Muslems celebrate Idul Fitri<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Moslems across the country celebrated Sunday the
\npost-Ramadhan holiday immediately after saying the Idul Fitri
\nprayers highlighted by preachers' calls for national unity and
\nreligious co-existence.<\/p>\n
Hundreds of thousands of people in their best clothes joined
\nPresident Soeharto, Vice President Try Sutrisno and senior
\ngovernment officials and foreign dignitaries when they said their
\nprayer at the Istiqlal Grand Mosque, Central Jakarta.<\/p>\n
In his sermon deputy chairman of the Indonesian Council of
\nUlemas Ali Yafie called for respect for other people regardless
\nof skin color, dialect, culture or religion.<\/p>\n
\"We should unite, as Prophet Muhammad has taught us. We need
\nto understand that despite diversity we need to stay together,\"
\nAli Yafie said.<\/p>\n
Moslems make up 87.2 percent of Indonesia's 200 million
\npeople. Over the past two years and the last several months in
\nparticular, Indonesia has been jolted with ethnic and sectarian
\nviolence.<\/p>\n
Some ten kilometers away, tens of thousands of people said the
\nIdul Fitri prayer in the eastern Senayan parking lot and listened
\nto a humorous sermon by renowned preacher K.H. Zainuddin M.Z.<\/p>\n
President Soeharto and his family marked the first Idul Fitri
\nwithout First Lady Tien Soeharto, who died last April.<\/p>\n
In a moving Javanese sungkeman tradition at his residence,
\nPresident Soeharto sat alone receiving his children and
\ngrandchildren paying their respects, and blessed them in return.
\nLed by eldest daughter Siti Hardiyanti Rukmana, the family
\nmembers placed their hands in supplication on Soeharto's knees,
\nreceived a kiss on each cheek and a pat on the back before
\nembracing him warmly.<\/p>\n
The same ceremony took place at Try Sutrisno's residence.<\/p>\n
Later the two state leaders received cabinet ministers and
\nother high-ranking officials and foreign dignitaries delivering
\ntheir Idul Fitri greetings.<\/p>\n
The festive occasion was marked by children in colorful
\nclothes and adults carrying rantang (stacked canisters) loaded
\nwith food while visiting each other to deliver well wishes.<\/p>\n
It was also marked by people visiting the relatives' graves,
\nturning cemeteries into a lucrative business for grave sweepers
\nas well as those who got paid saying prayers for the dead.<\/p>\n
Those with their own transport did well Sunday but thousands
\nhad to wait for hours and jostle before boarding packed buses.
\nTaxi drivers had a field-day, refusing to use their meters and
\ndemanding exorbitant fees.<\/p>\n
People greeted each other with Minal Aidin Wal Faidzin, an
\nArabic expression which is a prayer that fasting has purified
\nthem and Allah bestowed on them His heavenly reward for the month
\nof self denial.<\/p>\n
Here, however, people took the expression as asking for
\nforgiveness for past sins and mistakes, unintentional and
\ndeliberate, and to start afresh. Some people added Taqabalallahu
\nminna wa minkum, meaning \"May Allah receive our efforts to
\nworship Him.\"<\/p>\n
Regions<\/p>\n
Preachers in various parts of the country -- including Java,
\nEast Timor, Sumatra, Sulawesi, Kalimantan and Maluku -- used the
\nday to hammer home the need for Indonesians to live harmoniously.<\/p>\n
Surabaya preachers Dr. Roem Rowie, for instance, said violence
\ncommitted by Moslems in several regions was caused by their poor
\nunderstanding of Islam because Islam teaches unity.<\/p>\n
\"If only Moslems understood that Islam is a blessing for this
\ncountry, the unrest would not have taken place,\" he was quoted by
\nAntara as saying.<\/p>\n
Hundreds of soaked inmates in an Ujungpandang prison, South
\nSulawesi, brushed away tears as they listened to a preacher call
\nfor repentance.<\/p>\n
In some places, joy turned to horror because of fatal traffic
\naccidents. At least 32 people died and five were missing in
\nseveral accidents during celebrations in West and Central Java.<\/p>\n
A minibus bound for Bandung plunged into a ravine at Cijapati
\nvillage in Garut, West Java. Fifteen people were killed instantly
\nincluding a three-month-old baby named Irwan.<\/p>\n
Another five died at Garut hospital, where the remaining 15
\nwere being treated.<\/p>\n
Witnesses said the bus ran uncontrolled after hitting bamboo
\ntrees on a sloping curve before plunging into the ravine.<\/p>\n
The accident forced police to detour traffic connecting Garut
\nand Bandung to the old route via Nagrek.<\/p>\n
Elsewhere yesterday, seven members of a family were among 11
\ndeaths in a road accident on Java's northern coast route at
\nJatianom village, Cirebon, when a minibus and a van collided.<\/p>\n
A survivor from the minibus said the van sped to overtake a
\ntruck only to find the packed bus coming from the opposite
\ndirection. Those injured were being treated at the Arjawinangun
\nPublic Hospital.<\/p>\n
Chief of Cirebon police precinct Lt. Col. Ade Rahardja said
\nthe Jatianom village and its surroundings were renowned as \"the
\nfatigue route\" and were prone to road accidents.<\/p>\n
\"Drivers coming from Jakarta usually become exhausted after
\nfour or five hours of driving,\" Ade said. \"Besides, drivers tend
\nto speed up because the road is clear.\"<\/p>\n
In Central Java, a man died and another five were missing in
\nthree water accidents. Tarmo, 40, and his wife of Wanabala
\nvillage, Tegal, were carried away by a furious Kaligung river
\nwhile on their way to a neighboring village across the river for
\nan Idul Fitri celebration. Wanabala villagers discovered Tarmo's
\nbody but not his wife's.<\/p>\n
In Wonogiri, Dukwati villager Parni and her two children,
\nMuryani, 6, and Makdun, 3, were feared dead when a broken wooden
\nbridge collapsed under them causing them to fall into a turbulent
\nriver. Local residents saved Parni's eldest daughter Rita, 9, and
\nare searching for the missing family.<\/p>\n
The Kedungombo dam in Boyolali added to the list of casualties
\nwhen a boat with six people aboard capsized. Five survived but
\nPurwanto, the only one who could not swim, was missing. (team)<\/p>\n
Holiday spot -- Page 2<\/p>\n
Ramadhan -- Page 4<\/p>\n
Malaysia -- Page 5<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/muslems-celebrate-idul-fitri-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }