Ahok: 12-Year-Old Children Should be Able to Read the Quran
13 December 2014 11:44 WIB
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Jakarta Governor Basuki “Ahok” Tjahaja Purnama said that faith quality should be improved starting from early age. Ahok said mosque administrators should be able to educate children who can read and understand the Qur’an by the age of 12.
“12 year olds should be able to finish reading Qur’an,” Ahok said on Friday.
Ahok said mosques must function as the center of people’s activity. According to Ahok, one of efforts to make mosques more appealing is by providing parks around mosques. Mosque administrators would be able to call children playing at the park when the prayer time comes.
Ahok added that the Jakarta Parks and Cemetery Agency would handle the park constructions, and the Jakarta administration will compensate the land acquired from residents to be used as parks.
Therefore, Ahok asked mosque youth to help children with their religious belief since children would disseminate knowledge to their peers.
“If children have proper understanding of Qur’an, they won’t be easily provoked [by rumors],” Ahok said.
LINDA HAIRANI
