Vice President Ma'ruf Amin Prays For Gaza Fighters During Friday Prayers In Athens

Indonesian Vice President Ma'ruf Amin performs Friday prayers at the Athens Mosque, Athens, Greece, Friday (12/24/2023) local time. (ANTARA/Indra Arief Pribadi)

JAKARTA - Vice President Ma'ruf Amin offered prayers for Palestinian fighters in Gaza, during Friday prayers at the Athens Mosque (Athena Mosque), Athens, Greece

Vice President Ma'ruf became the congregation of Friday prayers at the first official mosque in Greece. After performing Friday prayers, Ma'ruf led the qasar congregational prayer. The prayer at the Athens Mosque ended with Ma'ruf reading prayers, including prayers for Gaza fighters.

"Pray for the people who fought in Gaza to be also given help, protected," said Ma'ruf after worship, quoted by ANTARA, Friday, November 24.

Ma'ruf admitted that he felt comfortable praying at the mosque. Arriving at the mosque, Ma'ruf was greeted by George Kalantzis as the President of the Mosque of Athians, and Sindi Mohamed Zaki as Imamof the Mosque of Aethians.

After arriving, Ma'ruf then entered the mosque and performed the sunnah prayer. Ma'ruf was at the first satf behind the priest. Then the adzan was sounded and after that the Friday prayer ratib from Morocco, delivered his khutbah.

According to Ma'ruf, the presence of mosques in Athens shows religious tolerance in Greece.

"Wherever we are, there is a Muslim community that can run it, even in a non-Muslim majority country. This shows that indeed we are building, namely that tolerance between religions can live anywhere, and this shows that there is progress that there is a difficult issue of mosques in the regions, it turns out that in Athens, Greece, there is also no problem," he said.

Ma'ruf revealed that he had previously met the Archbishop of Athens and all of Greece, Ieronymos II. According to the Archbishop, as stated by Ma'ruf, the Islamic study program has also been opened at a university in Greece.

When asked about the Athens Mosque building which does not have a dome and tower, Ma'ruf said it was not a problem.

"There is no problem, adapted to the conditions and architecture here," said Ma'ruf.