"This program is a direct instruction from His Majesty King Salman bin Abdulaziz and also Crown Prince Muhammad Salman bin Abdulaziz," the Ambassador of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to the Republic of Indonesia, ASEAN, and Timor-Leste, Faisal Abdullah H. Amodi, said at the event.
The launch of the initiative coincided with an iftar (fast-breaking) dinner, which was attended by a number of ministers from the Red and White Cabinet, ambassadors of friendly countries in Jakarta, and a number of representatives of Islamic mass organizations.
The initiative is part of a program to distribute 700 tons of dates and 1.2 million Al-Quran copies to Muslims across the world.
For Muslims in Indonesia, Saudi Arabia has provided 40 tons of dates and hundreds of thousands of Al-Quran copies that weigh 40 tons in total.
"This distribution is very important for Muslims throughout the world and especially Indonesian Muslims. And this Al-Quran has been translated into 97 languages," the ambassador said.
Through this assistance, Saudi Arabia wants to emphasize its important role, especially in providing humanitarian assistance and attention to Muslims throughout the world, especially Muslims in Indonesia, he added.
In contrast to the previous date distribution, which was carried out in coordination with the Indonesian Ministry of Religious Affairs, this time, the distribution involved direct cooperation between the Saudi Arabian Ministry of Islamic Affairs and the religious affairs attaché of the Embassy of Saudi Arabia in Indonesia.
"The type of dates is very good, premium," the religious attaché, Ahmed bin Essa Alhazmi, said.
He informed that the distribution of dates and Al-Quran copies will be carried out on Thursday. It will start from the Istiqlal Mosque in Jakarta, he said.
In addition to Java Island, the distribution of dates and Al-Quran copies will also be carried out in Sulawesi and Sumatra regions through Islamic boarding schools, public schools, and Islamic institutions.
In the meantime, Coordinating Minister for Community Empowerment, Muhaimin Iskandar, expressed his appreciation for the initiative.
"We welcome Saudi Arabia's assistance to Muslims in Indonesia. And this is a true friendship, especially in this blessed holy month of Ramadan," Iskandar, who is also known as Cak Imin, said.
Besides him, the iftar was also attended by a number of Cabinet ministers, including Minister of Religion, Nasaruddin Umar; Minister of Finance, Sri Mulyani Indrawati; Minister of Health, Budi Gunadi Sadikin; and Minister of Home Affairs, Tito Karnavian.
Related news: Saudi embassy hosts Ramadan iftar dinner to boost ties
Translator: Katriana
Editor: Primayanti
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