Named after the street on which it is located, the Lautze Mosque is an Islamic place of worship in the middle of Jakarta’s Chinatown. It was founded by Ali Karim Oei, the son of businessman Abdul Karim Oei, in 1991. After renting a space for three years, the mosque was finally provided with its own building by former vice president BJ Habibie.
With its Chinese features, red walls and excerpts from the Quran written in Arabic hanging alongside Chinese script, people might mistake the Mosque for a Chinese temple. However, the Mosque has been known for years as the best place for non-Muslims to learn more about Islam. It was intentionally built in a predominantly Chinese community, to clear up the image of Islam among Chinese-Indonesians by sharing Indonesia's moderate views.
You can also watch the “Mosques of Southeast Asia” video project series by the Star Media Group and members of the Asia News Network: The Straits Times in Singapore, The Brunei Times, The Jakarta Post, and The Nation.
