INDONESIA INAUGURATES STUDENTS DORM IN CAIRO’S AL-AZHAR

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono symbolically inaugurated the Indonesian Student Dormitory at the Al-Azhar University, Cairo, Egypt.(Photo: bewara.co)

Cairo, 10 Dhulhijja 1435/5 October 2014 (MINA) – Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (SBY) inaugurated the Indonesian Student Dormitory at the Al-Azhar University, Cairo, Egypt.

The inauguration was symbolically done in Baiturrahim Mosque, Presidential Palace Complex, Jakarta, after Friday prayers (3/10).

The dormitories construction was part of Indonesian government grant to Al-Azhar University, while the land was a grant from Al-Azhar, the secretariat cabinet said.

Education Minister Mohammad Nuh explained, the building located in Nasr City, Cairo, consists of 6 floors, from the 1st Floor to the 5th Floor each consisting 15 rooms, while the ground floor is used for offices, libraries, classrooms, and others.

SBY said the construction of the building is still on progress and the finishing works will done in the next few days, adding that the 50 percent of the building would be used for Indonesian students while 25 percent other for Egyptians, and 25 percent for foreign countries.

“This is good, this is unity, as well as the form of brotherhood and unity among Muslims, especially students who are studying there,” the president said.

During his official visit to Egypt at the beginning of February 2013, SBY took a trip to the university to see the process of the dorms construction and visiting the thousands of Indonesian students who are currently studying there.

“That was the time when we finalized the plan to build these dorms. I talked with the leaders of Al-Azhar and the students, and we came to a decision that this dorms needed to be built soon,” Yudhoyono said.

The President appreciated the university stance and commitment as well as the doctrine of Al Azhar University of Cairo in making the bright future for Muslim scholars and spreading the Islamic science for decades.

“This is important, brothers. Muslims are facing challenges in the 21st century. We (Muslims) have the tests from Allah. The spirit that emerges today, including the current discussion in the UN General Assembly last September, is how the fight against terrorism. Terrorism is the enemy of us all,” SBY pointed out. (L/P010/R04/P3)

Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA)