Sriwijaya grand mosque, Islamic center will be built in Palembang, S. Sumatra

A grand mosque with the Islamic civilization center will be built on an area of 15 acres in the region of Jakabaring Sriwijaya, Palembang, the capital city of South Sumatra province, where the South East Asia (SEA) Games and the Islamic Solidarity Games were held last year (2013).

According Zamzami Achmad, Chairman of the Waqaf Foundation of Sriwijaya Mosque, the construction requires huge funds reached 1.2 trillion IDR. Funds for the construction derived from the former Chairman of the Parliament of South Sumatra and a number of donors.

Among of the donors are some of the state companies that have expressed their commitment to the realization of the mosque.

Alex Noerdin

The Chairman of the Mosque construction, South Sumatra Governor Alex Noerdin says that he is ready and will soon realize the construction of mosques.”It’s a great honor and responsibility to be able to complete the construction of the Mosque of Sriwijaya,” he told Republika Online, Wednesday, 22/1/14.

According to Alex, South Sumatra are familiar with big projects and of course huge challenges, such as the preparation of the SEA Games held only 11 months and also Islamic Solidarity Games with only two months of preparation, “he said.

http://www.republika.co.id/berita/dunia-islam/khazanah/14/01/22/mzsils-pusat-peradaban-islam-dan-masjid-sriwijaya-segera-hadir-di-sumsel

http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?p=84623810

Tree for Dowry

Muh. Syaifullah
YOGYAKARTA

SLEMAN Religious Office made an unlikely suggestion for a dowry, which recommends the groom provide plant seeds along with other sets of dowry. Chief of Sleman Religious Department Muhammad Lutfi Hamid stated that such a system had been proposed since January 1, as a manifestation of the one billion trees campaign.

Lutfi said the suggestion aims to promote green environment through reforestation. “If there are 6,000 marriages in a year, that means we can have at least 6,000 trees,” he said.

Moreover, Sleman Religious Office has also issued an instruction to Islamic schools for planting trees in the schoolyard. Chief of Sleman Environment Office Ephipana Kristiyani praised those measures, saying that the nature and environment should be preserved for the next generations.

Tempo
Tuesday, 21 January 2014

http://en.tempo.co/read/news/2014/01/21/206546811/Tree-for-Dowry

Muslim scholars concern about people who stay away from mosque

Amri Amrullah/Mutia Ramadhan
JAKARTA

DEVELOPMENT of Grand Mosque in various regions in Indonesia gives pride for Muslims. However, ulama (Muslim scholars) concerned that construction of mosque is not accompanied by spirit of people to practice their religion.

Imam of Istiqlal Mosque, Ali Mustafa Yaqub, for example, saw the magnificent and glorious of Baitul Izzah Grand Mosque in Tarakan, North Kalimantan. Unfortunately, Muslims are not so much in the mosque.

KH Ali Mustafa Yacoub

“We worry about such condition. People are competing to build mosque, but they are getting away from activities in the mosque,” Yaqub said recently.

This phenomenon has been going on almost in all parts of Indonesia. Many local governments are so eager to build a magnificent mosque, but Muslims in the region are not interested to put their religious activities such as five time prayer in the mosque.

The condition must be a common concern by local government. Prophet Muhammad has warned such condition as sign of apocalypse which is getting closer.

Ahmad Satori Ismail

Chairman of Indonesian Association of Dai, Satori Ismail said that the phenomenon should be a concern of ulamas and government. A strong Islamic society is a society which closes to the mosque. He asked all parties to reactivate the mosque based community development. This step is important to bring young generation to love mosque.

Republika
Monday, 20 June 2014

http://www.republika.co.id/berita/en/islam-in-archipelago/14/01/20/mzp01a-ulamas-concern-about-people-who-stay-away-from-mosque

Indonesian driver gifted car, sponsored wedding by Saudi Arabian businessman

P.K. Abdul Ghafour
JEDDAH

IN a heart-warming gesture rarely witnessed, a Saudi businessman in Buraidah celebrated the wedding of his Indonesian driver and, what is more, handed over the keys of his personal car to the groom as a wedding gift that has been applauded by Saudis and expats alike.

Rashid Al-Shallash, the businessman, not only footed the wedding bill of Solikin Abu Ahmed, but also paid his salary and that of his wife for a year besides taking on the expense of transferring the wife’s sponsorship.

Al-Shallash did not stop there. To make it a truly memorable event, he invited prominent personalities in the town, including businessmen and religious scholars, to attend the wedding that was performed as per Saudi tradition.

Al-Oudah commended the businessman for responding positively to the initiative aimed at fighting the racist behavior of some Saudis against foreign workers.

He urged all Saudis to behave decently with foreigners working under their sponsorship, especially house servants. In his program titled “Wasm” (brand), Al-Oudah had addressed the issue of Saudis’ misbehavior against foreigners.

“I am extremely happy to hear this news,” said Dr. Abdelelah Saaty, dean of the College of Business in Rabigh. “This is what we should do while dealing with foreign workers. This is what we have learned from Islam. People who ill-treat their workers are very few. They don’t represent the Saudi society,” he told Arab News.

“We should treat all foreigners including non-Muslims in a nice manner and we have several examples for this from the life and teachings of the Prophet (peace be upon him),” Saaty said, and praised Al-Oudah for encouraging people to do such wonderful things. “I wish I can see many more such good examples from Al-Shallash and other businessmen.”

Speaking to Arab News, Akbar Batcha, a senior business executive, said all Saudis should emulate Al-Shallash to improve their image and uphold the Kingdom’s reputation.

“All are equal before Allah. No Arab is better than a non-Arab except in faith and fear of Allah,” Batcha said, quoting a Hadith of the Prophet (peace be upon him). “If Saudis follow the Prophet’s teachings in their lives, their country will become a Paradise.”

Stating that he was very happy with what Al-Shallash did for his Indonesian driver, he said: “I have not seen or heard of such an inspiring incident in all my 27 years of life in Saudi Arabia. There are many good people like Al-Shallash in the Kingdom but the bad behavior by a handful of Saudis makes headlines.”

Arab News
Monday, 20 January 2014

http://www.arabnews.com/news/512041