`Imlek' celebrations held in Yogyakarta mosque<\/p>\n
Tarko Sudiarno, The Jakarta Post, Yogyakarta<\/p>\n
Despite threats from a conservative group, more than two hundred
\nMuslims of Chinese descent for the first time held their New Year
\nImlek ceremonies in the Syuhada Mosque in Yogyakarta.<\/p>\n
Also attending the cultural celebration organized by the
\nIndonesian Muslim Chinese Brotherhood Association (PITI) were
\nlocal figures from the Indonesian Council of Ulemas (MUI),
\nNadhlatul Ulama, Muhammadiyah and the provincial administration.<\/p>\n
The celebration of the Lunar New Year, 2554 by the Chinese
\ncalendar, in the Mosque had previously been condemned by a hard-
\nline group who threatened to create disturbances should the
\norganizing committee go ahead with its plans.<\/p>\n
The event went off peacefully, however, after the organizing
\ncommittee won the support of moderate Muslim figures and
\nsucceeded in getting local Muslim leaders to attend the
\ncelebrations.<\/p>\n
Syafri Sairin, who was the preacher for the event, attacked
\nthe hard-line group who opposed the celebration of Imlek in the
\nmosque, saying the Lunar New Year was an annual cross-cultural
\nevent involving all ethnic groups in the city.<\/p>\n
"Similar to the Javanese New year, which is celebrated in
\nmosques in Java, the Chinese one can be also celebrated by
\nMuslims of Chinese descent in their mosques. How could we
\npossibly celebrate the 2003 Orthodox New Year in the Gajah Mada
\nUniversity mosque and not allow our Chinese brothers to celebrate
\ntheir new year in their mosque. This would mean we were
\ndiscriminating against them," he said.<\/p>\n
Syafri, who is also the dean of the school of social sciences
\nat Gajah Mada University, insisted that it was necessary to avoid
\nthe mistake of thinking that the Chinese New Year was a
\ncontradiction of Islam as it was a cultural rather than religious
\nevent.<\/p>\n
The celebration of Imlek was based upon Confucianism, a
\nphilosophical teaching that was part of Chinese culture, and all
\nChinese people from different religious backgrounds celebrated
\nthe annual event.<\/p>\n
"Therefore, local Muslims should not oppose the use of red
\npaper lanterns and other red-colored ornamentation in the mosque.
\nWe should adopt multiculturalism in disseminating Islam to all
\nethnic groups with different cultural backgrounds.<\/p>\n
"Javanese Muslims use their cultural attributes and ornaments
\nto celebrate their New Year and Idul Fitri while those in North
\nSumatra used candles to mark important events," he said.<\/p>\n
Safri, who was born and grew up in North Sumatra, said
\nIndonesia should learn from other East Asian countries, like
\nJapan, South Korea and China, on how to accept cultural pluralism
\nand make it a national strength so as to build up the nation.<\/p>\n
"A majority of the South Korean population are Protestants and
\nCatholics but they celebrate Imlek annually in their own
\nchurches. But what is happening here when Muslim people in
\nIndonesia suspect one another?" he asked.<\/p>\n
The Chinese New Year was also celebrated by Chinese Christians
\nin churches in the city last week. The Catholic church in
\nKotabaru held two masses to celebrate the New Year. Such
\nacceptance has been a tradition in the church since it adopted
\nand started promoting multiculturalism following the Second
\nVatican Council in the early 1960s.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/imlek-celebrations-held-in-yogyakarta-mosque-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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