The
Forestry Ministry will dispatch 5,000 Muslim preachers in its latest move to
campaign against forest destruction, citing the rampant case of illegal logging
involving local communities.
“Our
forests don’t go up in flames on their own, but are intentionally burned because
there is this tradition of burning the land after harvest and before planting,
which has now also affected forest areas,” Forestry Minister Zulkifli Hasan
said Sunday in Yogyakarta.
He was
speaking during the national working meeting of the propagation assembly of the
central executive board of Indonesia’s second-largest Muslim organization,
Muhammadiyah.
The
minister called on the Muslim scholars to support the campaign against forest
burning, as well as to promote forest preservation and reforestation efforts.
The 5,000
Muslim preachers are being recruited from a number of Muslim organizations.
They will be given relevant trainings and will be paid about Rp 2 million
(US$234) per month.
The program
is set to begin later this year and last throughout 2012.
Muhammadiyah
propagation assembly committee head Agus Sukoco said 95 Muhammadiyah preachers
were ready to participate in the program, tempointeraktif.com reported.
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1 comment:
This is very good news indeed. We need to save our trees as they play a very important role on earth. They are the living libraries of earth, they provide oxygen and they are homes to communities of animals, insects and plants. The ministry and the preachers play an important role in helping to educate the masses on the importance of our trees. Thank you.
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