Indonesia
By M. Mas’ud Said.
The waqf movement is not limited to Indonesia but is also present in various countries around the world. This movement is not confined to Muslim-majority nations such as Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Malaysia, Sudan, or Morocco, but is also active in non-Muslim countries.
For example, renowned universities like Al-Azhar in Egypt are waqf lands and the result of the waqf movement, enabling them to become the largest and most influential Islamic universities in the world.
In August 2023, the author visited the UK. Together with Governor Khofifah Indar Parawansa and the Unair team—a provincial government organization from East Java, we visited the United Kingdom (UK).
Since 1995, the Indonesian community in London began organizing religious study sessions from house to house and occasionally used the Indonesian Embassy building. A year later, plans to establish a place of worship were initiated. Kyai Royandi Abbas, Ustadz Mahfudz Noor, along with religious activists, began forming a fundraising committee.
The family of Mr. Abu Hassan donated a house to the committee, which then became part of the initial funds.
On January 4, 2004, the Indonesian Islamic Centre Foundation (IIC) was established. Using these initial funds, the first property a house in the Colindale area of London was purchased. The price was quite high, and the process was highly challenging due to the area’s status as a Muslim minority neighborhood.
To accommodate religious activities with an ever-growing congregation, it became increasingly necessary to have a building officially designated as a house of worship or a mosque.
Fundraising and the search for a building to purchase were intensified.
Unfortunately, fundraising efforts have not kept pace with the rising cost of real estate. Consequently, in 2021, a new committee was formed with the full support of the Indonesian Ambassador to the United Kingdom, Desra Percaya, to launch more aggressive campaigns and activities to raise funds.
In 2022, a total of £1.4 million, equivalent to Rp. 26 billion, was raised.
History of the IIC Building
Originally a synagogue named Neasden Synagogue, it later became the Ahavath Shalom Synagogue, managed by the Ashkenazi Orthodox community. Built in 1920, it underwent renovations in 1968, and its current form has remained unchanged to this day (2023).
It ceased operations as a synagogue in 1990 after changing ownership to become a church named Christ Temple Church, affiliated with Champion Int Churches Worldwide.
With these funds, in February 2023, the IIC under the leadership of Mr. H. Memet Purnama Hasan was able to purchase a house of worship in the Neasden area of North London.
Indeed, the waqf movement has transformed the face of the Indonesian Muslim community in UK. The two-story complex, which is also used for Friday prayers and meetings, and the mosque, which can accommodate around 190–200 worshippers, have generated tremendous enthusiasm.
(Source: Mr. Shandy Adiguna, Chairman of the Special Branch Executive Board, Nahdlatul Ulama United Kingdom)
