Strengthening the ties of brotherhood

For thirty days Moslems have fasted, resisting all kinds of temptations of both the flesh and the spirit. This is not easy to accomplish and therefore the successful conclusion of this testing period brings great joy to those who have gone through it. We wish to congratulate all of them, and may the holy month of Ramadhan bring blessings to all of them in addition to well- being for our society as a whole.

It is in this spirit that we wish to express our concern over the string of incidents that has taken place in a number of areas of our country, causing material damage as well as human casualties. The outbreaks of unrest also upset public security and order and caused a feeling of deep anxiety among many sections of the community.

The fasting month closes with the Idul Fitri celebration, an august occasion which is honored by all Moslems and greeted with joy by our entire community. Idul Fitri, or Lebaran, has always been a part of the cultural tradition of our pluralistic society, symbolizing the spirit of tolerance that exists among believers of all the various religions that live among us and has been enshrined in our state ideology Pancasila and the Constitution.

In the present atmosphere of Lebaran we would like to underline the appeal made by the Indonesian Council of Ulemas (MUI), which among other things called on all of us to reinforce our national ties of brotherhood and kinship, strengthen the spirit of Islamic brotherhood, grant each other forgiveness and refrain from actions and attitudes that do not reflect the noble morality as taught by the faith.

The appeal made by MUI deserves the attention of us all, especially as we contemplate the recent tensions and outbreaks of violence.

-- Suara Pembaruan, Jakarta