Acehnese open arms to congress visitors

By Santi WE Soekanto

BANDA ACEH, Aceh (JP): Dusty, battered buses halted near the Blang Padang Square in the heart of the capital, where dozens of women in colorful dresses and headscarves scrambled off.

With fatigue written all over their faces, they patiently formed a line in front of several desks which functioned as a registration office. They then waited to be told which house in the surrounding area would take them in.

Buses with "caravans of Riau" banners plastered on their sides,were then parked in the square, not far from the spot where dozens of people were sitting in the grass. Greetings like Assalamu'alaikum" (peace be upon you) were very frequently heard.

These and thousands of other Moslems have traveled far, some even from as far the eastern-most province of Irian Jaya. They have come to attend the 43rd congress of Muhammadiyah, a Moslem reformist organization, which is being held for the first time in this predominantly Moslem city.

They are not really participating members; that is, people who will attend meetings and make decisions. Instead, they call themselves penggembira, or supporters, who have come to join the festivities and liven up the gathering.

Some of the travelers used up their savings to pay their fares, others braved discomfort and hours on the road -- all in order to make the congress a success.

One member of the organizing committee said that a bus full of Muhammadiyah travelers left Yogyakarta in Central Java last Friday and as of Wednesday had yet to appear. There were reports that the bus was stranded somewhere in a village in Bengkulu after developing engine trouble.

"But we're doing it for Muhammadiyah, because this is ibadah (an act of worship)," an elderly woman, who had just freshened up in a communal bathroom, said about the length she and the others had gone through to attend the congress.

All around the town, which began livening up weeks ago, school buildings have been opened up to accommodate travelers. It's fortunate for these supporters that the congress is held during school vacation season.

Local people have not only lent pillows, mattresses and plastic sleeping mats. They have also established public kitchens and opened up their houses.

"We're impatient to see our guests from Ambon (in Maluku). How come they're not here yet?" a resident asked Teuku Djohan, chairman of the local organizing committee, which has spent around Rp 2.6 billion so far.

In Blang Padang Square, over 100 makeshift stalls have emerged. The July 4-15 fair has attracted individual traders, companies, state-owned institutes, universities and even hospitals.

The Jakarta Moslem Hospital, for instance, offered a package of medical tests, including one for blood cholesterol for a mere Rp 5,000.

Most of the stalls sell Acehnese handicrafts, especially bags, purses, pencils and cosmetic cases. Other stalls sell food, t- shirts and headscarves emblazoned with the logo of Muhammadiyah and "Make the 43rd congress of Muhammadiyah a success".

This is a lucrative time: an estimated 20,000 supporters were on hand by the time the congress was opened by President Soeharto yesterday.

Salmiah, a stall operator who also teaches at a junior high school in Aceh Besar, told The Jakarta Post she was not really looking for financial profit. "I'm doing this for Muhammadiyah. Besides, Banda Aceh needs more occasions like this to liven things up," she said. "It's usually so quiet here."

"There's not much I can do for my organization," said the member of the Naisyiatul Aisyiyah, a women's organization under Muhammadiyah. "This is the only thing I can do to contribute."

The town has spent weeks beautifying. Banners and ballyhoos were set up, colorful lamps were lit and becak (rickshaw) drivers were told to serve the congress well. Not that they heeded the advice, with a number of drivers charging Rp 1,000 for a destination as near as 500 meters.

Street lamps were adorned with small banners which read "Lailaha ilallah (There's no God but God). The Grand Mosque Baiturrahman is aglow with lights in the evening, busy with hundreds of travelers who feel that they have not really experienced Banda Aceh until they say one or two prayers here.

In front of the Cik Di Tiro building, where the congress is being held, a huge banner has been unfurled, painted with the portraits of past and current Muhammadiyah leaders.

The upper part is inscribed with the message of K.H. Ahmad Dahlan, the founder of the 83-year-old organization: "I leave this organization in your care".