Day of sacrifice celebrates the spirit of tolerance

Ary Hermawan, The Jakarta Post, Denpasar

Religious chanting to glorify God or takbir was soft and distant across the Hindu Island of Bali, but the celebratory spirit was high.

The keeper of Al-Furqon mosque in Denpasar, Hudi Purnomo, said religious tolerance was a key for the Muslim community in Bali.

"We (the Muslims) are a minority here," Hudi said Thursday.

"We chant the takbir from mosques only and usually stop at 10 p.m."

Heavy showers marked Idul Adha celebrations Thursday, forcing those who had planned to join a mass prayer at Puputan square in Renon area in the heart of Denpasar city to find alternative venues.

"I prayed at the Inna Grand Bali Beach hotel in Sanur," local resident Permanik said.

According to the tradition, mass prayers for Idul Adha and Idul Fitri celebrations should be held in open or public squares to showcase and strengthen the unity of the faith.

Prayers are only moved to mosques when it is raining.

Idul Adha commemorates the Prophet Abraham's act of sacrificing his oldest son, Ishmael, as commanded by God. Ishmael was eventually substituted with a ram.

Muslims are taught to donate a third of their meat to the poor, a third to friends and relatives, and to keep a third for themselves.

Animals used for sacrifice include goats, sheep, camels or cows.

Imam Sufaat, a managers at Al-Amanah mosque at the Finance Ministry's Bali office, said their mass prayer this year had been less enthusiastic than last year's.

He said this was because many Muslims had returned to celebrate the day in their hometowns, utilizing the government's joint leave policy.

"The rain has made it worse," Imam said.

With fewer Muslims celebrating Idul Adha at his mosque, Imam said the number of sacrificed animals had declined from 23 goats and six cows last year, to 18 goats and four cows this year.

There is no difference in the way Idul Adha is celebrated between Bali and Java, because most Muslims on the resort island are new migrants.

Each mosque usually sets up a committee to butcher the animals presented for sacrifice, Imam said.

Everybody is then invited to voluntarily help cut up and distribute the meat.

Imam said everyone in the neighborhood, including the street vendors outside the mosque, was invited to lend a hand.

"We have provided coupons for those people that we consider worthy of the meat and we have arranged for distribution," he said.

While Muslim clerics were at odds around whether non-Muslims should be given meat from the sacrificed animals, it has become a tradition for Balinese Muslims to offer meat to those Balinese Hindus who they consider in need of a donation.

"We always have a quota for trash-pickers and street vendors around here," Hudi said.

He said he did not consider them poor, but thought they deserved a share of the meat.

Imam said it was also customary for the people at the Finance Ministry's Bali office to give sacrificed meat to employees from "the lower level".

"We always provide a share to the office's janitors and security officers, irrespective of their beliefs," he said.

Hudi said Muslims were always careful when offering sacrificed meat to Hindus, who regard cows as sacred and refrain from eating beef.

"We only offer them goat meat," Hudi said.

"But if there is a mistake and we give them cow meat, they usually refuse politely or give it to other people."

He said he did not know for sure what the religious authorities said about giving sacrifice meat to non-Muslims.

"We're just doing what has been done through the years by our predecessors."