The Muhammadiyah Regional Board of East Java purchased a complex in Alcala, Spain. The 3-hectare complex, which cost three million Euros, comprised a dormitory and an inactive church.
The Muhammadiyah Regional Board of East Java mentioned that the complex was a legacy of the Islamic Golden Age in Andalusia and a center of Islam.
The Chairman of Muhammadiyah Kiai Saad Ibrahim confirmed the news. The complex was bought during his leadership at the Muhammadiyah Regional Board of East Java last year.
“At the end of our leadership at the Muhammadiyah Regional Board of East Java, we conducted ar-rihlah at-tsaqafiyah, a civilizational exploration. We went to Turkey and Spain. When we were in Spain, it was sad that we no longer found the grandeur of Islam. Then, we decided to take an action,” said Saad.
“The Muhammadiyah Regional Board of East Java are now negotiating to deal with the procurement,” said Saad after the Ramadan Preaching at UHAMKA on Saturday (1/4).
The Muhammadiyah Regional Board of East Java would like to revive the spirit of Muslims to reestablish Islamic civilization.
In fact, the purchase aimed to affirm that Muslims, including Muhammadiyah, could play roles in reviving the Islamic civilization.
“The purchase was not an individual initiative but an organization’s. It also shows our power,” said Saad.
“I often analogize that Pakistan would have been late to gain independence if Iqbal did not have a dreamland in 1930. It was said in 1930 that Ali Jinnah would continue the leadership in the following seventeen to eighteen years,” said Saad.
