Victory over one's self<\/p>\n
Beyond the rituals of prayers, alms giving, feasts and
\ngreetings, tomorrow's Idul Fitri is a day of victory for Moslems
\nwho have fasted the past 30 days of the Ramadhan month. It is a
\nvictory over one's self and considering that our biggest enemies
\ncome from within, rather than from outside ourselves, there is
\nevery reason for Moslems to celebrate this victorious day.<\/p>\n
Ramadhan is about restraint, the exercise of self-control.
\nRefraining from eating, drinking and abstinence from the
\npleasures of life, between dawn and dusk, has not been difficult
\nfor most people to observe. Many of us now work in airconditioned
\noffices, some drive (or are being driven) within the comforts of
\nairconditioned cars, and our work often keeps our thoughts away
\nfrom hunger or discomfort.<\/p>\n
But keeping one's emotion, temperament and anger -- and all
\nthe other enemies within us -- for a whole month has not been
\neasy. This is why during Ramadhan we were told to say additional
\nprayers and praise our Creator even more. Bringing one's self
\ncloser to God is the best way to survive the rigors of our daily
\nactivities without losing our self-control, especially with all
\nthe temptations.<\/p>\n
Tomorrow, on Idul Fitri, another important religious ritual
\nwill be observed: that of seeking forgiveness and giving
\nforgiveness to others. We do this first with those within our own
\nfamily, and then extend forgiveness to friends, neighbors,
\ncolleagues at work, and our adversaries. If Ramadhan has taught
\nus to come to terms with the enemies within ourselves, then it
\nshould not be difficult for us to reach out to those whom we
\nconsider enemies. The ritual also stresses seeking forgiveness
\nfirst before someone comes and asks us.<\/p>\n
This brings us to the next point. This year's Ramadhan in
\nIndonesia has been marked by the absence of differences among
\nMoslem leaders on when Ramadhan began and ended, an issue which
\nin the past often caused confusion among the faithful. The exodus
\nof people from cities to their home villages has also been
\nremarkably more orderly -- thanks to better management and
\ncoordination -- in spite of the increase in the number of people
\nflocking home. But in the life of our nation, Ramadhan has not
\nbeen free from dark spots. Looking back over the past 12 months,
\nwe can find many incidents that have tainted the life of our
\nnation. Many, if not all, of these could have been avoided had
\neveryone lived up to the spirits of Ramadhan and Idul Fitri by
\nshowing self-restraint, and seeking and giving forgiveness.<\/p>\n
As Ramadhan ends today and as we celebrate Idul Fitri
\nvictoriously tomorrow, we should make a commitment that the
\nspirits will live on with us, to take us through the next 12
\nmonths.<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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