Tourism and Creative Economy Minister Sandiaga Uno has encouraged people partaking in the 2023 Eid al-Fitr exodus to buy products of micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in their hometowns to support the economy in villages.
"Save THR (Eid allowance), so that you can buy MSME products in regions. Thus, finances do not only circulate in cities but also in villages," he stated while delivering a khutbah (sermon) during a tarawih prayer at the Istiqlal Mosque here on Monday.
Uno noted that Indonesia's finances have strengthened after the COVID-19 pandemic, one of which is in the creative economy sector. To this end, the ministry is aiming to multiply the strength.
One of the efforts that the ministry has made is creating a Mosque Exploration Exodus catalog. The catalog includes mosques on exodus routes, such as Trans Sumatra, Java's northern coast (Pantura), Java's southern coast (Pansela), and Trans Java Toll Road.
Hence, mosques can also support MSMEs in regions to improve the community's welfare.
"Mosques become the symbol of ukhuwah Islamiyah and wathaniyah (brotherhood among Muslims and the nation). Mosques are not only centers of worship activities but also muamalah (social affairs)," he remarked.
According to the minister, religious tourism is suitable to become one of the leading forms of tourism in Indonesia, as the country is home to the largest Muslim population in the world, with at least 751 thousand mosques spread across the country.
The Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy is helping those mosques by identifying them one by one and identifying their selling points to be used for driving religious tourism and supporting the creative economy of the surrounding community.
In addition, religious tourism is closely related to Indonesia, as it does not only feature the religious aspect but also the history, figures, and historic buildings in Indonesia.
"For example, Istiqlal Mosque, which has architectural, cultural arts, edu-religious, and eco-mosque values with the Green Mosque certification; one of the best in the world," he remarked.
According to Uno, Istiqlal Mosque will be connected to the National Monument after earlier, the mosque had been connected to the Jakarta Cathedral by a tunnel.
He expressed hope that the community would jointly work towards making mosques as tourist destinations that can boost the finances of MSMEs and realize baldatun thayyibatun wa rabbun ghafuur (a nation that gathers the goodness of its nature and the goodness of its people's behavior).
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Editor : Mahdani
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