Muslim groups up pressure to close clubs for Ramadhan

Muslim groups up pressure to close clubs for Ramadhan

Sjofiardi Bachyul and Ruslan Sangadji, The Jakarta Post, Padang/Palu

Thousands of Muslim students and activists held protest
demonstrations in various cities nationwide on Wednesday in a bid
to pressure the government and businesspeople to close all
nightspots and gambling dens during Ramadhan.

The protesters said the closure must be done out of respect
for Muslims, who are required to fast during the daylight hours
for a month beginning on Friday.

The protest in the West Sumatra capital of Padang nearly
turned into brawl when a group of some 150 Muslim protesters
faced off with another group of people who support an alleged
local gambling den baron, Rudy Iskandar, during the protest on
Wednesday.

A similar protest was also held in the Central Sulawesi
capital of Palu, where dozens of Muslims rallied in front of the
office of the Central Sulawesi provincial council.

Calling themselves the Ramadhan Care Movement, the activists
demanded the Central Sulawesi governor to close down all
nightspots and gambling houses during Ramadhan.

In Palembang, South Sumatra, dozens of students again hit the
streets on Wednesday, pressing their demand for the government to
crack down hard on entertainment center operators, who planned to
stay open during Ramadhan.

According to a central government decree in 1974, gambling
dens are prohibited in the country, but in reality, a very large
number of gambling dens exist in almost all cities in Indonesia,
reportedly because they are backed by powerful security
authorities. Brothels and prostitution rings also exist in
abundance and allegedly receive similar backing.