim nation. The visit, originally scheduled for March 23-25, has been postponed until June because of the health care debate.

“Besides being the President of the United States, Obama is also a Nobel Peace Prize winner,” said Bishop Aloysius Sutrisnaatmaka, MSF, of Palangkaraya. “His visit to a predominantly Muslim country is also a way to demonstrate his commitment to bring peace and affirm that Islam is not the enemy of the United States nor is the United States an enemy of Islam.”

“Obama also carries the message that Islam can coexist and contribute to a pluralistic society, not only in our country-- where many religious communities co-exist and different cultures-- but also in other parts of the world,” the bishop added. “Obama's visit is an opportunity to reaffirm that in Islam there are positive values, while in recent years has prevailed at the international level, the idea of Islam as a religion inspired by violence.”

3% of the nation’s 224.9 million people are Catholic.

 

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Further information:

• Obama's visit, an opportunity for Indonesian Islam (Fides)