Indonesian Government Introduces Digital Islamic Library in Egypt

RRI.CO.ID, Cairo - Indonesia's Ministry of Religious Affairs participated at the 57th Cairo International Book Fair (CIBF) held from 22 January to 3 February 2026, in Cairo, Egypt. At the event, the ministry introduced the Electronic Islamic Religious Libraries (ELIPSKI) platform as a digital collection of Islamic literacy resources.

The Secretary of the Directorate General of Islamic Community Guidance at the ministry, Lubenah, conveyed that the participation in the fair was part of efforts to enhance religious literacy. According to her, literacy is not only about the availability of reading materials, but also about how religious teachings are understood and practiced.

“Religious literacy is not merely about the availability of books, but also concerns the quality of thinking, understanding, and practicing religion,” Lubenah stated in Cairo on Sunday, 1 February 2026.

Moreover, She noted that strong religious literacy is pivotal to improve human quality. According to her, a moderate and contextual understanding of religion can develop through access to diverse Islamic readings relevant to contemporary developments.

“This is what we are introducing this at international literacy forums such as the CIBF,” she said.

Lubenah said that the participation was also used to build networks with various stakeholders. She conveyed, Indonesia’s presence at the book fair opens opportunities for cooperation with publishers, research institutions, and religious organizations from different countries.

“We want Indonesian Islamic religious literacy to be connected to the global literacy ecosystem,” she said.

Meanwhile, the Head of the Islamic Library Sub-directorate, Nur Rahmawati, mentioned that the  Electronic Islamic Religious Libraries’ collection was introduced in both print and digital formats to be accessed by exhibition visitors.

“At the exhibition booth, we displayed books, classical Islamic texts, as well as thematic Friday sermon materials that have long been part of the Ministry of Religious Affairs’ religious literacy services,” Nur said.

She noted that the library’s collection on display ranged from classical Islamic heritage to thematic works addressing contemporary issues. One of the collections that attracted visitors’ attention focused on Islamic ecotheology.

“The ecotheology theme received a strong response because it relates to environmental issues that are a global concern,” she said.

According to Nur, visitors’ responses to the collection indicated interest in Islamic ideas that discuss the relationship between humans and the environment. She assessed that the ELIPSKI collection could serve as a reference source in cross-national Islamic discourse.

In addition, the Cairo International Book Fair is the largest book exhibition in the Middle East. Within four days of its opening, organizers reported that one million visitors from Egypt and other Middle Eastern countries had attended the fair.

The annual event is considered a strategic platform for promoting global religious literacy.