Crisis delays restoration works on aging mosque<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The current financial hardship has badly
\naffected the restoration of the nearly three-century-old Kebon
\nJeruk mosque in Kota, the city's Chinatown in downtown Jakarta.<\/p>\n
According to the head of the mosque restoration committee,
\nAhmad Zulfakar, donations for the work last year totaled Rp 135
\nmillion (US$18,000) and it all came from a single source: the
\nJakarta Museum and Restoration Agency.<\/p>\n
"With that amount of money, we're only able to restore the
\nmosque's roof which was already extremely old and could have
\ncollapsed easily," the 67-year-old Moslem preacher said on
\nFriday.<\/p>\n
Located on the busy Jl. Hayam Wuruk, the 1,500-square-meter
\nmosque is believed to have been built in 1718 by a Chinese
\nimmigrant family from Greece.<\/p>\n
Ahmad said the mosque's last major renovation was in the
\n1950s.<\/p>\n
The committee, he said, had been suffering financial problems
\nregarding the renovation work for some time.<\/p>\n
With the renovation only half complete, the mosque could no
\nlonger accommodate all the Moslems who want to use it,
\nparticularly during Friday prayers, Ahmad said.<\/p>\n
But it still opens for other regular daily prayers, he added.<\/p>\n
The mosque is in the vicinity of several discotheques and bars
\nrun mostly by Chinese-Indonesians.<\/p>\n
Some of the entertainment spots were burned and looted during
\nthe May riots.<\/p>\n
According to Ahmad, "very few or no Chinese Moslems" have
\nprayed at the mosque since the unrest.<\/p>\n
"Before the May riots, many Chinese Moslems -- about 20
\npercent of the entire congregation -- said their prayers daily
\nhere.<\/p>\n
"But since the riots, I have only seen a very few of them
\ncoming here to pray," he said, adding that the renovation
\ncommittee had never accepted any donation from the operators of
\nthe nearby entertainment spots.<\/p>\n
Ahmad admitted that the mosque had been popular among
\ninternational Moslem preachers, such as those from Australia,
\nChina, South Africa, the Netherlands, India, Saudi Arabia and
\nFrance, but is still unable to collect enough money to complete
\nthe renovation.<\/p>\n
He said the mosque received dozens of visiting Moslem
\npreachers from other abroad everyday.<\/p>\n
"They visit us here just to preach," Ahmad said.<\/p>\n
Those wishing to donate funds for the immediate restoration of
\nthe aging mosque can contact Ahmad on 021 847 6631 or meet him at
\nthe mosque. (ylt)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/crisis-delays-restoration-works-on-aging-mosque-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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