Sinta Nuriyah Breaks Fast at Baciro Catholic Church in Jogja, Discusses Unity
Sinta Nuriyah Abdurrahman Wahid, wife of Indonesia’s fourth president Abdurrahman Wahid (Gus Dur), continued a tradition she has maintained since 2000: touring Indonesia during Ramadan to break fast together with various communities. On this occasion, Sinta had the opportunity to break fast at the Catholic Church of Kristus Raja Parish in Baciro, Gondokusuman, Yogyakarta.
At 77 years of age, Sinta continues to conduct this annual sahur tour regularly with the Puan Amal Hayati Foundation. The initiative always involves communities, institutions, and local governments at each location.
“But I cannot do this alone, because I know that Indonesian society is diverse and plural,” Sinta explained in her remarks at the breaking-fast gathering at Kristus Raja Parish Church in Baciro on Monday, 2 March 2026.
In partnership with the National Alliance for Bhinneka Tunggal Ika (ANBTI), the sahur tour maintains a tradition of inviting the poor, persons with disabilities, and other marginalised groups.
Approximately 400 residents from surrounding areas, people of various faiths, motorcycle taxi drivers, waste collectors, and other marginalised groups attended the breaking-fast gathering together.
“Since the beginning, when I break fast with market vendors, I would sahur at the market, and when I break fast with street children, buskers, and waste collectors, I would sahur by the roadside,” Sinta said.
During the 2026 sahur tour, themed “Fasting Amid Disaster and Democracy’s Fragility”, Sinta emphasised the diversity that exists in Indonesia and the need for mutual respect, honour, and mutual cooperation.
“But there is one thing in society that can be contested: positions of authority. But what kind of position? Which position? Seats in parliament can be contested, but with conditions—as long as they are not used to divide the nation and state,” she explained.
“Although we differ in ethnicity, culture, and language, in essence, we are one archipelago, one nation, one language,” Sinta stressed.
Meanwhile, Yogyakarta Mayor Hasto Wardoyo, who also attended the event, expressed his emotional appreciation for breaking fast together at a church, which he said was a first for him.
“I truly appreciate and am deeply moved by this, because our Catholic friends and the priest have organised this breaking-fast gathering together, and in my entire life, I have only experienced a breaking-fast gathering at a church once,” he said.
“For me, it is greatly appreciated. Hopefully this becomes part of our effort to increase religious tolerance among us all,” Hasto added.
Basyirudin Suhartono, one of Yogyakarta’s residents who participated in the breaking-fast gathering, expressed his appreciation for the event, saying it demonstrated high values of religious tolerance.
“This is very encouraging—this is what should be done everywhere. Even though we are different, we must be united, must respect one another, must honour one another, must care for one another,” he said.