wfn.org | B'nai B'rith International Mourns Indonesian Muslim Leader

["David Michaels" <dmichaels@bnaibrith.org>]

>B'NAI B'RITH INTERNATIONAL
>News Release

>Contact:  Sharon Bender
>202-857-6699 or sbender@bnaibrith.org

B'NAI B'RITH INTERNATIONAL MOURNS LOSS OF INDONESIAN MUSLIM LEADER, A VOICE FOR DIALOGUE AND PEACE

(Washington, D.C., Dec. 31, 2009) B'nai B'rith International mourns the  passing on Dec. 30 of Abdurrahman Wahid, the former president of  Indonesia, the world's largest Muslim country, and an important Muslim  figure.

Wahid, popularly known by his nickname "Gus Dur," was a longtime leader  of the Nadhatul Ulama, Indonesia's largest Islamic movement, and served  as president of the nation from 1999-2001.  Wahid was a moderate Muslim  voice and proponent of democratic values who reached out to Jews,  including Israelis, and had notably visited Israel. In a 2002 interview,  Wahid said, "Israel believes in God. While we have a diplomatic  relationship and [recognize] diplomatically China and Russia... it's  strange that we don't acknowledge Israel. This is the thing that we have  to correct within Islam."

A fervent supporter of interfaith dialogue, Wahid accepted an invitation  to visit Israel in October 1994. Again in 1997, he travelled to the  Jewish state for a conference promoted by the Shimon Peres Institute. He  became a member of the Peres Institute and, in later years, pressed for  the establishment of commercial relations with the Jewish state. This  was widely seen as a courageous and controversial effort at diplomacy in  a country that to this date has no formal diplomatic ties with Israel.

B'nai B'rith International extends our most sincere condolences to  Abdurrahman Wahid's family and to the people of Indonesia. His passing  is a significant loss for all those who believe in the potential and  urgency of kinship between Muslims, Jews, and all people of good will.

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B'nai B'rith International, the Global Voice of the Jewish Community, is  the oldest and most widely known Jewish humanitarian, human rights, and  advocacy organization.  For 166 years, B'nai B'rith has worked for  Jewish unity, security, continuity, and tolerance.  Visit  http://www.bnaibrith.org
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David J. Michaels Director of United Nations and Intercommunal Affairs

B'nai B'rith International phone: 212-986-4901
fax: 212-687-3429
dmichaels@bnaibrith.org  http://www.bnaibrith.org