Commemorating Eid al-Fitr 1447 H, Hundreds of Lapindo Mud Victims Perform Eid Prayer Beside the Porong Dam
Around 300 residents affected by the Lapindo mudflow performed Eid al-Fitr prayers on an empty plot beside Masjid Nurul Azhar in Jatirejo Village, Porong Subdistrict, Sidoarjo, on Friday morning (20/3). The location, bordering the mud-retaining dam, was chosen as a symbol of the affected residents’ steadfast resolve.
The Eid al-Fitr prayer service, which began at 06:30 WIB, proceeded with solemnity. Many residents arrived despite the government declaring Eid al-Fitr for Saturday (21/3). This was because many among them followed the Muhammadiyah organisation.
The worshippers were Lapindo mudflow victims who now live separately in various areas. Some have even relocated outside Sidoarjo, such as to Pasuruan and Mojokerto. Previously, most of them lived in the same village before the Lapindo mudflow incident on 29 May 2006.
In his sermon, KH Fauzi Mansyur, the preacher, urged the congregation to use the Eid al-Fitr moment to strengthen patience and sincerity. He stressed that the trials afflicting Porong residents for years should bolster their faith and solidarity with one another.
“Eid al-Fitr is a victory for those who are patient in facing trials. Let us maintain harmony and continue to support each other amid the current conditions,” said KH Fauzi Mansyur.
One resident, M Rubianto, expressed that performing Eid prayer at that location holds special emotional significance. For residents whose homes have been submerged, the area around the dam is the closest point to remember their hometown.
“Every year, we try to pray here. This is not just worship, but our way of preserving memories of our birthplace, which is now under the mud,” said M Rubianto after the prayer.
After the worship concluded, the hundreds of residents shook hands and exchanged apologies along the roadside. Although their physical settlements no longer exist, the spirit of camaraderie among the former mudflow victims remains tightly knit.