Idul Adha peaceful in riot-torn areas

JAKARTA (JP): Messages of peace were issued across the country in conjunction with the Islamic Day of Sacrifice, calling for self-restraint, a halt to violence and respect for diversity.

Muslims were urged to set aside self interest and hate, and pick up on the lesson of Idul Adha, which commemorates the ultimate sacrifice of Prophet Abraham, who offered to slaughter his own son as a test of faith to God.

Celebrations passed without incident in sites of recent carnage such as Sambas in West Kalimantan and Ambon in Maluku, where security personnel stood guard amid fears of fresh violence.

On Sunday, tens of thousands of displaced residents spent the day at teeming refugee centers. Many of them were still mourn lost love ones killed in communal clashes.

In Sambas, West Kalimantan, thousands of Muslims went to mosques and open fields to conduct the Ied prayers.

Sunarta, a Singkawang resident, said that despite the silence in streets of Sambas regency, most Muslims were able to pray in mosques and open fields.

Many Madurese refugees joined prayers in a mosque in the capital, Pontianak, where preacher Hasan Gaffar urged them to show patience amid the tumult. The atmosphere was emotional as refugees were still uncertain of where they would go.

"All sides should learn from the riots that has claimed hundreds of lives," Hasan said, adding everyone should control their emotions to avoid a similar incident.

He urged the government to continue to make efforts to ease tension in the province. Several among some 20,000 refugees expressed sorrow over relatives who were killed in clashes with locals and over lost property.

Two cows were sacrificed at the haj dormitory, among a number of places where prayers were held.

In Ambon, some 9,000 Muslims held prayers and celebrations were centered at Al Fatah Mosque, in which refugees are still housed.

Among dignitaries were Governor Saleh Latuconsina, Maj. Gen. Suaidi Marasabessy, who leads the Armed Forces' special team to bring the riots under control, and provincial police chief Col. Bugis Saman. Separately, Christians held Sunday Mass.

In Samarinda, South Kalimantan, Governor Suwarna called on 20,000 worshipers to help create harmony among religious communities in the province.

In Bengkulu, many thronged bazaars selling cheap basic commodities on Friday and Saturday. Local businesspeople also donated cows and goats to least-developed villages.

In Dili, East Timor, thousands also attended prayers. In Alor subdistrict, a preacher said Muslims should learn the lesson of sacrifice. He added that East Timorese would also be tested when they would have to choose between two options -- separation or continued integration with Indonesia. Either way they would be required to retain brotherhood among them, he said. East Timor has seen sporadic violence in which several people have been killed in clashes involving prointegration and proindependence groups.

Mosques were also packed in Aceh, where President B.J. Habibie made a day trip in which he was greeted by demonstrations on Friday. Safwan Idris, rector of the Islamic Teachers Training Institute in Banda Aceh, spoke out against riots in several parts of the country which he said were incited by certain groups to disrupt the June elections.

"The wave of riots are a difficult test for the nation and for the reform movement," he said before thousands of Muslims.

In Central Jakarta, President B.J. Habibie, First Lady Hasri Ainun Habibie and a number of ministers prayed at Istiqlal Mosque and delivered their sacrificial animals.

Many of the poor there were disappointed on finding there was not enough meat to go round. They pushed and shoved one another while police drove many back from the slaughter site.

"Give us some meat, too. We are poor," people shouted.

The monetary crisis led to less donations this year, slaughterers said.

Minister of Religious Affairs Malik Fajar called on the public to sacrifice their personal interests for the national good, to create a civil society that leads to a new, peaceful Indonesia.

Muslim leader and chairman of Nahdlatul Ulama, Abdurrahman Wahid, conveyed his Idul Adha message on Saturday, calling on people to introspect and make peace with themselves.

"This Idul Adha must be celebrated with deep thoughts of humanity ... The agony and misery of the people must be stopped.

"Think about loving rather than hating. Think about the future of this country. End violence," he said.

"This country is experiencing a huge set back. Religious, ethnic frictions are manipulated. We have to fight it before this nation falls apart," Abdurrahman said.

In Batam, former minister of finance Mar'ie Muhammad said the country did not need only formal unity, "but the unity of hearts and a feeling of solidarity." Leaders should avoid worsening the situation, he said. (rms/edt)