JAKARTADAILY.ID – On April 10th, 2023, the Indonesian Embassy in Moscow collaborated with the Moscow Muslim Spiritual Agency to host an iftar event called "Tenda Ramadhan" (Ramadan Tent) in the courtyard of the Moscow Memorial Mosque.
This event became a social gathering place for the Russian and Indonesian Muslim communities, as well as the general public, with a capacity of 500 people.
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"This year, Indonesia and Russia commemorate 73 years of diplomatic relations and our two countries are close friends who have much in common. The number of Muslims in Russia is the largest in Europe, while the number of Muslims in Indonesia is the largest in the world. This is a solid foundation for establishing Islamic cooperation," said the Indonesian Ambassador to the Russian Federation and the Republic of Belarus, Jose Tavares, in his opening speech.
Furthermore, Ambassador Tavares highlighted the active efforts made by both Indonesia and Russia over the last decade to strengthen religious dialogue and cooperation.
These efforts include Indonesia's participation in the Group of Strategic Vision meeting "Russia-Islamic World" initiated by the Russia Muftis Council, the awarding of Indonesian Ministry of Religion scholarships to Russian Muslim students, and the regular participation of Indonesian Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in the Russia Halal Expo exhibition.
In addition, an Indonesian hafidzah won the Musabaqah Tilawatil Quran (MTQ) competition in Kazan last year, and Indonesian officials attended the annual International Economic Summit Russia-Islamic World: Kazan Summit.
Sheikh Ildar-khazrat Alyautdinov, the Mufti from Moscow, expressed his appreciation for Indonesia's participation in strengthening fellowship and cooperation between the two nations during his opening remarks.
Aside from the iftar, the 18th Tenda Ramadhan event was enlivened by an "Indonesian Cultural Evening," which included performances by the "El-Santri" group, consisting of 8 Islamic boarding school alumni who studied at various campuses in Moscow.
They performed salawat, prophet-praising songs in the Javanese style, accompanied by lively tambourine beats. The event also featured the Indonesian Embassy Diplomat, Endang Septiani Sari, who sang "Ketika Tangan dan Kaki Berkata" with Russian translation, as well as the recitation of surahs Al Fatihah and Al Qadr by the children of the Indonesian Embassy Staff.
The "Indonesian Cultural Evening" activity became even livelier when the MC, Airat Zagriev, who wore Indonesian batik and peci (religious cap), announced ten quick quizzes about Indonesia, which the audience enthusiastically participated in. Ten winners received prizes such as batik shirts, batik cloth, Koko clothes, and peci.
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The Tenda Ramadhan activity is an annual event held in the courtyard of the Moscow Memorial Mosque, and it is the only iftar activity that involves various foreign representatives in Russia, as well as federal subjects and NGOs in Russia.
This year's event included participants from Azerbaijan, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Turkey, Tajikistan, Indonesia, Iran, Uzbekistan, and Turkmenistan, who presented various cultural performances, especially Islamic culture while waiting for iftar time with the audiences in Russia.
