MUHAMMADIYAH.OR.ID, VIETNAM — Salamad Mosque, set in Long Xuyen, An Giang, South Vietnam, has been officially opened to the public starting from Friday (5/12).
The inauguration of Salamad Mosque was marked by a ribbon-cutting ceremony led by Warsito, Deputy for Strengthening National Character at the Coordinating Ministry for Human Development and Culture (Kemenko PMK). The event was attended by representatives from the Ministry of Religious Affairs, the Indonesian Embassy in Hanoi, the Consulate General in Ho Chi Minh City, and several philanthropic institutions including Lazismu, HFI, Baznas, Dompet Dhuafa, Human Initiative, Rumah Zakat, and Daarut Tauhiid Peduli.
Charge d’Affaire of the Indonesian Embassy in Hanoi, Jane Runkat, expressed her delight at the inauguration, noting that Indonesia-Vietnam relations have grown over 70 years and were elevated to a strategic partnership in March 2025. She emphasized that the mosque will not only serve as a worship space but also support socio-economic collaboration, including educational partnerships and halal industry development.
Representing Kemenko PMK, Warsito praised the collective effort behind the mosque’s construction, calling it a symbol of harmonious interfaith relations and a sign of strategic cooperation potential between the two countries. He hopes the mosque will strengthen the Muslim community in An Giang Province and open opportunities in areas such as ecotourism and sister-city initiatives.
Lazismu, represented by Gunawan Hidayat and Ibnu Tsani, highlighted the challenges faced in supporting the Muslim minority in Vietnam, from stigma to organizational fragmentation. Lazismu contributed an elevator for elderly and disabled worshippers as part of its social-da’wah mandate.
Gunawan stressed that the mosque’s physical completion is only the beginning. Ongoing efforts, he said, should include training in the management of zakat, infaq, and sadaqah, as well as certification programs for halal industry practitioners to ensure the mosque becomes a true center of community empowerment. (Bintang Adrian)
