Balinese Muslims to observe Idul Fitri modestly

Balinese Muslims to observe Idul Fitri modestly

Emmy Fitri, The Jakarta Post, Denpasar, Bali

For most Muslims, the Idul Fitri holiday is a time for people to
gather together with their family, wishing each other good luck
and asking forgiveness for any wrongdoings. But not this year for
Balinese Muslims.

"Last year we still had enough money to send our children to
Lombok (the capital of West Nusa Tenggara) to see their
grandparents and gather together with our relatives but not this
coming Idul Fitri," said Hanafi, a resident of Kepaon hamlet.

Like the other 1,846 Muslims living in Kepaon in Pemogan
village, Denpasar, Hanafi's source of income depends on visiting
tourists. The hamlet is located some three kilometers from Bali's
top tourist destination, Kuta beach and shopping area.

But the horrific bombing changed everything. Hanafi's eldest
son who worked in a restaurant near the bombed Paddy's Bar and
Sari Club was dismissed following the tragedy. He himself was
working as a driver and often rented out his car to tourists.

"This Ramadhan (fasting month), we really know what fasting
is. Water and simple meals are enough to break our fast and for
sahur (predawn meal)," the 50-year-old said.

His daily earnings have dropped drastically. Earlier, he could
earn about Rp 100,000 a day, but now, he can only earn Rp 15,000.

Almost everybody in Kepaon feels the change. Some families
have decided to return to their hometowns because of the sudden
economic hardship. The bombs not only killed three of their
fellow Muslim neighbors but hit all of them, hard.

In the past, almost everybody -- from nasi bungkus (packed
rice and side dishes) traders to rent-a-car service providers,
could taste the fruits of the dollars from the tourists visiting
and staying in the Kuta area.

"We're hit but we can only surrender everything to God. We
must be bertawakal (place our trust in God) in facing this
catastrophe," another resident, Solihin, said.

Solihin, Hanafi and some other Kepaon residents have decided
to stay despite the fact that they will not be able to celebrate
Idul Fitri the way they used to in previous years. Kepaon is home
to them. They were born and raised in the hamlet which is
surrounded by Hindu villages.

The history of Kepaon dates back to the 18th century when
Muslim Bugis and Javanese mercenaries came to Bali on the
invitation of the local Pemecutan King to help fight the Dutch
colonial army. The Bugis and Javanese settlers had a special
place in the kingdom -- one of them even married one of the
King's daughters.

The Muslim enclaves have their own banjar, the smallest
administrative unit under a subdistrict, a mosque and even a
shrine inside the Pemecutan royal palace.

Many Muslims from as far as Lombok, East and Central Java have
migrated to Kepaon.

The presence of so many diverse cultures might also be one of
the reasons why no particular activities have been prepared to
celebrate Idul Fitri.

Kepaon is not the only Muslim enclave in Bali. There are
other Muslim communities like those on Serangan Island and
Kampung Java village in Denpasar.

Muslims make up 5.1 percent of Bali's three million people,
living side by side harmoniously with the indigenous Hindu
Balinese people. Although minor frictions take place, such
incidents are quickly resolved to avoid bigger conflicts.

"All we need is tolerance. We work with local residents to
help clean up the temple ahead of Nyepi, Galungan or Kuningan
(Hindu holidays). And likewise, our Hindu neighbors will come to
our house to greet us for Idul Fitri. It's a common thing here,"
a senior resident of Kampung Jawa, A. Tahir, said recently.

As a demonstration of the mutual tolerance of different
religions in Bali, Tahir said on the eve of Idul Fitri when
Muslims usually hold takbiran, where they gather and chant the
name of Allah, they have decided to perform it in their homes and
mosques -- not along the streets all night long like in other
cities.

"It's better for us to stay at home or at nearby mosques and
chant Allah's name. We're grateful for having accomplished our
fasting and we deserve to celebrate, but here our brothers and
sisters are still in mourning after losing their loved ones and
their jobs," said Tahir.