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Construction of Surakarta grand mosque at Sriwedari Park rejected
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Cultural center: A motorist passes in front of the entrance of Sriwedari Park in Surakarta, Central Java, recently. Several societal elements in the city have rejected the Surakarta administration's plan to build a grand mosque in the complex. (JP/Ganug Nugroho Adi)
T
he Surakarta administration’s plan to build a grand mosque in the Sriwedari Park complex has continued to face rejections voiced by several societal elements in the city.
They consider the area to be the subject of a land dispute between the heirs of the landowner and the Surakarta administration. The dispute has not been settled, they claim.
The park has also been widely perceived as a public space that functions as a center of art and cultural performances, as well as sports.
The Surakarta Sharia Council (DSKS) has asked the Surakarta administration to cancel its mosque construction plan because legally, the land where the park is located belongs to the heirs of RMT Wiryodiningrat, the owner of the land. The court ruling on the land ownership is valid and legally binding, said the council.
“We are happy to see that the city administration wants to build a grand mosque; but, why should it should be located on disputed land? Many areas in the center of the city are suitable for the location of the mosque, such as those along Jl. Slamet Riyadi,” said DSKS advocacy division member Endro Sudarsono on Thursday.
Earlier, hundreds of DSKS members staged a rally in front of the entrance of the park to protest the mosque construction plan. They displayed banners emblazoned with messages protesting the plan. The demonstrators also performed orations, which called on the Surakarta administration to drop the mosque construction plan. (ebf)
