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.