Indonesian Community in London Raises Funds to Build Their Own Mosque

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Once built, the mosque will house the London IIC, which will consist of classrooms, a library and a business office. The edifice will have enough space to hold the five daily prayers, Friday prayers, as well as prayers for festive occasions like Eid Al-Fitr  and Eid Al-Adha.

Built for a maximum capacity of 500 people, Eko hoped the mosque can host Indonesian community activities, particularly sizeable gatherings, year-round.

The classrooms can hold classes on the education for young people, particularly for instruction in the al-Qur'an and Islam. Eko and other organizers hope they will serve as a kind of madrassa for Indonesian children and adolescents in London.

The mosque organizers hope that business units in the mosque, such as halal restaurants, grocery stores, and Muslim clothing stores, can contribute to its operational upkeep.

Elvi Ibrahim, an Indonesian resident of London, are among those looking forward to the mosque. He said the house of worship is a dream come true to the Indonesian community there since the 1990s.

"A number of members of the Indonesian community did attempt to raise funds to build a mosque in London about 30 years ago," said Elvi.

"We even formed a committee for [the mosque's] construction, but the plan fizzled as its members aged. We hope the younger members behind this mosque can succeed where we failed, and build the house of worship,” he continued.

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Hamim realized that the construction of a mosque in London requires hard work, but he is optimistic that it can be built.

"There are [Indonesian] communities in England, across Europe and in Indonesia itself that can help us bring about the mosque's construction after decades of effort," he said.

Lockdown restrictions in the UK eased on March 29, two weeks before Ramadan. Communal prayer in mosques are allowed, as places of worship were not required to close under the lockdown measures put in place since last  January.

However, strict precautionary measures are still applied. Social distancing is still in force, face masks must be worn, individual prayer mats and shoe bags must be used, and people are encouraged to perform ablutions at home.

(Writer/Editor: Shintaloka Pradita Sicca)

Source:

https://www.kompas.com/global/read/2021/04/30/140827970/masyarakat-indonesia-di-london-gotong-royong-kumpulkan-dana-bangun-masjid