The meeting can be a solution to solve existing problems.

REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA — In organizing Religion 20 (R20) in Bali, the Executive Board of Nahdlatul Ulama (PBNU) not only collaborated with Rabithah Alam Islami or the Muslim World League, but also invited the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), an organization of right-wing Hindu nationalist Indian groups. RSS has confirmed its presence at the event R20 which will be held in Nusa Dua, Bali on November 2-3, 2022.

PBNU leader KH Yahya Cholil Staquf said Rabithah Alam Islami’s involvement in the R20 Forum would certainly bring distinct benefits at home. Because these two great institutions will work together to bring together actors of the Islamic world from the Middle East and actors from the Islamic world in Indonesia.

“It brings together actors from the Islamic world in the Middle East and actors from the Islamic world in Indonesia to then lead engagement and collaboration with international religious communities,” Gus Yahya told an online press conference, Friday 09/30/2022. ).

On the other hand, he continued, it turns out that the Indian government also gave a positive response to this R20 forum. Thus, according to Gus Yahya, the R20 forum will also bring together actors from the Islamic world with actors from India.

“There has been a very positive response from India. So it will also bring actors from the Islamic world together with actors from India,” Gus Yahya said.

Considered from a certain point of view, he continued, this meeting between the leaders of the Islamic world and India could be considered as something controversial with regard to the questions of interreligious relations. However, for Gus Yahya, this method can actually be a solution to solve existing problems.

“Precisely by engaging with actors who might be seen as problematic actors is the most concrete way to make efforts to solve problems,” Gus Yahya said.

For his part, the spokesman of R20, Muhammad Najib Azca explained that the invitation to the RSS group was motivated by at least three main reasons. First, R20 is an agenda attached to the G20 forum. Therefore, most of the invited participants represent countries that are included in the G20 Forum and India is one of the G20 participants.

“The R20 is an event that sticks to the G20. As the R20 (is) the engagement group of the G20, invitations to the R20 follow the G20 membership structure. Representatives of religious figures from G20 members will be invited. We are following the G20 model and standard,” he said in a press release.

Even so, there were also R20 participants who did not represent G20 members. Najib gave an example of the presence of religious figures from the Vatican who are not members of the G20. The same was true for religious figures in the United Arab Emirates. Even if they are not members of the G20, the figures of these two countries are very important.

Second, representatives of the RSS were invited because it was the organization recommended by the Indian government. Indeed, the RSS is the power base of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), currently in power in the country.

“We are coordinating and inviting personalities recommended by the Indian government in R20. The recommendations for the R20 are part of that (figures) of RSS,” Najib said.

Moreover, the presidency of the G20 in 2023 will be held by India. Therefore, NU, as an organizer, coordinates with the Indian government and obtains recommendations from them. “For India, we are following the recommendations (i.e.) of the RSS,” he said.

In essence, the personalities selected are not against the government. It is nothing but to maintain good relations between countries, in this case Indonesia’s relations as a host with other countries.

Third, if RSS is indeed seen as problematic due to its track record, particularly in dealing with minorities, then R20 is the right forum to discuss it.

“So far (if they) are not happy and disagree, they are just shouting from afar. This forum has indeed invited religious leaders to discuss this sensitive issue,” said the Deputy Secretary General of the Executive Board of Nahdlatul Ulama (PBNU).