TheJakartaPost
Please Update your browser
Your browser is out of date, and may not be compatible with our website. A list of the most popular web browsers can be found below.
Just click on the icons to get to the download page.
A tribute to Gus Dur on the slopes of Merapi
Friendly: A man dressed in an oversized âGus Durâ mask waves to the crowd at the dedication ceremony for the mosque and statue
Change Size
Friendly: A man dressed in an oversized 'Gus Dur' mask waves to the crowd at the dedication ceremony for the mosque and statue.
'Who is Gus Dur?' said Inayah Wahid, the daughter of the man better known as Abdurrahman Wahid, at the inauguration of Tombo Ati Mosque and a statue of her famed father in Sleman, Yogyakarta, in November.
'He's Indonesia's former president, right? But it's just one of the jobs that he had. I myself as his daughter sometimes wonder what my father was actually doing. Obviously Gus Dur was a humanist,' Inayah said.
Memories of Gus Dur ' 'Gus' is an appellation given to the male children of kyai (Muslim scholars), 'Dur' is a short version of Abdurrahman ' were also recalled by the Rev. Sindhunata, who built the small mosque (langgar) and statue at his home.
'I'm not making him a cult figure, but the character and ideas of Gus Dur are very great and continue to reverberate up to the present in Indonesia. So this house of culture is devoted to the memory of Gus Dur,' said Sindhunata, who also wrote Anak Bajang Menggiring Angin, an acclaimed literary version of the classic Ramayana story with a Javanese touch.
As a Jesuit priest concerned with culture, Sindhutana wanted to immortalize Gus Dur in a museum called Omah Petruk, or Petruk's house. The name comes from the humorous servant in the Javanese shadow puppet play ' and is perhaps a reference to Gus Dur's famously constant smile.
In the compound, the small wooden mosque stands amid shade trees and the works of famous Indonesian artists. In front is the bust of Gus Dur carved by sculptor Ki Pramono Pinunggul from Yogyakarta.
The mosque, made from century-old teak, came from Pati, a city with a Muslim majority on the north coast of Central Java. Sindhunata deliberately chose to use the antique wood for his project.
'Don't judge the mosque by its size,' Sindhutana said. 'What I've been seeking is the historical significance of the worship building.'
According to Sindhunata, he has always wanted a shady langgar of his own since childhood, because growing up in Batu, East Java, he would hear people praying from a nearby small mosque daily.
This has always reminded him of the peaceful life of a community living in amity, tolerance and harmony.
The mosque takes its name ' Langgar Tombo Ati ' from the Kidung Tombo Ati (Ballad of Consolation) once introduced by Gus Dur.
'The late Gus Dur thus deserves the position of patron of the mosque in this house. During his life, Gus Dur offered considerable comfort, consolation and solace not only to individuals but also the nation,' noted Sindhunata.
An evening of art and literature marking the opening was attended by cultural and religious personalities with entertainment provided by artists such as Kyai Maman Imanulhaq, Abah Kirun, Marwoto, M. Shodiq, vocalist Indah Laras and dancer Sekar Kinanthi.
The other daughter of Gus Dur, Yenny Wahid, and her husband, Dhohir Farisi, visited Langgar Tombo Ati the following day and performed ritual prayers at the cozy and lovely mosque.
An old handwritten Koran was handed over by Gus Dur's family to Sindhunta for the Langgar Tombo Ati.
'I was deeply moved and happy, even at a loss for words when I received the very precious gift of the Koran. Physically, I don't keep this holy book at the mosque, but spiritually I believe this Koran will emanate an air of peace and tranquility,' Sindhunata said.
' Photos by Tarko Sudiarno
