Australia opens second reading corner at Makassar's Al-Markaz Mosque
“If we want to build an advanced civilisation, then literacy must be improved.”
Makassar (ANTARA) - The Australian Government, through the Australian Consulate-General in Makassar, has once again established an Australian Reading Corner — its second within a mosque — specifically at Al-Markaz Al Islami Mosque in Makassar.
Prior to Al-Markaz Mosque, the Australian Government’s reading corner was also established at Istiqlal Mosque in Jakarta. The Reading Corner was officially opened within the Al-Markaz Mosque Library to strengthen community literacy, particularly among visitors to the library.
“Al-Markaz Al-Islami Mosque is one of the most prominent mosques in eastern Indonesia and serves as a centre of community activity. That is why we feel this is a very fitting place for an Australian Reading Corner,” said Australian Ambassador to Indonesia Rod Brazier, who attended in person to inaugurate the literacy development area in Makassar on Friday.
According to him, Makassar holds significant importance in Australia-Indonesia relations. This was also reflected in Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s visit to Makassar in 2022 during his first bilateral trip to Indonesia.
He said the relationship between the two countries had in fact been established long before the modern era, through the voyages of sailors.
Beyond that, Rod also revealed his personal attachment to the city of Makassar. He recounted that in 1990, as a young man, he lived with a foster family in an area not far from the site of Al-Markaz Al-Islami Mosque.
The chairman of the Al-Markaz Al-Islami Islamic Centre Foundation, Prof Hamid Awaluddin, affirmed that a mosque serves not only as a place of worship but also as a centre of civilisation through strengthening community literacy.
“If we want to build an advanced civilisation, then literacy must be improved. Books are windows to the world. No nation has advanced without a reading culture,” he said.
He expressed hope that the Australian Government would continue to expand the book collection at the Al-Markaz library so that it can be used by school pupils, university students and the general public as a centre for English-language literacy and as a reference on Australia.
The Australian Consul-General in Makassar, Todd Dias, said the idea for the Australian Reading Corner originated from his visit to Al-Markaz Al-Islami Mosque two years ago during Ramadan. At the time, he witnessed the enthusiasm of students using the library to read and look for references.
“Usually, Australian Reading Corners are only found in universities. However, after seeing the reading spirit of the students at Al-Markaz, we thought, why not bring one here so its benefits can be felt more widely,” said Todd Dias.
Todd expressed hope that the facility could serve as a bridge for young people who wish to learn more about Australia before taking part in education or exchange programmes in the country.