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Ridwan Kamil designs origami-style mosque. Preacher calls it 'Antichrist symbol'

West Java Governor Ridwan Kamil, a renowned architect who designed the mosque, decided to join a public discussion with several religious figures, including Rahmat Baequni, to address the design controversy on Monday. 

Arya Dipa (The Jakarta Post)
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Bandung
Wed, June 12, 2019

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Ridwan Kamil designs origami-style mosque. Preacher calls it 'Antichrist symbol' The Al-Safar Mosque was designed by West Java Governor Ridwan Kamil, who is also an architect. (Urbane/File)

The Al-Safar Mosque in West Java has become a subject of heated debate on social media in recent weeks as preacher Rahmat Baequni claimed that the mosque’s architectural style, which is mostly composed of triangular motifs, contained symbols alluding to the Illuminati and the Antichrist.

West Java Governor Ridwan Kamil, a renowned architect who designed the mosque, decided to join a public discussion with several religious figures, including Rahmat, to address the design controversy on Monday.

“I fully support those who stand up against the efforts to weaken Islamic civilization. However, when it comes to the mosque design, I leave it to the Indonesian Ulema Council [MUI] to assess whether it is unislamic,” Ridwan said during the discussion in Bandung, West Java.

He went on to say that the belief that there were allusions to the Illuminati and the Antichrist in the design of the Al-Safar Mosque was simply a misinterpretation.

The Illuminati was an Enlightenment-era secret society originating in 18th century Europe. Many influential intellectuals then joined the society, mainly to oppose religious influence over public life and abuses of state power. The society was later outlawed at the urging of the Catholic Church.

The word “illuminati” has now become a popular catch-all term among conspiracy theorists to refer to shadow organizations that allegedly conspire to control world affairs.

“My late father was a former chairman of the Mosque Welfare Council [DKM]. He once told me to spread the words of Islam by designing mosques. I intend to live up to the trust my father had put in me,” Ridwan said.

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