Entertainment spots want to open during Ramadhan<\/p>\n
Ahmad Junaidi, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Thousands of demonstrators representing entertainment centers in
\nthe city staged a rally in front of the City Council building and
\nthe City Hall on Monday, demanding that the administration allow
\nthem to remain open during the Ramadhan fasting month for Muslims
\nin a few weeks.<\/p>\n
The secretary of the Entertainment Centers Owners Association
\nAdrian Maelite urged the administration to allow the centers to
\noperate after Tarawih prayer (about 9 p.m.) and before the Shubuh
\nprayer (about 3 a.m).<\/p>\n
\"Do not close the centers totally during Ramadhan. As a
\nmetropolitan city, Jakarta needs them,\" Adrian told reporters.<\/p>\n
Otherwise, he said, thousands of people would suffer
\neconomically as the centers employ more than 250,000 workers.<\/p>\n
He said that in addition to direct employees, thousands of
\npeople, including street traders and parking attendants, also
\nwere financially dependent on the centers.<\/p>\n
The city has 2,887 licensed entertainment centers, including
\n1,228 bars\/restaurants, 144 discotheques, 12 night clubs and 263
\nkaraoke halls.<\/p>\n
Ramadhan will begin in the first week of November this year.<\/p>\n
The demonstrators conducted a peaceful rally while listening
\nto discotheque-style music pumping out of loud speakers that they
\nhad brought along.<\/p>\n
Theresia, one of rally participants, urged the administration
\nto allow the centers to operate during the Muslim's holy month so
\nthat she could pay her employees.<\/p>\n
\"My employees desperately need their salaries each and every
\nmonth, and especially to celebrate the Muslim Idul Fitri holidays
\nor Christmas,\" said Theresia, a mother of two children who works
\nat the Cleopatra discotheque in Sunter, North Jakarta.<\/p>\n
In recent years, the city administration, under pressure from
\nMuslim fundamentalists, has increasingly curtailed the activities
\nof entertainment centers, during the fasting month. Several
\nplaces which remained open in the last two years were attacked by
\nthe white-robed operatives from the Islam Defender's Front (FPI)
\nwith almost total impunity.<\/p>\n
Monday's protesters, who called themselves the Anti-Chaos
\nSociety, also urged the administration to dissolve the FPI as it
\nhad used violence to damage entertainment centers here.<\/p>\n
Chairwoman of the Jakarta Women's Communication Forum (FKPJ)
\nChairun Nisa, who accompanied the demonstrators, also urged the
\nauthorities to give protection to the employees of the
\nentertainment centers.<\/p>\n
Separately City Governor Sutiyoso said the operational hours
\nfor the centers during Ramadhan was still being discussed by the
\nadministration.<\/p>\n
\"As for the FPI, let the police handle the case,\" Sutiyoso
\ntold reporters.<\/p>\n
Two weeks ago, several entertainment centers in West Jakarta
\nwere damaged by the militant group, which was reportedly set up
\nby New Order-linked elements within the police and military over
\nthe past years.<\/p>\n
Recently, however, city police officers arrested at least
\neight FPI suspects over their most recent attacks.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/entertainment-spots-want-to-open-during-ramadhan-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}