Ramadhan this year a time for hope<\/p>\n
Muslims around the world are observing Ramadhan, the month in
\nwhich they perform their holy obligations. Indonesian Muslims
\nhave greeted the fasting month with hope for a better future
\nafter the many traumatic incidents of the recent past. More
\nstories on Page 3 and Page 6.<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): When the new crescent moon became visible last
\nThursday, almost 200 million Indonesian Muslims warmly welcomed
\nthe holy month of Ramadhan.<\/p>\n
Muslims must fast from dawn until dusk for a month until a new
\ncrescent appears on the western horizon, marking the start of the
\npost-fasting Idul Fitri festivities.<\/p>\n
Throughout Ramadhan, there is a deep sense of exhilaration
\namong Muslims even though they have to refrain from eating,
\ndrinking, sexual relations and other worldly activities through
\nthe daylight hours. Muslims are also required to control their
\nemotions, as well as enhance their religious devotion and sense
\nof social solidarity.<\/p>\n
Fasting during Ramadhan, the ninth month in the Islamic
\ncalendar, is one of the five sacred duties known as the pillars
\nof Islam.<\/p>\n
The others prescribed by the Koran are the profession of faith
\n(syahadat), the ritual prayer performed five times daily (salat),
\nalms for the poor (zakat) and the pilgrimage to Mecca, the haj,
\nto be undertaken at least once in a lifetime for those who are
\nfinancially capable.<\/p>\n
Some Muslims are exempted from fasting, for example the sick,
\ntravelers and women who are pregnant, breast-feeding or
\nmenstruating. Those engaged in heavy physical work, or jobs which
\nrequire a great degree of concentration, are also excused.<\/p>\n
Each Ramadhan holds new meaning for Indonesian Muslims, and
\nparticularly in 1999.<\/p>\n
Although the country's multidimensional crisis is still
\nsputtering, people can see some shimmering light of hope at the
\nend of the dark tunnel. With a new and more legitimate
\ngovernment, they expect they can wipe out the foreboding cloud
\nwhich has blackened the country's skies for more than two years.<\/p>\n
And this year's Ramadhan in Indonesia has also been marked by
\nthe absence of differences among Muslim leaders concerning when
\nthe fasting month should start and end, a sensitive issue which
\noften sparked conflicts among the faithful in the past.<\/p>\n
Mahdali, a Blue Bird taxi driver, is among those who are
\nupbeat about this year's fasting month.<\/p>\n
\"I feel that this year's Ramadhan is much better than last
\nyear. I have more customers than last year, maybe because the
\neconomic situation is getting better. For me, more customers mean
\nbetter income.\"<\/p>\n
He hopes the government will tightly control prices of basic
\ncommodities, which usually soar during major celebrations of
\nIdul Fitri, Christmas and New Year's.<\/p>\n
Housewife Sariyani, 32, is also feeling better about life. Her
\nunemployed husband has landed a job as a mechanic, and the burden
\nof making ends meet has been lifted.<\/p>\n
\"I remember how I had to sell all my gold jewelry to buy a
\nsack of rice, our daily needs and milk for my toddlers. We
\ncouldn't even afford a decent meal during last year's Ramadhan.\"<\/p>\n
For the first time in 20 years, the government also issued a
\nregulation closing public schools throughout the country during
\nRamadhan. It said the time off would allow students to study
\nlessons on religion and ethics at home.<\/p>\n
Most schools will be closed for 37 days, reopening a week
\nafter Idul Fitri.<\/p>\n
The regulation reversed a 1978 ruling under then president
\nSoeharto which declared that schools should stay open during
\nRamadhan. The new regulation gives private non-Muslim schools the
\nfreedom to remain open, but they must permit their Muslim
\nstudents to take time off.<\/p>\n
The start of the holy month this year has also drawn attention
\nto finding solutions to the country's social, political and
\neconomic problems.<\/p>\n
The nation's 207 million people have been battered by terrible
\nevents, from the economic downturn, corruption cases, political
\nupheaval and religious clashes. Separatist movements in Aceh and
\nIrian Jaya provinces, reports of horrific human rights abuses and
\nsectarian clashes in Maluku have left the country's landscape
\nscarred by trauma.<\/p>\n
Before Ramadhan started, ulemas and other Muslim leaders
\ncalled for a halt to the communal clashes in Maluku out of
\nrespect for Ramadhan and Christmas.<\/p>\n
\"As religious followers, we are prohibited to spoil and
\npollute the sacred days we believe in,\" chairman of the
\nIndonesian Mosques Council H. Kafrawi Ridwan said during the
\norganization's congress here on Wednesday.<\/p>\n
Ridwan urged hostile camps to lay down their arms as a sign of
\ngoodwill to respect the sacred events.<\/p>\n
\"Let's again create peace and uphold unity by intensifying
\ndialogs and cooperation for the sake of mutual prosperity.\"<\/p>\n
The clashes in Maluku, which broke out in the provincial
\ncapital Ambon in January 1999 when Muslims were celebrating Idul
\nFitri, have claimed hundreds of lives and threatened the nation's
\nunity.<\/p>\n
It is expected that the visit by President Abdurrahman Wahid
\nand Vice President Megawati Soekarnoputri to Maluku on Sunday
\ncould be the start of the reconciliation between the warring
\nMuslim and Christian residents of the famed Spice Islands.<\/p>\n
Monsignor Ignatius Suharyo, the Roman Catholic bishop of
\nSemarang diocese in Central Java, maintains that followers of all
\nreligions must welcome sacred events such as Idul Fitri and
\nChristmas with a spirit of reconciliation.<\/p>\n
\"For me, religious celebrations are meaningful provided that
\nthe events could transform the lives of the people into better
\nwelfare and a more peaceful condition.\"<\/p>\n
He says creating a better society, where corruption and
\nconflicts are kept a minimum but there is justice for all, is a
\ntough job and which should be carried out by all components of
\nthe nation. Of particular importance, he adds, is strong
\npolitical will from the government.<\/p>\n
Noted Muslim scholar Komaruddin Hidayat says it is time for
\nIndonesian religious followers to increase their understanding,
\ntolerance and respect for other beliefs.<\/p>\n
\"We have to realize that Indonesians have diverse cultural and
\nreligious backgrounds. We must start to accept the differences
\nand live in harmony.\"<\/p>\n
In a Koranic verse, God compares the Earth to a small ship
\nsailing in a wide and deep ocean. The planet's residents are the
\nship's passengers who come from different cultures and areas.<\/p>\n
The passengers have to maintain the regulations set by the
\ncaptain if they want to arrive at the destination safely. If a
\npassenger rocks the boat, it will endanger the other passengers.<\/p>\n
\"This analogy is true to the current condition in Indonesia.
\nIf we fail to find a solution to the problem and fail to create a
\npeaceful country, we will face a very big loss,\" Komaruddin
\nwarns.<\/p>\n
He says that the spirit of self-restraint, forgiveness,
\nsolidarity, honesty and modesty which prevails during Ramadhan
\nmust be manifested in all forms of the nation's life in order to
\nusher the country into a brighter, kinder year. (raw\/ste)<\/p>",
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