Spirit of charity marks Idul Adha
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
As hundreds of Muslims prayed peacefully at Parangtritis beach in Yogyakarta on Wednesday, hundreds of others jostled each other for a portion of sacrificed meat at Istiqlal Mosque in Central Jakarta.
Both cities celebrated Idul Adha, or the Day of Sacrifice, as usual and without giving much attention to the much-publicized war on terrorism or the possible war on Iraq.
This was not the case with security forces, however, who remained on alert against possible terror attacks.
The same applied to the Jakarta Police, who must provide extra protection to public venues, especially Istiqlal Mosque, where President Megawati Soekarnoputri and her husband Taufik Kiemas prayed.
"We have not seen any signs of possible terror attacks, but all five police district stations are on alert, as well as city police headquarters as back-up," said Jakarta police spokesman Prasetyo as quoted by AFP.
Apart from the discovery and defusing of a live grenade in the parking lot of a Central Jakarta hypermarket on Tuesday evening, police said no other incidents had been reported.
Idul Adha celebrations were conducted peacefully across the country, including in restive Aceh province, where top security officials Coordinating Minister for Politics and Security Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, Indonesian military (TNI) chief Gen. Endriartono Sutarto, and National Police chief Gen. Da'i Bachtiar joined prayers at Baiturrahman Mosque in Banda Aceh.
Meanwhile, Minister of Religious Affairs Said Agil Husein Al Munawar called on Indonesian Muslims to use the moment of the Day of Sacrifice to encourage all to fight for the weak, poor and powerless.
"Let's promote our endeavor to work and to strive among all people," the minister said in a recorded national address aired by state-owned television station TVRI and radio station RRI on Tuesday night. The minister spoke in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, where he is heading a delegation of Indonesian haj pilgrims.
Many sermons across the country campaigned for more help and charity to the poor, rather than provoking people to stand up against a possible war on Iraq.
Most Indonesians oppose the U.S. policy on Iraq and on other Middle Eastern issues, such as the Israeli-Palestinian crisis, but they see the Iraq issue as solely political, rather than as religious, in nature.
"This war really is about American political interests and domination. Even Christians in Iraq are against the war. The issue must be fairness, not religion," Hasyim Muzadi, chief of the 40-million strong Nahdlatul Ulama, told Reuters.
"But the war itself will prompt (radicals) to turn it into a religious issue. As I have said, fundamentalism and radicalism will flourish," he added.
Hasyim is currently in Australia, along with Cardinal Julius Darmaatmadja from the Indonesian Bishops' Council and Rev. Andreas A. Yewangoe from the Indonesian Communion of Churches, to campaign against a war on Iraq.
Cardinal Julius told Antara in Canberra on Wednesday that Indonesia had a long history of religious tolerance, and therefore called on people not to be easily provoked to create disturbances.
"I see a hidden agenda among Indonesia's social strata that wants to destroy religious harmony," Julius said.
Rev. Andreas, meanwhile, emphasized the importance of distancing religion from political interests in Indonesia.
"I have seen religion to be used as a vehicle to achieve certain political and economic interests. That's what creates conflicts in society."