Istiqlal offers more than 'buka puasa' meals

Istiqlal offers more than 'buka puasa' meals

By A'an Suryana

JAKARTA (JP): Would you like a different atmosphere for
breaking your fast? It is free, and so is the meal.

If so, then spend a day during Ramadhan at the Istiqlal Grand
Mosque, one of the city's landmarks that is a few meters away
from the presidential palace.

The 39-year-old mosque not only has a scenic view of the
National Monument (Monas) with a sunset in the background. With
the help of generous donations and kindhearted volunteers, the
mosque delights everyone who breaks their fast there with a
variety of light snacks and meals.

The food varies from a package of rice and fried chicken to
popular traditional cakes, like lemper, nagasari, jongkong and
bolu.

According to management, regular donors of meals to break the
fast during Ramadhan at the mosque include the family of former
president Soeharto, the government and military institutions as
well as other wealthy individuals.

Two civilians driving in a minivan belonging to the Army
Strategic Reserves Command (Kostrad) dropped off on Wednesday two
large plastic bags containing some 30 packages of chicken and
rice in the yard of the mosque.

They were received by security officials, who then handed over
the food packages to the mosque management.

The free meals for that day also came from the relatives of
the late Brig. Gen. Harsono, who was a military adjutant to
former president Sukarno.

Dani, the driver for the family, handed over some 100 packages
of food he said was for anyone who wanted to break their fast at
the mosque, courtesy of the sons and daughters of the late
general.

In terms of quantity, however, the most regular and generous
donor is the Cendana family, as the former first family is known
as, who -- according to mosque volunteers -- deliver some 500
packages of chicken and rice to the mosque every day.

To handle the many food donations and serve the some 1,000
Muslims breaking their fast at the mosque, volunteers start from
1 p.m., shortly after performing their dzuhur (midday prayer).

With several kerosene stoves, about 10 people boil water in at
least five 20-liter aluminum buckets.

"By 4:30 p.m. (about one and a half hours before fasting
ends), the water served for tea, coffee and milk should be
ready," said Tirta, one of the mosque's volunteers.

Purwantoro, a member of the management, said those who come to
the mosque consume 25 kilograms of sugar, 20 small cans of milk,
2 kilograms of coffee and one kilogram of tea for buka puasa
(breaking of the fast) every day.

"We spend some Rp 250,000 to Rp 350,000 every day on beverages
alone.

"We also provide some 1,500 packages of food to people," he
said.

At 4.30 p.m, some 20 volunteers at the mosque start to lay
mats in the corridors on the ground floor of the mosque. Later,
they put hundreds of cups containing hot coffee and milk on the
floor near the mats.

The packages of chicken and rice and other snacks are served a
few minutes before 6 p.m.

"It is also meant to control the food since some may take more
than one package if we don't distribute the packages after
everyone has gathered in the corridor," said Ade, another
volunteer.

The mosque sees people coming to break their fast at 5 p.m..
Professionals, elderly people, street vendors and beggars all
look to find a suitable place to sit.

Children sit in the corner of the mosque corridor.

Everyone sits together, no matter what their social status.
Human equality prevails in the corridor, manifested by the
Islamic tenet, which says that Islam does not separate people
according to their social status, but their devotion to God.

Prior to undergoing the breaking of the fast, some people
recite the Koran and listen to a 10-minute religious speech.

Many people believe that Allah approves of those who break
their fast together with others, particularly at mosques.

"We'll be blessed by Almighty God," said Muhadjir, a jobless
man who regularly breaks his fast at Istiqlal.

Some followers go to the mosque with their own meals.

"We are afraid that there won't be enough food, so we bring
our own meals to break the fast," said Mukhaenah, an elderly
women who arrived at Istiqlal in a car with two other women the
same age as her.

They all carried large plastic bags in their hands.

Mukhaenah is justified in her worry, since the amount of
donations is slightly lower this Ramadhan than last year.

During the previous Ramadhan, the Soehartos, for example,
distributed some 1,500 to 2,500 meals to the mosque every day,
which was over three times as much as they do now.

Coordinated by the former first family's household staff
member, Darmadi, the family have donated free meals for Ramadhan
at the mosque since the completion of the mosque in 1978.

Darmadi told The Jakarta Post from his home at Jl. Kenanga 8,
in the Bermis housing Complex, Kelapa Gading Timur, North
Jakarta, that the drop in donations to Istiqlal was due to the
fact that most meals were being distributed to the At Tiin
Mosque, which the family built last year at Taman Mini Indonesia
Indah in East Jakarta.

"We are allocating most of the meals to the At Tiin mosque,"
Darmadi, who has served the former president since 1966, said.

Darmadi is trusted by the former first family as a caterer for
events and charity programs held by the family.

People might have different aims for donating meals to people
breaking their fast at Istiqlal, but most are simply seeking
Allah's blessings.

"By giving donations, the children of Pak Harsono (the late
military general) hope that God will grant peace to their
father's soul in heaven," said Dani, the driver for the family.