Govt says Day of Sacrifice Day to fall on March 16

JAKARTA (JP): The government announced on Monday that Idhul Adha (the Islamic Day of Sacrifice) would fall on Thursday, March 16, and called on Muslims across the country not to exaggerate different beliefs about the date of the holiday.

Interim religious minister Basri Hasanuddin quoted President Abdurrahman Wahid as saying that the conflicting dates "are common and based on reliable arguments".

Abdurrahman was responding to the announcement issued by the country's largest Muslim organization, Nahdlatul Ulama, which he once led, declaring that the holiday falls on March 17, not April 17 as reported earlier. Its observation team failed to see the moon and therefore the start of Dzulhijjah month in the Islamic calendar was decided for March 8 according to the law.

The day of sacrifice falls on the 10th day of Dzulhijjah.

Basri, who is the coordinating minister for people's welfare and poverty eradication, said the President would join the Idul Adha prayer and present his scarified cattle at the Istiqlal Grand Mosque in Central Jakarta on Thursday.

"Those who will perform the prayer and slaughter the cattle on Friday are welcome," Basri said.

He said he met Abdurrahman on Sunday night following the discrepancy over the dates of the holiday.

Like the government, the country's second largest Muslim organization Muhammadiyah declared on Saturday that Dzulhijjah began on March 7 and thus Idul Adha would fall on March 16.

NU chairman Hasyim Muzadi was quoted by Antara in Samarinda, East Kalimantan, as calling on all the organization's followers to respect those who would celebrate the holiday on Thursday.

Meanwhile, NU's East Java chapter said it would celebrate Idul Adha on March 17 as stipulated by the head office of the organization.

Chairman of the NU chapter Ali Maschan Moesa told The Jakarta Post on Monday he was surprised upon receiving a copy of a letter from the NU head office in Jakarta calling on NU followers to celebrate the holiday on March 17.

"We will stick to the NU head office's letter," said Ali, known to be a close aide of President Abdurrahman.

Ali said that the decision would not confuse NU followers who were civil servants or employees and who would be off on March 16, instead of March 17.

Ali and his Muhammadiyah counterpart Abdurrahim Nur said Muslims could draw a lesson from the split.

"This discrepancy should not lead to disunion among Muslims," Abdurrahim said. (nur/sur)