REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- The four story building decorated with red, golden and green colors is located in Pasar Baru, Jakarta. Some red lampions hung on the ceilings add the aura of Chinese New Year or known as “Imlek” in Indonesia. At the first glimpse, no one will have thought that the building is a mosque, namely Lautze Mosque. Aha… does it ring a bell?
The famous Lautze is a Chinese Muslim community mosque in the capital city of Indonesia. The first floor is male worshippers while the second is for females. The third and fourth floors provide office space for Yayasan Haji Karim Oei, a foundation that initially built the mosque.
The mosque has regular programs such as listening to Islamic sermons and learning how to recite Quran and daily prayer. Although it is dubbed as Chinese Muslims mosque, the mosque opens to anyone who is willing to come.
The mosque is a marriage between Chinese and Arab cultures. Here, you will surprise to see some pieces of calligraphy in Arabic and Chinese characters hang on the walls.
The marriage of two cultures is also reflected on Imlek celebration here. Lautze Mosque plans a special event, titled as “Nostalgia Imlek”.
Yet, Imlek celebration here has a bit different nuance. They decide to hold some competitions related to the Islamic teachings such as adzan (Islamic call to prayer -ed), memorizing al Fatihah (the first chapter of Islamic Holy Book -ed), and sermon.
“We will hold the event next week and call it ‘nostalgia Imlek’. We call it nostalgia since many of us do not celebrate it any more now,” a co-founder of the mosque, HM Ali Karim Oei, said to Republika recently.
This event is quite special because, the mosque ever celebrated Imlek in particular before. Nevertheless, they decide to do the difference this year, to get the taste of Chinese culture, something considered belongs to their past.
“It is not just a celebration, but a nostalgic celebration in a more Islamic way,” a member of the foundation, Yusman Alfian, explained.
Lautze Mosque was founded in 1991. The mosque has witnessed about a thousand Indonesian Chinese descendants who converted to Islam. At least two new converts can be found in the mosque every week. Ahong, one of the converts, said that Lautze Mosque was a good reference for Chinese descendants in Jakarta.
“It has been ten years I become a Muslim, and I think this mosque is a good reference for Chinese descendants who want to learn about Islam,” Ahong said.
Ahong admitted, ha had not celebrated Imlek for such a long time. Yet, he usually visits his older family members or relatives during Imlek. “I consider it as silaturrahim (bonding ties -ed),” Ahong added.
Wishing you all a happy nostalgic moment then!
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