INDONESIA: The Red Mosque

Surabaya's little Masdjid Rachmat is said to be the oldest Moslem mosque in East Java. It is so sacred that even the making of necessary repairs is considered a sacrilege. With his job rendered a sinecure by this taboo, the mosque's slovenly caretaker, Pak Murah, devoted himself to a more personal responsibility: how to marry off his none-too-attractive daughter. Three years ago when a young member of the local Communist Party made tentative matrimonial advances. Potential Father-in-Law Murah unhesitatingly tossed aside all his religious scruples to promote the match. He joined the...

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