Eid always brings us home, not just to our houses, but also to the\nbasic values that are often overlooked in national life. When the takbir\nechoes and the tradition of mutual forgiveness is revived, Eid al-Fitr\nis truly reminding us that this nation is not built on uniformity, but\non the willingness to live together amidst differences.<\/p>\n
In a social atmosphere that is easily tense due to political\nconflicts, identity sentiments, and inter-group distances, Eid becomes\nan important moment to reaffirm that national unity is not a finished\nlegacy to be maintained, but an effort that must be continuously built\nin the context of nationhood and statehood.<\/p>\n
In modern life that is all fast-paced, the nation often loses inner\nspace to pause for a moment and reassess the direction of its life. We\nare busy chasing targets, maintaining positions, and debating many\nthings, but we often forget that the main strength of a country does not\nlie solely in economic growth, military power, or technological\nsophistication.<\/p>\n
Above all that, a strong nation rests on one more fundamental thing,\nnamely the ability of its citizens to live together, trust each other,\nand work in one spirit of nationality. It is at that point that Eid\nfinds its deepest relevance.<\/p>\n
Theoretically, that meaning can be read through \u00c9mile Durkheim\u2019s\n(1893) idea in his work titled The Division of Labour in Society, that\nsociety does not survive merely because of rules, but because of moral\nsolidarity that binds individuals within it.<\/p>\n
Eid operates in that realm, and teaches that social life must not be\nallowed to freeze due to ego, grudges, and accumulating barriers. The\ntradition of mutual forgiveness is not merely a cultural formality, but\nan ethical mechanism to restore human relationships.<\/p>\n
Amid a society that is easily divided by differences in political\nchoices, social classes, or group identities, Eid al-Fitr reminds us\nthat togetherness must continue to be enlivened, not allowed to weaken\nby prejudices.<\/p>\n
That idea becomes even more important when linked to Benedict\nAnderson\u2019s (1983) view, which calls the nation an imagined political\ncommunity.<\/p>\n
A nation stands not because all its citizens know each other, but\nbecause they believe they are connected in the same fate and ideals.<\/p>\n
In the Indonesian context, that trust does not arise by itself.\nRather, it must be continuously nurtured through symbols, shared\nexperiences, and binding values.<\/p>\n
Eid is one of the cultural spaces that strengthens that bond. When\nsomeone returns to their hometown, reconnects family ties, subdues their\nego, and reopens the door to forgiveness, that moment is actually taking\npart in the great work of caring for the nation as a shared home.<\/p>\n
Robert D. Putnam (2000) calls elements like trust, social networks,\nand norms of reciprocity as social capital. A nation with strong social\ncapital will be more capable of managing democracy, strengthening\ninstitutions, and carrying out development effectively.<\/p>\n
From this perspective, Eid is not merely a spiritual event, but also\na moment for strengthening national social capital. The atmosphere that\nencourages care, empathy, and social closeness is energy that is truly\nvery much needed by Indonesia today, when public space is often filled\nwith suspicion, polarisation, and a tendency to see differences as\nthreats.<\/p>\n
Indonesia has a cultural and ideological foundation that makes that\nmeaning even more relevant. Soekarno from the beginning placed gotong\nroyong as the essence of national life.<\/p>\n
His idea is not just an old slogan, but a profound political\nconception, namely that Indonesia can only stand firm if all elements of\nthe nation feel they own this republic.<\/p>\n
Gotong royong fundamentally is the willingness to transcend narrow\ninterests for greater goals. In the spirit of Eid, that value is present\nin a real way. People are encouraged to humble themselves, share\nsustenance, and mend relationships. All of that is a moral foundation\nthat aligns with the spirit of nationality.<\/p>\n
Indonesia\u2019s history shows that the value of unity is not alien in the\nrepublic\u2019s journey. Indonesia\u2019s independence was proclaimed in the month\nof Ramadan, in an inner atmosphere of society that was greatly\ninfluenced by values of sacrifice, patience, and surrender to greater\nideals.<\/p>\n
Leading up to the proclamation, the nation\u2019s founders from\nnationalist, religious, and youth backgrounds did not highlight their\nrespective differences, but rather converged their historical energies\nin one goal, for an independent Indonesia. There, it is clear that this\nrepublic was born not from uniformity, but from the ability to unite\ndiversity.<\/p>\n
The same value is seen in the contributions of figures like KH Abdul\nWahid Hasyim who placed the unity of the ummah and national unity as the\nmain prerequisite for independence and national development.<\/p>\n
The nation\u2019s founders understood that differences in views are\nnatural, but those differences must not be allowed to turn into\ndivisions that weaken the shared home. In many historical episodes, this\nnation survived precisely because elites and the people had the ability\nto restrain sectoral egos for broader national interests.<\/p>\n
That historical lesson feels very important for Indonesia today. We\nlive in a society that is far more complex than the early days of the\nrepublic. The flow of information moves quickly, social media often\namplifies sentiments, and political contests often give birth to\npsychological divisions that even persist after elections are over.<\/p>\n
Differences in choices no longer stop at the realm of ideas, but\nenter family spaces, friendships, even daily communities. In such a\nsituation, Eid should become a restorative pause, to teach that not\neverything has to be taken to the point of confrontation. There is\nroom<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/eid-and-national-unity-1774414278", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }