Inaugurating The Head Of DMI Riau Islands, Jusuf Kalla Messages Don't Focus Only On Houses Of Worship But...

RIAU - Chairman of the Central Executive Board of the Indonesian Mosque Council (DMI) Jusuf Kalla invites the management of the Riau Islands DMI (Kepri) to contribute to the prosperity of the community around the mosque, not only focusing on houses of worship.

"Don't let the houses around you remain slum and don't match the luxury of the mosque. So prosper the people around the mosque," he said after inaugurating the Head of the Riau Islands DMI in Batam, Antara, Wednesday, December 15.

DMI, said Jusuf Kalla, has a duty to prosper the mosque. In prospering mosques, including building mosques, managing mosques and congregations, including the surrounding community.

"A mosque is built as beautiful as anything, if it is not taken care of, it will not prosper. Then, the mosque is beautiful, there are many administrators, but there are no congregations and they are not prosperous," he said.

According to Jusuf Kalla, although the task of the DMI management is heavy in prospering the mosque, they get a great reward from Allah.

The newly inaugurated chairman of the Riau Islands DMI Muhammad Rudi stated that as a first step he would record the number and condition of mosques scattered throughout the archipelago province.

"If the data already exists, then how many mosques need to be built and so on," said the man who is also the mayor of Batam and the head of BP Batam.

On that occasion, he also emphasized that mosques must be made comfortable, so that the congregation feels at home when they are in the house of Allah.

"Maybe you still remember when I was Deputy Mayor of Batam, almost all mosques didn't have air conditioning. Thank God most of the mosques now have air conditioning," he said. He believes that if the congregation is comfortable while worshiping in the mosque, the mosque will prosper.

In addition, he is also committed to encouraging mosques to have legal land rights, in order to avoid problems in the future.