2019_11_21_Top EU Figures Welcome Leaders of the Humanitarian Islam Movement to Political Summit in Zagreb

A “Values-driven” Alliance to Promote Freedom, Democracy and Human Rights, and Defend a Rules-based International Order from Authoritarian Threats

ZAGREB, Croatia: On 20 and 21 November, 2019, leaders of the global Humanitarian Islam movement joined nearly 2,500 members of Europe’s largest and most successful political group—the European People’s Party (EPP)—who gathered in the Western Balkans nation of Croatia to elect new leaders for the 2019 to 2022 period, and to discuss EPP priorities for the new Parliamentary term in Brussels.

Senior Indonesian political and religious figures attended the European People’s Party Congress as guests of EPP Secretary General Antonio López-Istúriz White. Their participation signifies an unexpected and potentially momentous geopolitical development, as European and Indonesian leaders have begun to articulate, and adopt, key elements of a shared humanitarian agenda rooted in universal values, as well as spiritual and philosophical principles derived from the Christian and Islamic faith traditions.

This “values-driven” alliance between Indonesian and European political parties—facilitated by leaders of the Humanitarian Islam movement and prominent statesmen from across the continent—has the potential to significantly expand political, economic, cultural, religious and security cooperation between the world’s largest Muslim-majority democracy, the EU and its Member States. In addition, members of this alliance explicitly seek to “foster the emergence of a global consensus regarding key ethics and values that should guide the exercise of power, so that the geopolitical landscape of the 21st century may be characterized by a truly just and harmonious world order founded upon respect for the equal rights and dignity of every human being.” (CDI Resolution on ethics and values that should guide the exercise of power, dated October 11, 2019).

EPP’s “centre-right alliance of national parties remains the largest and best organised force in the European Parliament.” (Financial Times, 20 November, 2019)

The Congress, held just six weeks prior to Croatia assuming the Presidency of the European Council on 1 January 2020, and one week before the newly selected European Commission takes office on 1 December, was covered by close to 500 journalists, comprising nearly every major international news media outlet, and was viewed as orchestrating the future direction, policies and key personnel of the European Union, the most prosperous and successful trading bloc on earth.

Members of the Humanitarian Islam delegation included KH. Yahya Cholil Staquf, General Secretary of the world’s largest Muslim organization, Nahdlatul Ulama (NU); H. Muhaimin Iskandar, the Chairman of Indonesia’s largest Islamic political party, PKB, and Deputy Speaker of Indonesia’s national legislature; Reza Faisol, PKB Deputy Chairman; and C. Holland Taylor, co-founder of the Humanitarian Islam movement, who serves as an international emissary for the NU’s 5-million-member young adults movement, Gerakan Pemuda Ansor.

In November of 2018, PKB joined Centrist Democrat International (CDI), the world’s most extensive political network, which has over 100 affiliated parties in more than 70 nations, including the European People’s Party.