To Commemorate Eid al-Fitr, Indonesian Embassy in Beijing Invites Diaspora to Donate for Aceh
Beijing (ANTARA) - The Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia (KBRI) in Beijing organised an Eid al-Fitr 1447 Hijriah commemoration gathering open to the Indonesian diaspora in China, while also inviting them to help disaster victims in Aceh.
“I extend my highest appreciation to all Indonesian communities in Beijing and its surroundings for collecting zakat fitrah and sedekah. The proceeds from the collection will be channelled to our brothers and sisters affected by the disaster in Aceh,” said the Indonesian Ambassador to China and Mongolia, Djauhari Oratmangun, in his speech at the KBRI Beijing courtyard on Saturday.
Eid al-Fitr prayers were performed starting at 09.10 local time and attended by around 400 Indonesian Citizens (WNI) from various cities in China, followed by an open house for mutual greetings.
One WNI from Bogor who was visiting China, Wulan Maulina, said she felt a strong sense of family among the Indonesian diaspora in China during the Lebaran celebration.
“Lebaran in China feels warmer than in other countries because there are many students and workers in China, so the family atmosphere is more pronounced,” she said, having also experienced Lebaran in Bangkok.
In addition to Wulan, there was Rizki Prayogo, a man attending a work training programme from his company in Jining city, Shandong province, who made time to perform Eid al-Fitr prayers at the KBRI Beijing after a six-hour train journey.
“Our main purpose in coming to Beijing was actually just for Eid al-Fitr prayers,” he revealed, arriving in Beijing with five of his colleagues.
There was also Devi Afrilianti, a woman from Jakarta living in Beijing to accompany her husband pursuing doctoral studies, who said the Lebaran atmosphere at the KBRI Beijing reminded her of the atmosphere back home.
“Being able to meet Indonesians, speak Indonesian, and the food is also typically Indonesian. So we chose to celebrate Lebaran at the KBRI Beijing,” she said.
When asked about their hopes for this year’s Lebaran, all three prayed for conditions in Indonesia and the world to improve soon.
Devi and Wulan both expressed their hope that Indonesians affected by disasters in the homeland could celebrate Lebaran in good health and better conditions.
Meanwhile, Rizki prayed for the geopolitical situation to calm down soon so as not to bring prolonged negative impacts, especially the rise in prices of basic necessities in Indonesia.
The total donations collected from the Eid al-Fitr prayer congregation at the KBRI Beijing amounted to 12,200 RMB and Rp895,000, or a total of around Rp30.9 million, which will be channelled to one of the disaster-affected districts in Aceh.
After the Eid al-Fitr prayers, the KBRI Beijing served various foods such as chicken opor, rendang, bakso, siomay, young jackfruit curry, chicken satay, and goat satay.
The Eid al-Fitr celebration at the KBRI Beijing was the result of collaboration with various institutions and community groups in Beijing, including the Bank Indonesia Representative Office in Beijing, Majelis Taklim At-Taqwa, Lingkar Pengajian Beijing, Lintas Komunitas Muslim Indonesia Tiongkok, the Special Branch Board (PCI) of Muhammadiyah, and PCI NU Beijing.