Bukit Sentul provides site to cleric Aa' Gym

Bukit Sentul provides site to cleric Aa' Gym

Theresia Sufa, The Jakarta Post, Bogor

Publicly-listed developer PT Bukit Sentul granted a one-hectare plot of land to the Daarut Tauhiid Foundation, established by noted Muslim cleric Abdullah Gymnastiar, better known as Aa' Gym.

The company's associate director, Hari Ganie, said on Thursday that the plot of land inside the Bukit Sentul luxury housing estate in Bogor municipality would be used to build a mosque and an Islamic education center.

"We are providing the foundation with the land because we consider Aa' Gym a role model whose teachings are remarkable and down-to-earth. Moreover, he never offends other religions in his sermons," Hari said.

Gymnastiar established the Daarut Tauhiid boarding school in Gegerkalong Girang, Bandung, which has been rapidly developing into a community with its own mosque, cooperative unit, cafe, radio station, cottages, printing center and boutique.

He has a regular television show, Manajemen Qolbu (Mind Management, abbreviated as MQ), on a private television station, and -- in cooperation with several mobile phone operators -- also launched a new package involving the daily delivery of words of wisdom via short message service, called MQ Through Instant Messages (MQTIME).

Hari said that the memorandum of understanding between the company and the cleric had not yet been signed.

"We're not doing it solely for business reasons," he added, "we need to embrace a prominent person like him whom everyone respects."