Sukabumi City 'Aisyiyah Branch Regrets Rejection of Merdeka Field for Eid al-Fitr Prayer

The Sukabumi City Leadership of ’Aisyiyah (PDA) has conveyed its concern and disappointment over the Sukabumi City Government’s policy of not granting permission for the use of Merdeka Field as the venue for Eid al-Fitr Prayers in 1447 H for the Muhammadiyah community. This policy is outlined in a response letter from the Mayor of Sukabumi, Number: SDE.78/400.8/KESRA/2026, dated 17 March 2026. The letter states that the use of the public facility must await an official determination from the Central Government through the Ministry of Religious Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia, on the grounds of preserving the principle of togetherness. Chair of PDA Sukabumi City, Dr Amalia Nurmilla, assessed this decision as wounding the spirit of inclusivity that has long been the identity of Sukabumi City as the “House of Tolerance”. She highlighted the city’s achievement in the 2024 Tolerant City Index (IKT), placing Sukabumi sixth nationally and first in West Java with a score of 5.968. “It is very regrettable if this extraordinary achievement must be tarnished by a policy that is less accommodating to differences in determining religious holidays,” she stated in a written statement received by Republika on Thursday (19/3/2026). PDA emphasised that Merdeka Field, as a public facility, is a state asset built from public taxes, and thus should be accessible to all citizens without discrimination, including for worship activities guaranteed by the constitution. In addition, they also reminded of the potential impact of this policy on the assessment of the Interfaith Harmony Index (IKUB) of Sukabumi City. According to PDA, social harmony is not sufficiently reflected in numbers but must be realised through inclusive policies on the ground. PDA also encouraged the Sukabumi City Government to remain consistent with efforts to strengthen religious moderation that have been built together with the Interfaith Harmony Forum (FKUB), including through local regulations. In the future, ’Aisyiyah hopes that the city government can review this decision to maintain the dignity of Sukabumi as one of the most tolerant cities in Indonesia, especially in West Java. “Differences in holiday dates are a common matter in Islamic tradition and should be addressed with bureaucratic maturity, not with restrictions on access to public facilities,” said Amalia. She emphasised that religious moderation must not stop as mere jargon but must be embodied in policies that protect every citizen’s right to perform worship safely and comfortably.