Spirit of charity marks Idul Adha
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."