Even Though It Was On Fire, The Jakarta Islamic Center Holds Friday Prayers

(JIC Public Relations Photo)

JAKARTA - Head of the Jakarta Islamic Center (JIC) Secretariat Zulkifli Said said that his party was still holding the JIC Friday prayer even though there had been a fire on the dome of the mosque.

However, considering that the main room of the mosque whose dome is on fire has not been repaired, Friday prayers are moved to the JIC Convention Hall room.

"Religious activities carried out by the community can still be carried out as usual. Only the prayer locations have been moved to the Convention hall," Zulkifli said in his statement, Friday, October 21.

The JIC Convention Hall room is estimated to be able to accommodate up to 1,500 worshipers. At this location, congregational prayer activities have also been carried out since yesterday.

Furthermore, Zulkifli ensured that all worship service activities at JIC were not disrupted after the fire broke out. Activities at JIC continue as usual even though the main part of the mosque cannot be reused.

"Other public activities and social activities continue to run normally without being affected," he said.

As previously reported, the fire marked the Jakarta Islamic Center on Jalan Kramat Jaya, North Tugu Village, Koja District, North Jakarta on Wednesday, October 19 at around 15.20 WIB.

The fire started to extinguish at 16.30 WIB, but is still waiting for the cooling process. The fire was declared extinguished at 18.53 WIB.

This blackout was carried out by 90 personnel with 21 fire engines.

Based on information from the police, the fire started when four PT Agung Sentosa Pratama workers renovated the dome of the Jakarta Islamic Center Mosque. At that time the renovation was using triplex materials.

Head of Intelligence and Security at the North Jakarta Metro Police, AKBP Slamet Wibisono, said that as a result of the renovation process with a building fuel mechanism, sparks appeared that caused the fire to occur.

The witnesses melted the membrane (rolled asphalt) to attach the roof material using a fuel. It is suspected that the spark from the fuel device hit the glasbul until the fire broke out," said Slamet.

(JIC Public Relations Photo)