Delivering Lectures on Religion at the Great Mosque of Biak, Papua, Vice President Invites People to Take Care of Diversity

Biak Numfor, wapresri.go.id – Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala has given people abundance of  guidance and blessings. As gratitude for the blessings that have been given, humans must continue to care for the gifts that are given, one of which is by taking care of what is on earth, both resources and relations between religious believers.

“Our piety must not damage our relations among citizens, do not destroy diversity,” said Vice President (VP) K.H. Ma’ruf Amin in his speech after carrying out Friday Prayers at the Baiturahman Grand Mosque, Jalan A. Yani, Biak Numfor Regency, Papua Province , Friday (2/12/2022).

The VP further said that one way to care for diversity is to show a polite attitude towards others.

“It’s even better if we do things that show that we are good Muslims. A good Muslim is a loving Muslim. Islam is a source of love,” explained the VP.

“Islam is promoting love. Not hating, not hostile to anyone. Even though we have different religions, we are not hostile to other people,” he added.

On the other hand, the VP also emphasized the importance of making the earth prosperous as human gratitude for God’s grace. Because, in Islamic teachings, prospering the earth is an order written in the Qur’an.

“We will protect this country until it becomes a prosperous country,” stated the VP.

“So, we are here, strengthening faith, multiplying goodness, practicing faith and piety, by not destroying the soil in the nation and state environment,” he continued.

Thus, in the future the VP hopes that all regions in the land of Papua can be more advanced and prosperous, supported by the harmony of the people who are different but still one.

“Hopefully our meeting will bring blessings to all of us, to the nation, to the country, so that we can make Indonesia a prosperous, advanced country, and also accelerate development in Papua so that it becomes prosperous, advanced, peaceful and secure,” concluded the VP.

After giving his speech, before leaving the Baiturahman Great Mosque, the VP also had the opportunity to symbolically hand over BAZNAS assistance to several beneficiaries.

The assistance provided included BAZNAS Microfinance Mosque in the amount of IDR 100,000,000 to be managed by the Baiturahman Biak Numfor Mosque, symbolically handed over to the Chairperson of mosque, H. Andi Firman Madjadi; and December 2022 Baznas Sharing for 600 Indigenous Papuan beneficiaries, which was symbolically handed over to Mr. Fredika Wabiser, Mr. Oktovina Arwam, and Mr. Siti Amina Wanma. (NN/LHS, BPMI – Setwapres)