Bali's Muslim Community Promotes Religious Moderation During Eid al-Fitr Prayer

Denpasar (ANTARA) - Bali’s Muslim community promoted the spirit of religious moderation during Eid al-Fitr 1447 Hijriah prayers in Denpasar on Saturday. “This is about how we live in a pluralistic society; earlier, the message was about religious moderation, so we are not just hablun minallah, meaning we do not only worship Allah,” said the Eid al-Fitr 1447 Hijriah prayer leader at Lumintang Field in Denpasar City, Masrur, in Denpasar on Saturday. He also urged the entire Muslim community to live peacefully alongside others, known as hablun minannas. Moreover, he said, residents in Bali possess a spirit of maintaining religious moderation and tolerance because the region is an icon of religious moderation in a diverse society. “Bali is actually an icon of religious moderation that has been practised for centuries, so we must preserve it and not allow certain groups to create conflict on religious grounds, because the teachings of religion are clear: hablun minallah, hablun minannas,” he stated. He exemplified religious moderation during the Eid al-Fitr prayer at Lumintang Field, where Muslims were not isolated, as pecalang or Balinese customary village security units collaborated with the police to manage traffic. Every year, he said, the number of participants in Eid prayers continues to increase, with an estimated 5,000 people filling the field this year for Eid al-Fitr. “All committees have coordinated well, and alhamdulillah, on this Eid al-Fitr date, the preparations were not rushed after Nyepi; they were carried out maximally, and we were also assisted by the pecalang, which we are proud of,” said Masrur. The committee observed an increase in participants performing Eid prayers at the field this year. This enthusiasm is estimated to stem from the community finding peace in life in Bali, especially since this year’s Eid al-Fitr coincided closely with Nyepi, the Hindu New Year observance. Those praying at the site are usually those who did not go home for the holidays or have settled in Bali. Lumintang Field is not far from the Muslim village area, which has long developed in Bali. After the Eid al-Fitr prayer, the Muslim community continued with family visits or meetings with elders in the area. One participant, Valentina Septa (22), said she was delighted to perform Eid prayer at the field for the first time with thousands of people. The woman from the Netherlands, who was born in Indonesia, said that in her home country, there are no such activities. Previously, Ramadan was observed individually, and Eid al-Fitr prayers were held at home. “I’m from the Netherlands but was born in Indonesia; in the last six months, I’ve returned to Bali. Here, Ramadan and prayers are hot, but we still feel connected to God because the atmosphere is better here with many Muslims, whereas in the Netherlands, everyone does it alone,” she said.