On the second day of the 2024 “Taking Perspective” Short Course series, Tuesday (10/09/2024), the Faculty of Law, Universitas Brawijaya (FH UB), Jakarta State University (UNJ), and Leipzig University visited several important locations in Jakarta. The visit included the Istiqlal Mosque, the Cathedral Church, the Offices of the MPR and DPR RI, and the Indonesian Ulama Council (MUI), with the aim of broadening the participants’ insights regarding religious and political perspectives in Indonesia.
The activity began at 08.00 WIB with the first visit to the Istiqlal Mosque and the Cathedral Church. The group was warmly welcomed by Dr. Farid F. Saenong, MA., Head of Education and Training at the Istiqlal Mosque. Inside the mosque, the group was invited to see the five floors of the building, with the fifth floor planned to be a museum. The group also saw the library containing a collection of books and international cooperation rooms with several universities in America and China such as Lynn University, Rutgers.
“In addition, in the main room of the mosque there are 12 pillars that symbolize the birth of the Prophet Muhammad SAW on 12 Rabi’ul Awal,” added Dr. Farid.
After that, the group continued their journey to the Cathedral Church through a connecting tunnel between the two places of worship. They were greeted by church staff, then invited to visit the Cathedral Church museum and the main worship room. In the museum, they saw a statue of Father Petrus Maria Bonnike SJ and photos of previous priests. At the end of the visit, the group took a group photo in the main room of the church.
The visit continued to the MPR and DPR RI Offices. There, the group was greeted by Dr. TB. H. Ace Hasan Syadzily, M.Sc., and I Komang Koheri, S.E., who explained the scope of duties of Commission VIII of the DPR RI, especially in the fields of Religion, Social Affairs, Women’s Empowerment, and Child Protection. In between visits, several Leipzig University students discussed the history and political dynamics that occurred in Indonesia.
The series of visits that lasted until 18.00 WIB were expected to provide new perspectives for the short course participants, both lecturers and students, especially regarding religion and politics in Indonesia. (dzilla/WDD/UB PR/ Trans. Iir)
