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qori (Muslim scholar) recited Koran verses during the commemoration of the Islamic New Year at City Hall on Wednesday, while acting governor Basuki '€œAhok'€ Tjahaja Purnama, a Christian of Chinese descent, listened attentively.

During his speech, Ahok asked more than 100 Muslim clerics from across the capital to encourage youngsters to visit mosques more often.

The former regent of East Belitung, a majority Muslim population, said that mosques were places for the teaching of virtues.

'€œAnd mosques should be free of political agendas,'€ he added.

Ahok also encouraged youngsters to not only learn how to read the Koran, but to understand the messages behind them.

'€œWe want children to have read and understood the entirety of the Koran by the time they are 12 years old. This is your task, Muslim leaders,'€ he told the audience.

In a move to prove that he was onboard, Ahok also said the city would be willing to procure land around small mosques to provide adequate space for expansion.

'€œBigger spaces can accommodate more people, especially during mass prayers during Islamic holidays,'€ he said.

With bigger spaces, he continued, the city administration would be able provide various amenities, including free Wi-Fi and mobile libraries to encourage youngsters to stick around after prayers.

'€œI hope this way the youngsters will want to go to the mosque before they hang out at the public park. Don'€™t forget to pray before hanging out,'€ he said.

After former Jakarta governor and current President Joko '€œJokowi'€ Widodo '€” a Muslim-Javanese whom many deemed well equipped to unite different groups during his time as governor '€” left City Hall for the Presidential Palace, Ahok had to prove he was up to the task.

During the fasting month of Ramadhan, Ahok regularly visited mosques and joined fast-breaking events in an attempt to shrug off allegations voiced by a number of groups that he neglected the voice of the Muslim community.

A top city official is often called upon to participate in Koran recital events during the fasting month, regardless of his or her religion.

To protest Ahok'€™s inauguration as governor, which is expected next month, the hardline group Islamic Defenders Front (FPI) has vowed to stage rallies every Friday. A similar rally held by the FPI last month, however, degenerated into a violent riot, during which dozens of FPI members were arrested by the Jakarta Police.

In a speech delivered during the commemoration event, Istiqlal Mosque Grand Imam Ali Musthafa Ya'€™qub expressed his support for Ahok, saying that his appointment as the next leader of Jakarta was legitimate.

'€œWe have gone through the election. It is not the time for doing that again,'€ Ali said, adding that expressing opposition to Ahok through rallies was acceptable as long as they did not involve violence.

He also identified injustice, vested interests and indifference as the factors driving violence perpetrated in the name of Islam.

'€œMany interpreted the verses on war [against infidels] differently, making them think that the same interpretation could be applied during times of peace,'€ Ali said.

When asked whether the support expressed by the Istiqlal Mosque Grand Imam had put him at ease amid rejection by others, Ahok said, '€œI have always felt secure, actually. Their support just assured me that this is the genuine face of Islam that I have known since I was a child.'€

'€œIf they believe that all non-Muslims should be killed in accordance with the Koran, then Prophet Muhammad should have killed his beloved uncle Abu Talib in the first place.'€