Hopes for peace prevail at opening of Ramadhan prayer

JAKARTA (JP): Saturday night's first evening prayers of the Ramadhan fasting month echoed in several cities with a call for peace after the terrible toll in lost lives from tumultuous events of the past year.

In East Timor, Antara reported that three of Dili's large mosques were crammed with Muslims for the tarawih prayer, highly recommended during the observance of the fasting month.

The agency reported that workers at the mosques of An'nur in Kampung Alor, Fathurrahman at the Bairro Pitte housing complex and Al-Maukarromah in Pantai Kelapa residential area had to spread out mats and carpets in the grounds to accommodate the people.

The imam at the mosque in Pantai Kelapa, Hendarya Firdaus, said: "The fasting month has the benefit of increasing harmony among followers within one faith and among those of different faiths."

Last week religious leaders warned people not to heed rumors that a riot similar to that on Nov. 31 in Kupang, in which mosques were destroyed in apparent retaliation for the 22 churches burned and destroyed in Ketapang, Jakarta, could be repeated in East Timor.

The preacher at the mosque in Bairro Pitte, Usman Huole, called for Muslims to increase their efforts to be closer to Allah.

From Beijing, the agency reported that Indonesians flocked to their embassies for tarawih.

The Association of Muslim Chinese in Beijing had also ruled that Ramadhan started on Sunday.

In Banjarmasin, South Kalimantan, the administration set up tents to accommodate worshipers because mosques were full.

Thousands of people flocked to South Kalimantan's largest mosque, Sabilal Muhtadin, beginning at the dusk prayers. Governor Gusti Hasan Aman appealed to all Muslims to "avoid actions which might disrupt the holy month of Ramadhan". (anr)