NUSA DUA (Indonesia), May 12: Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono told a Friday congregation that Muslim nations should oppose terrorism and catch up with progress in the rest of the world.

Indonesia, the world’s most populous Muslim nation, will be hosting a summit involving leaders of eight large Muslim countries on Saturday in Bali’s upmarket Nusa Dua tourist area.

The fifth summit of the Developing 8 group is aimed at finding ways to alleviate poverty in the member states through trade and other economic cooperation.

Mr Yudhoyono, who was speaking after Friday prayers at the venue, told the audience Muslim nations should build partnerships that could bring back the glory days in the first millennium when Muslims were at the forefront of scientific advancement.

“We are now in the third millennium. We have to work hard to rebuild our civilisation, the Islamic civilisation. That’s why we have to work together to build a strong partnership to fight for global justice, peace and prosperity,” Mr Yudhoyono said.

“We oppose — by our Islamic teachings — radicalism and, of course, terrorism. There are many ways for us to achieve our objectives for our Muslim world ... peacefully, skilfully and wisely,” said the ex-general, who rose to power in 2004.

Militants have been blamed for major terror attacks in Indonesia in recent years, including the 2002 Bali bar bombings that killed 202 people, and Indonesian authorities have prosecuted hundreds of those extremists.

Around 85 per cent of Indonesia’s 220 million population is Muslim. Many of them are against US policies in the Middle East and other Muslim countries like Iran, arguing Washington is bent on attacking Islam.

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad will also attend the Bali summit after visiting universities and Islamic institutions in Jakarta, where he received a hero’s welcome. —Reuters