Cheng Hoo Mosque a melting pot of religious tolerance

ID Nugroho, The Jakarta Post, Surabaya

Annisa Mahsuna has a simple way of introducing her family and three children to religious tolerance -- by taking them to break the fast at Cheng Hoo mosque in Surabaya, East Java.

The 38-year-old native of Sidoarjo said breaking the fast at the mosque has become an annual tradition in her family.

"I always take my family to Cheng Hoo mosque to break the fast together with other people," said Annisa as she broke her fast with a portion of take-away rice.

With this simple gesture, she hopes her children will learn to better understand differences.

"People who break their fast in this mosque come from many different groups within the community. Through their interaction with others here, my children learn about the meaning of diversity," she said.

During the fasting month of Ramadhan, there is an atmosphere of religious harmony at the Chinese-style mosque, which was designed to resemble a temple.

Even before dusk, several members from a Chinese-Muslim organization and residents from around the mosque work together to prepare food to break the fast.

Hundreds of cold beverages, arranged next to snacks and dates, are prepared. Flasks of hot beverages and packages of rice are also made available.

Others place mats on the basketball court in front of the mosque, where hundreds of people from different groups and backgrounds wait for the time to break the fast.

"Here, there is no difference between those who are local residents and those who are not," said Oei Tjing Yen, the mosque's coordinator.

When the time to break the fast draws near, hundreds of people arrive in their cars, on motorcycles or on foot and enter the mosque's three-hectare compound. Some wash and then perform their prayers or recite the Koran, while others simply wait.

They queue to receive their share of snacks and beverages when the time to break the fast is announced.

The mosque receives around Rp 2.2 million (US$239) in cash donations per day from Chinese-Muslims and other donors. The money is used to buy rice, snacks and beverages for as many as 350 people a day.

"The more donations we receive, the more food we can prepare," Oei said.

The mosque, which was built at a cost of Rp 3.3 billion and first opened in October 2003, was named after Chinese admiral Cheng Hoo and was designed to resemble Niu Jie mosque in Beijing, China.

The mosque, the first of which to use a Chinese name here, blends Islam and Chinese philosophies -- the building's 11-meter length is similar to that of the holy Ka'bah when it was first created, while its nine-meter width is symbolic of the nine Walis who disseminated Islam in Java.

The top of the main building has eight corners. Eight is a lucky number according to Chinese beliefs. It is shaped to resemble a spiderweb, which was believed to have rescued prophet Muhammad when he was about to be murdered by the Quraish people.

Uniquely, the area where the imam leads the congregation in prayer is shaped like a church's entrance gate.

On the right side of the mosque, there is a relief of admiral Cheng Hoo with his ships, which were used to conquer the Indian Ocean.

Oei said the relief seems to remind people not to think too highly of themselves and that they should follow the example of Cheng Hoo, who made friends with everyone.

This spirit, Oei said, was achieved through providing free food to break the fast every Ramadhan. "It's like a message from our ancestors ... that we should perform this deed."