Gathering with Kemal Arief, Experienced Architect

Hi everyone

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Hope you guys keep the spirit up. Let's share quality content in this community. Write with your own work, do not plagiarize or use artificial intelligence (AI) services. If proven, then it will not pass in this community.

I would like to invite all members of Incredible India to write light but useful or effective questions. The following is one such example; silaturrahmi. Gathering is highly recommended in Islam as a religion that is rahmatal lil alamin.

The gathering is what I did in the past two days. Incidentally, this time what I'm telling you about is a technocrat from Aceh who lives in Bandung, West Java. He is Kamil Abdullah Arief. He is a lecturer at Parahiyangan University, Bandung. His full name is DR Ir Kamil Abdullah Arif, M.S.A

Prof. Jasman, Kemal Arif, and me; discussion at the coffee table

We met by chance at the Japanese Solong Coffee Shop in the evening. When I arrived he was sitting with Professor Jasman Ma'aruf. He is the former Chancellor of Teuku Umar University (UTU). The two of them were already at the end of the meeting. Because I came, shook hands, and immediately bumped into a figure sitting in front of Prof Jasman.

I know Kamil Arif very well. Then I mentioned one keyword, Bustanussalatin. Instantly he became excited. Seeing his appearance, he looked slightly surprised. Reading the look on his face, it was as if he couldn't believe that anyone knew him and also talked about Bustanussalatin.

Bustanussalatin (Garden of the Kings) is a book written by Nuruddin Ar-Raniry around 1636 AD. I will tell about Ar-Raniry myself later in another post. Because, right now I'm gathering the ingredients. Including looking for the physical book of Bustanussalatin.

During the rehabilitation and reconstruction of Aceh between 2004-2009, Kemal once opened a discussion on this matter. He recorded several pieces of history, then opened with the title "Bustanussalatin". Moreover, he is an architect. Because he is an expert on building drawings, I also mentioned Ridwan Kamil, whom I interviewed in 2007 after winning the Aceh Tsunami Museum design competition.

Me and Kemal Arif, a senior Acehnese architect living in Bandung

Again he was also surprised. Later, he claimed to be one of the judges for the 2007 Aceh tsunami museum contest. Ridwal Kamil is a well-known veteran architect from Bandung. Now, Ridwan Kamil serves as Governor of West Java.

The story is getting more and more exciting. Especially when he already knew I was a journalist. Finally, he opened the card. He said his father, Abdullah Arif, was the chief editor of the "Semangat Merdeka" newspaper. The newspaper founded by Ali Hasjmy was established around 1947.

Ali Hasjmy himself was the head of the company, said Kemal --- in the newspaper "Semangat Merdeka" which was published in Kutaraja --- then changed its name to Banda Aceh.

The story goes on to another problem. Because, of Kemal's background as an architect, he also told about the UTU campus which was built on thousands of hectares of land. Jasman himself said that building a campus building which, when completed, will be in the form of a U-T-U letter, will require trillions of funds.

Now, construction is only halfway done. If campus buildings cannot be built in a U-T-U shape, Kemal offers several solutions. And, the solution is acceptable to Jasman. However, Jasman is very optimistic that it will be realized.

Since it was late at night, we parted ways. Thank you for reading the narrative of my meeting with the two professors.

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Thanks to Steemian friends and the Steemit Team who always support me. I really appreciate it.

Salam @Munaa

_2/8/2023