Enthusiastic mothers gather at stadium for prayers

Enthusiastic mothers gather at stadium for prayers

JAKARTA (JP): Under the scorching heat of the noon sun,
hundreds of middle-aged women, dressed in Muslim outfits and
holding rebana (tambourines), moved with the rhythm of the
shalawat (short prayers) being chanted on the stage.

Their movements were far from synchronized and the women were
told to keep practicing.

However, they did not seem tired and even burst out laughing
when an instructor said, "Please try to be synchronized, ladies."

After several trials, the instructor shouted, "Very nice,
ladies. We finally did it."

Who are they?

The women, who are mostly housewives from Greater Jakarta, are
members of the majelis taklim (women's Koran reading group). They
gathered in Bung Karno Sports Complex in Senayan, Central Jakarta
on Tuesday for a rehearsal of a gathering of Koran reading groups
on July 14. About 140,000 members from Greater Jakarta and some
1,300 members from 22 provinces are expected to participate in
the event.

Children and husbands who accompanied the ladies waited
patiently while watching the rehearsal.

"I am from Pondok Ungu, Bekasi. There are about 150 of us from
the Pondok Ungu residential complex. We came here in minibuses,"
Ida binti Hasan said while pointing at a group of women in light
green Muslim outfits.

Ida, a gado-gado (vegetable salad with peanut sauce) seller,
said she had been a member of the Koran reading group in her
neighborhood since 1995.

"Koran reading at my neighborhood is conducted twice a week in
the afternoon," she said, adding her husband, a civil servant,
did not object to her activity.

Another woman, Muhalimmah, from Ragunan, South Jakarta, said
she was a housewife and her husband was a public minivan driver.

The group from Ragunan came in five minibuses which were hired
for a total of Rp 300,000.

"That's cheap, we got a discount because my husband works for
the owner of the minibuses," Muhalimmah remarked.

She said she departed from Ragunan at around 10 a.m.

The Koran reading event is organized by the Coordinating Body
of Majelis Taklim (BKMT), which is chaired by former minister for
women's affairs Tutty Alawiyah.

Tutty, a preacher, said, "These women in Koran reading groups
are from the low-income bracket, but as we have seen here, they
have extraordinary spirit. Personally, I admire their enthusiasm
to take part."

Tutty said the organizing committee did not pay for the
women's transportation from their respective neighborhoods to
Senayan, and also did not provide refreshments during the
rehearsal.

The gathering on July 14 is being held to mark the 20th
anniversary of BKMT.

The committee has also invited Muslim preachers from Damascus,
Turkey and women activists from Malaysia.

When asked about the total cost for the event, Tutty said,
"About Rp 300 million, but that's mainly to pay for the sports
stadium and other facilities we need here."

The participants are also asked to buy a Rp 4,000 invitation
per person.

"That's for donation. The invitation will also be used as a
pass to enter the stadium, so those without invitations cannot
come in and disrupt the prayers," she remarked.

Tutty, who is also the rector of As-Syafi'iyah Islamic
University, stressed the gathering was purely to renew the
people's faith in God.

"Political? No, not at all. We all know the current political
situation is confusing. We don't want to get involved in
something that is not fruitful for us," she said.

"We want to pray, and if we possible, remind others of the
Creator."

Tutty was a minister in former president's Soeharto's last
Cabinet and before she joined the administration, she was well-
known as a loyal Golkar member. (emf)