Club holds prayers with English sermon

JAKARTA (JP): Non-Indonesian-speaking Moslems now have a place to receive their weekly dose of formal religious teaching as the Nahla Club is hosting Friday prayers with sermons in English.

Services will be held on the sixth floor of the GKBI building on Jl. Jend. Sudirman, Central Jakarta.

Nahla Club president, Haryono Eddyarto, said yesterday that such a facility had long been advocated by the city's non- Indonesian Moslem community.

"This is probably the first of its kind here in Jakarta," Haryono said.

He explained that the idea first came from Minister of Religious Affairs Tarmizi Taher during a gathering of the club several months ago.

As a follow-up the first such service was held in the Mercantile Athletic Club in the World Trade Center building. More than 75 Moslems, including several ambassadors, turned up to hear former Minister of Environment Emil Salim preach.

From next week, the English-based Friday prayers will be held at the GKBI after its President, Noorbasha Djunaid, donated the use of a room there.

According to Haryono, other ministers who have agreed to give sermons in the following weeks are Minister of Food Ibrahim Hasan and Tarmizi.

Coordinating Minister for People's Welfare Azwar Anas is scheduled to give the sermon at next week's service.

He said that after the prayers a small get-together is then held where one can exchange views with Moslems of different nationalities. (mds)