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More than 300 Muslim leaders from around the world kicked off a three-day meeting in Jakarta today to discuss the role of Islam in conflicts in Muslim-populated countries. Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono believes Muslims throughout the world are responsible for fostering global peace through religious tolerance. Yudhoyono added that "Too much attention and energy has been spent on resolving conflicts but still not enough on preventing them". Yudhoyono believes that Indonesia, as a leading moderate Muslim nation, is trying to play a key role within the Islamic world to provide a bridge between Islam and the West. More than 300 Muslim leaders from 66 countries are attending the International Conference of Islamic Scholars, organized by Nahdlatul Ulama, the largest Islamic organization in Indonesia. Nahdlatul Ulama's chairman, Hasyim Muzadi, says the three-day meeting would discuss conflicts in Muslim-populated areas - such as in the Palestinian territories, Sudan, Lebanon, Iraq and Afghanistan – and try to find solutions to the problems. Muzadi says "Global injustice against the Muslim world had further worsened and prolonged the conflicts". The conference, which was convened for the first time in 2004, is held every two years. MRN-SAPA
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