'Sinful' business plagues Bandung mosque

'Sinful' business plagues Bandung mosque

By Kafil Yamin

BANDUNG (JP): The Bandung grand mosque (Mesjid Agung) has just
been renovated, providing more convenience to regular worshipers
and passersby. A Muslim who happens to pass through Bandung's
main city park at prayer time can drop in the grand mosque and
fulfill his religious duty.

But right after getting in touch with Allah, and walking down
to the mosque park, he will meet with the seeds of evil.

Cleaning the park and the square of street vendors, gamblers,
and prostitutes is a job that still poses a challenge to the city
administration. And the situation creates a challenge of faith to
those who come to perform the duties of their religion.

Siwi, a high school student here, said she could sense the
atmosphere of these two different worlds in one spot. "I just
performed my maghrib (sunset prayer). I prayed to God that I
would be stronger in facing temptations. And the temptations are
right here," she said.

The presence of street vendors in the compound and around the
square is a total breach of city regulations. And despite
repeated warnings of a sweeping operation by the city
administration, the vendors remain. All efforts of the local
administration to put order in the square seem to run into a
brick wall.

Units of city police were deployed, but things did not change.
Early last week, police were sent to clear the square. It worked,
but only for one day. The next day, a larger number of vendors
swarmed the square in defiance of the authorities.

"It is obvious that they are toying with the security. You see
that gambling crowd over there? They were not there before the
last operation," said Maman Suherman, an employee of the city
administration.

The operation resulted in nothing but worse traffic
congestion. The vendors even expanded their areas. They occupy
half of each street around the square. And now the mosque park
turns out to be a gambling site too.

Just within the mosque compound, gamblers engage in various
games -- roulette, kupluk (dice game), and ceki-ceki (card
guessing game). Groups of ABGs, local acronym for young teens,
pack stalls of pirated VCDs and CDs. This is the place where
people with "human desire" go for pornographic VCDs to fulfill
desires of the flesh.

Thugery

The closure of a brothel in another part of the city, Saritem,
adds to the parks makeup. Prostitutes are hawking in the park
every night. When panderers to sexual desire frequent a location,
other appetite providers will follow. On the heels of the sex
traders came the drug dealers.

"The place has become a site of complete immorality,
wickedness and other social diseases," complains a local
resident.

The vendors, meanwhile, have their own reason for defiance.
"Not a single spot in this area is free of charge," said a vendor
who asked for anonymity. "We pay the rulers of this square
various amounts", he disclosed.

What he refers to as rulers are preman -- the local name for
hoodlums. There is a network in this regard that incorporates
vendors, preman and the authorities. Vendors pay the preman. The
latter pay off the authorities.

Because of this network all efforts to displace the vendors
seem to flop. The police are on the take when gambling and sales
of pirated VCDs occur and business runs as usual in the square.

"If they (the police) come here. We just give them packs of
cigarettes, and the problem is solved," said a vendor.

Just like the trend among political parties these days, the
Mayor assigned civilian guards (Satgas) of PDIP, Banser of the
Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) and tens of santri (students of Muslim
boarding school). Many expected violence when the mayor announced
the decision.

The expected violence did not break out. The civilian guards
in military-style uniform came to the square, but only for chats
with the vendors.

"In any case, we will not take the job," asserted Enceng S.
Dinata, a commander of the Satgas of the West Java PDIP.

As Dinata put it: "The street vendors are the ones that PDIP
is supposed to take care of. They are the ones who are being
oppressed," he said.

The truth is, as many see it, many members of the security
units are former preman of the square. "They became what they are
now because they hailed from here. The vendors are their
associates," said Ian, a vendor of pirated VCDs.

Dinata admitted such emotional links between members of his
unit and the street vendors. "If we act against them (the
vendors), PDIP will risk losing its constituents. Satgas PDIP is
founded not for waging war against the people".

The NU-linked Banser members were also visible, but their
presence did not cause any disruption to the illegal business.
"We gave them several pornographic VCDs for free. They were
excited," a VCD vendor said.

Local PDIP legislators, who are the majority, joined the
chorus in opposing the mayor's ruling. "There should be another
way of putting the city in order," said Lia Noer Hambali, House
member of PDIP faction.

Meanwhile, the vendors are determined to stay. "Here is where
we belong, in the park of the grand mosque. This is good, isn't
it?" said a beverage vendor.

The sound of adzan (prayer call) echoed through the square.
Worshipers proceeded to the grand mosque. From another direction,
flirtatious women with a lot of make-up come to the park for
other purposes.