ATHENA, GREECE — This is the story of the da’wah adventure of a Dompet Dhuafa Dai Ambassador assigned to Greece, Ustaz H Achmad Arif, B.Sh, M.A. He carries out a noble da’wah task in the capital city of Greece, Athens. The name of this city is said to be taken from the name of the Goddess Athena which means Goddess of Wisdom. The city is not very large, only 3 per cent of the total area of Greece, which is 412 km² out of 131,958 km².
Athens is a classic city and the oldest in Europe. The city has a million beauty and uniqueness that attracts tourists around the world. This city is also a pioneer in the birth of democracy, philosophy, literature, Olympic games, and historiography.
Ustaz Achmad Arif’s preaching journey to Greece began with a road trip by Qatar Airlines which took 14 hours. Alhamdulillah, Dompet Dhuafa’s Dai Ambassador finally arrived at Athens Eleftherios Venizelos International Airport (ATH) on Friday (15/3/2024), at 06:00 local time.
The arrival of Ustaz Achmad Arif was warmly welcomed by Dompet Dhuafa’s partners in Greece, namely Mr Ady as Chairman of the Indonesian Family Harmony Association in Greece (IKKIY), as well as the Head of Rohani Islam (Rohis), Mr Tohari and his deputy, Mr Bandi, at the Al-Ikhlas Acharnon Mosque, Athens.
Living in a country where Islam is a minority religion is a challenge for the Muslim community in Greece. The need for mosques as a vital place to nurture the spirituality of Muslims in Greece is very high. However, the scarcity of mosques as places of worship does not dampen the enthusiasm of the Indonesian Muslim community who are members of IKKIY to always obey and worship their Lord, especially during the month of Ramadan.
The existence of a coveted place of worship is an urgent matter, because it is a means to get closer to the Lord and connect the relationship between fellow Muslims. For this reason, the Greek Muslim community, together with IKKIY, is trying to establish a mosque in Athens as their place of worship.
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Although it has to go through a procedure that is not simple, where the Greek Muslim community and IKKIY must coordinate with the Indonesian Embassy in Athens and hire an Advocate to take a long time, but their enthusiasm to realise the presence of a mosque in the neighbourhood does not necessarily fade. Hopefully, in 2024, this dream can be realised soon and get a legal deed from the local authorities.
The excitement of ihya malam Ramadan in Athens was radiated when Ustaz Achmad Arif as Dompet Dhuafa’s Dai Ambassador was present in the midst of the Greek Muslim community. On his first day in Athens, Ustaz Achmad Arif immediately accompanied the Muslim community there by participating in breaking the fast together, Maghrib and Isha prayers in congregation, followed by Tarawih prayers and a cultum with the theme ‘Maqosid Sharia in Ramadan Fasting’.
The congregation in Athens, Greece welcomed Dompet Dhuafa’s Dai Ambassadors with excitement. Because, they have long missed the presence of a preacher from Dompet Dhuafa who was constrained to attend there during the Covid-19 pandemic. Alhamdulillah, now in 2024, Dai Ambassador can be present again.
Friday, 15 March 2024
Ustaz Ahmad Arif, Dompet Dhuafa’s Dai Ambassador