"Fifty Thousand" Movement for the Construction of Indonesian Islamic Center in Sydney

Sydney, MINA – Ashabul Kahfi Islamic Center, Sydney, Australia, is initiating a donation movement entitled “The Fifty Thousand Movement” to invite people to actively participate in building the first Islamic Center in the city that has received permission to operate as an Islamic Center based on the initiation of the Muslim community Indonesia there.

The Head of the Ashabul Kahfi Islamic Center building construction team; Dr. Teuku A Geumpana, in this glorious month of Ramadan, invites congregants in Indonesia to succeed the waqf movement of IDR 50,000 per person for the construction of the Ashabul Kahfi Islamic Center in Sydney.

“With 60 thousand Indonesians who are willing to set aside Rp. 50,000 for this development, we will be able to meet the remaining costs for the first phase of development, God willing, in this Ramadan. Help us to maintain this construction permit so that it does not expire, “Teuku Geumpana told MINA on Tuesday.

The lecturer at Newcastle University, Australia explained Ashabul Kahfi Islamic Center Sydney has gone a long way to get permission to build the Islamic Center building.

This permit was successfully obtained in 2017 on the condition that construction must commence within five years of the issuance of the construction permit.

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“The permits we have obtained will expire in 2022. We only have time this year to start construction and we will start the ground breaking, inshaAllah this Ramadan, May 8, 2021 (26th Ramadan),” said Geumpana.

The construction of the Ashabul Kahfi Islamic Center Sydney building will go through three phases. Each phase costs IDR 5 billion.

Currently, the development committee has collected IDR 2 billion in funds and still requires a minimum of IDR 3 billion more to be able to start the first phase of development in order to maintain the construction permit which will end soon in 2022.

Meanwhile, until Monday, the fundraising movement “Fifty Thousand” which began in early Ramadan has reached 10% of the target of Rp3 billion.

So far, religious activities carried out by AKIC, such as Islamic studies, have been carried out in public places such as renting a basketball court.

“Let’s together support the construction of the First Islamic Center in Sydney which was initiated by the Indonesian people. Send your best donation so that you can get the reward for the eternal goodness of all time, “he concluded.

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Dr. Chalidin Yacob, as the founder of Ashabul Kahfi Islamic Center (AKIC) Australia, would like to express his deepest gratitude to the donors who have taken part in fundraising for AKIC this month of Ramadan.

“AKIC’s journey to build an Islamic Center in Sydney, Australia is certainly not easy, but with the pleasure of Allah SWT and the commitment of worshipers both in Australia, in Indonesia and in other countries, God willing, we are sure that the construction of the Ashabul Kahfi Islamic Center will be carried out,” said Chalidin to MINA.

The Acehnese cleric who is one of the executive members of the Australian National Imam Council (ANIC) for the Sydney area (equivalent to the Indonesian Ulema Council) also invites all Indonesian people both in Indonesia and abroad who wish to take part in the construction of the Islamic Center building to be able to sending donations, through donations from Australia / overseas: SWIFT CODE: NATAAU3303M, NAB (National Australia Bank) an Ashabul Kahfi Islamic Center, BSB: 082 344, ACC: 25 443 4298, Ref: AKIC Sydney; Donation from Indonesia: BNI Syariah a.n. Miftah Zikri, Rek. No 954371673, Ref: AKIC Sydney; or through the media platform http://bit.ly/AKICBuildingFundIDR.

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Representing the entire Ramadhan committee and AKIC management; Chalidin expressed his gratitude to all worshipers who have faithfully followed and contributed to the success of all AKIC activities during this Ramadan.

AKIC is committed to continuing to carry out its teaching and learning activities and preaching during the corona virus pandemic even though it is through online media.

Ashabul Kahfi Islamic Center Sydney is the first Islamic Center in Sydney to be licensed to operate as an Islamic Center based on the initiation of the Indonesian Muslim community there.

Various educational, preaching and worship activities are carried out in this Islamic center; such as being a place for prayer, a place to study the Koran for children or adults, a place to learn Islamic sciences, a place for congregational Friday prayers, tarawih and Eid prayers.

It is even a place for converts to learn about Islam and a place for pre-marriage education for prospective brides. (T/RE1)

Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)