Indonesian Muslims in Netherlands to get Mosque

Amsterdam, NU Online
The Indonesian Muslim community in the European Muslim Youth Union (PPME) of Al-Ikhlas, Amsterdam, has bought a building that will be developed into the Indonesian Cultural Center at Jan van Gentstraat 140, Badhoevedorp, the Netherlands.

The building has several spaces that will be used as a mosque named Al-Ikhlas, classrooms, offices, and workshop rooms, a member of the Indonesian Muslim community, Hansyah Iskandar, said in a statement received by Antara here on Monday.

The Al-Ikhlas mosque will be inaugurated by the Indonesian Minister of Religious Affairs Lukman Hakim Saifuddin.

"This moment had been eagerly awaited by the Indonesian community in Amsterdam and surrounding areas who have long wanted to have their own building to hold cultural and religious events," a founder of the European Muslim Youth Union, Muzayyin, said.

According to the chairman of the union, Rudi Kosasih, the mosque will be inaugurated by Saifuddin on the sidelines of his visit to the Netherlands to open an international conference on "Rethinking Indonesias Islam Nusantara" at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, organized by the Indonesian Islamic organization Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) of the Netherlands.

Saifuddin will be accompanied by few Indonesian ambassadors, namely Ambassador to the Netherlands I Gusti Wesaka Puja, Ambassador to Lebanon Ahmad Chozin Chumaidy, Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Agus Maftuh Abegebriel, Ambassador to Algeria Safira Machrusah, and Ambassador to Azerbaijan Husnan Fananie Bey.

"We hope the government and people of Indonesia will support our struggle to introduce Indonesia and Islam in Europe," a board member of the NU in NL, Budi Santoso, remarked. (Masdar)