'Mosque-mobile' makes praying easier in gridlocked Jakarta

Yahoo – AFP, Kiki Siregar, 5 Jul 2016

Men offering prayers at a "mobile mosque" outside a sports complex in 

Jakarta (AFP Photo/Adek Berry)

As the call to prayer rang out across the Indonesian capital, Sutikno faced a dilemma -- the devout Muslim needed to set off through Jakarta's notorious traffic to pick up his wife but did not want to miss out on worshipping.

However for him and others juggling the demands of hectic, 21st century life and piety in the crowded capital of the world's most populous Muslim-majority country, a solution has just pulled up.

The "mosque-mobile" started cruising through Jakarta in June as the Islamic holy month of Ramadan drew to a close, aiming to ensure Muslims did not miss out on prayers by setting up in busy places, such as near festivals and sports events.

Sutikno, a middle-aged office worker who like many Indonesians goes by one name, came across the van parked between a sports stadium and shopping malls, and it proved a godsend.

"I was supposed to go to a mosque that is quite far away but then I saw this one," he told AFP.

"I just parked my car and performed my prayers here. I can save time and go and pick up my wife faster."

The green and white van has been specially adapted to become a mobile place of worship. At prayer time, the sides of the vehicle open up and a small stage is extended, from which the imam preaches.

The "mosque-mobile" started cruising through Jakarta in June as the Islamic

holy month of Ramadan drew to a close (AFP Photo/Adek Berry)

Prayer rugs are rolled out in front of the van, with space for up to 100 people, and a handful can worship inside the vehicle. It also provides special robes for women and a tank of water for the faithful to ritually cleanse themselves before praying.

The mosque started operating in Jakarta with a team of four in the final week of Ramadan, a month of fasting and piety, but plans to continue afterwards.

The van offers its services between 3:00 pm (0800 GMT) and 7:00 pm (1100 GMT) for two prayer sessions, at a time traffic is bad as millions flood out of downtown areas and head back to satellite cities. Muslims are supposed to pray five times a day.

During Ramadan, the crew running the Jakarta "mosque-mobile" also serve snacks to people stuck in gridlock when it is time to break their fast.

Overcrowded, traffic-choked cities

The van is run by the Archipelago Mosque Foundation, an organisation that sets up and maintains mosques, with funding provided by Adira Sharia, a group that provides Islamic-compliant financing for motor vehicles.

"We were concerned that there was a lack of places of worship at crowded spots such as music concerts, festivals and football games. Sometimes people intend to pray, but because there are no facilities, they skip it," said Hamzah Fatdri, director of the mosque foundation.

The Jakarta mosque-on-wheels has hit the streets after the foundation launched a mobile place of worship in the city of Bandung, southeast of the capital on the main island of Java.

The Bandung mosque proved a success, offering prayer sessions at 50 different locations in its first year of operation, and the foundation hopes the van in the capital -- which is slightly larger than the Bandung model -- can do even better.

The mobile mosque started operating in Jakarta with a team of four in the final 

week of Ramadan, but plans to continue afterwards (AFP Photo/Adek Berry)

Indonesia is already home to some 800,000 mosques, including a large number in Jakarta and other major cities.

But with many people stuck in gridlock at prayer time -- particularly during Ramadan -- and ad hoc festivals and sports events typically failing to provide facilities for praying, the foundation believes the "mobile-mosque" will be a great help.

It is the latest innovation to offer relief to residents of Indonesia's booming but overcrowded, traffic-choked cities, where hundreds of new vehicles are hitting the roads every day as the middle class rapidly expands due to strong economic growth.

Motorbike taxi-hailing apps that whisk passengers quickly through the gridlock have been a chief beneficiary, and have expanded their businesses into other areas such as food delivery and courier services.

Still, some worshippers were not immediately taken by the mosque-on-wheels.

"Maybe because this was a new experience, I felt a bit awkward and embarrassed to pray in an open, public space," student Mahtashal Harbi said after worshipping for the first time at the Jakarta van.

Muslims around the world celebrate Eid al-Fitr, one of the biggest festivals of the Islamic calendar pic.twitter.com/T7ncopYlDu

— AFP news agency (@AFP) July 5, 2016

Run on the baklava as Dutch Muslims celebrate Eid

DutchNews, July 5, 2016

Deposit photos: Turkish dessert
of baklava

School’s out, and it’s time for a sugarfest: Dutch Muslims began celebrating the end of Ramadan on Tuesday. 

Some school children had a day off for the Suikerfeest (literally, sugar feast in Dutch). But Dutch Muslims of Moroccan origin will be waiting until Wednesday, when moon is in the right phase over Morocco. 

According to public broadcaster NOS, a third of primary schools in Rotterdam were closed so that pupils could celebrate, while at other schools children could take time off on request. 

In some other countries the streets are full of Eid celebrations after a month of religious fasting, eating and drinking nothing when the sun is up. But in the Netherlands, it is more normal for practising Muslims to visit the mosque in the morning, and end the day with family, feast and presents.

Elhijab Presents Fresh, Modern Collections for Ramadan and Idul Fitri 2016

Jakarta Globe, Sylviana Hamdani, June 04, 2016

The designers of Aira Festive, Dauky and Elzatta are parading with the
models at the end of the fashion show. (Photo courtesy of Elhijab)

Jakarta. Indonesian Muslim wear is getting more simple and modern. Gone are the complicated frills and ruffles that tend to bulk up the wearer's physique, as well as the overused crystals and sequins that often astound beholders. In their place are clean-cut items that are tasteful, easy to wear and practical for everyday use.

Last Sunday (29/05), Elhijab, the company behind the Dauky, Elzatta and Aira Festive brands, presented their special pret-a-porter collections for Ramadan and Idul Fitri 2016 at the "Hijab for the World" fashion show at Jakarta Convention Center.

"We want to present our brands as the pride of Indonesia for the world, just like H&M for Sweden, Marks & Spencer for UK and Uniqlo for Japan," said Meta Kamelia Surya, head of marketing of Elhijab.

In the fashion show, brand Dauky showcased a collection themed "City of Harmony."

"We're inspired by London's streetwear for the collection," said Puspa Sekar Sari, Dauky's head fashion designer.

The collection is made of tailored culottes, palazzos, faux leather jackets and overcoats in warm, summery tones. Elzatta's scarves with simple, yet attractive geometric patterns complemented their modest looks.

"We want to cater for today's modern women with our simple and wearable pieces," said Puspa.

The same collection has also been presented on the previous day (28/05) at the Potter's Field Park in London during the "Indonesian Weekend" event.

"According to our representatives [in London], the British people adored our collection," said Elhijab's head of marketing, Meta.

Aira Festive, on the other hand, presented more mature and feminine looks in the fashion show. Their collection is made of plain and loose-fitted tunics in various hues and silhouettes. These tunics were combined with batik, tenun (handwoven traditional fabrics) and ikat (traditional tie-dye) sarongs and pareos for the fashion show.

"Tunics are usually very casual," said Aira Festive's head fashion designer Nina Natadipura, "But, we want to show that we can also make tunics look more classy and elegant by pairing them with Indonesian traditional fabrics."

Their collection also features chic evening gowns, adorned with lace and brocade, for formal functions.

Aira Festive's, Dauky's and Elzatta's collections are moderately priced between Rp 199,000 ($15) and Rp 600,000. They are available now at Elhijab's outlets in major cities in Indonesia.

For more information, visit www.elhijab.id.

Justice Ministry: No Idul Fitri Sentence Cuts for Graft Convicts – Yet

Jakarta Globe, Erwin Sihombing, Jul 21, 2015

Corruption convict Muhammad Nazaruddin, center, was one of dozens of people
 reported to have received a sentence reduction for Idul Fitri. The Justice
Ministry has denied this. (Antara Photo/Novrin Arbi)

Jakarta. Indonesia’s Justice Ministry has insisted that no sentence reductions were awarded to corruption convicts for the Idul Fitri holiday last week, following local media reports of cuts of up to two months for some notorious convicts.

“Not a single letter [approving a sentence cut] has been issued, in keeping with Government Regulation 99 of 2012,” M. Akbar Hadiprabowo, a spokesman for the ministry, told reporters in Jakarta on Tuesday.

Any sentence cuts, known locally as remissions, reportedly handed out to graft convicts “are merely recommendations from local offices of the Justice Ministry and are still being processed,” he added.

The 2012 government regulation was introduced by the administration of then-minister of justice Amir Syamsuddin to make it more difficult for corruption convicts to qualify for a sentence cut, as part of the Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono administration’s wider efforts to get tough on graft.

Under the regulation, corruption convicts must pay all fines and damages imposed by a court before they can qualify. They must also cooperate with law enforcement authorities investigating others implicated in the same case, and must have approval from the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) on whether they deserve a sentence cut.

The current justice minister, Yasonna Laoly from the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), drew widespread condemnation earlier this year for calling for the regulation to be rescinded because it was too harsh on graft convicts.

His office, though, appears to still be abiding by the regulation in not approving sentence cuts this Idul Fitri. (The ministry traditionally hands out sentence cuts ranging from 15 days to two months during major public holidays.)

Local media reported last week that dozens of corruption convicts, including high-profile prisoners such as former Democratic Party treasurer Muhammad Nazaruddin and rogue tax official Gayus Tambunan, had received sentence cuts of up to two months.

Nazaruddin is serving a seven-year sentence for bid-rigging in a contract for the construction of an athletes’ village in Palembang, South Sumatra, for the 2011 Southeast Asian Games; Gayus has been hit by a string of convictions for bribery, passport forgery and other offenses, putting his sentence at 30 years.

Muslims celebrate Eid al-Fitr in China

Want China Times, Xinhua 2015-07-20

People celebrate Eid al-Fitr in Yinchuan, Ningxia Hui autonomous region,
July 18. (Photo/Xinhua)

Muslims across China on Saturday celebrated Eid al-Fitr, which marks the end of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan.

In Yinchuan, capital of northwest China's Ningxia Hui autonomous region, Na Jinzhu arrived at the Najiahu Mosque early in the morning with his son and granddaughters.

"Ramadan is the most auspicious month in the year," said the 65-year-old man. "I took my granddaughters here so that they could learn about our religious traditions from an early age."

Ningxia is a major region for China's Hui Muslims, who account for 35.7% of the region's total population, or 2.36 million people.

Li Jianhua, Communist Party chief of Ningxia, conveyed festive greetings during a gathering with Muslims in the mosque with a history of 490 years.

A five-day holiday begins on Saturday in Ningxia. Highways and most scenic spots will be free of charge during the holiday.

In Beijing, roads were temporarily closed near the Niujie Mosque in downtown for a celebration of tens of thousands of Muslims.

Many people had their photos taken outside the mosque, including a lady surnamed Liu, who came from neighboring Hebei province especially for the occasion.

"The atmosphere is more festive here than in our hometown," she said.

In Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, senior officials shared iftar with Muslims for the celebration of Eid al-Fitr on Friday night.

Zhang Chunxian, Communist Party chief of the region, and regional government chairman Shohrat Zakir attended the event with more than 200 religious followers.

Ramadan is a holy and auspicious month for Muslims when they can purify their hearts, strengthen their minds and contemplate the doctrine, Zhang said.

He said religious people and non-religious people in Xinjiang live in harmony and amity with each other, stand together safeguarding peace, unity, justice and dignity, and worked together to build a beautiful home.

He cited examples where Muslims offered help to others in need and cared for each other during this year's Ramadan.

Abduxikar Rehmutolla, an imam in Urumqi, said "the government helped us renovate the mosque and resolve some other problems," presenting a Muslim hat to Zhang to express thanks to the government.

Xinjiang, with some 24,000 mosques, is home to more than 13 million Muslims.

"I feel more humble after Ramadan," said Ma Jinfu, 63, who donated 100 yuan (about US$16) to the Shaanxi Great Mosque attended by Hui Muslims in Urumqi.

Not far away is the Hantengri Mosque, where Uygur Muslims go to worship.

After religious ceremonies, Muslims from the Hui ethnic group in white hats and Uygurs wearing colored hats exchanged blessings while leaving the sites.

Eid al-Fitr is also a day when Muslims commemorate their ancestors and mourn the dead.

In Oqar county of the Kirgiz autonomous prefecture of Kizilsu, Muradin Zulpuka whispered prayers from the Koran in front of his mother's tomb before scattering handfuls of rice and wheat.

BETWEEN TRADITION AND MODERNITY

While most Muslims in China are enjoying lavish feasts for Eid al-Fitr on Saturday, Salam Muhamet is traveling.

The photographer from the Kirgiz ethnic group is going to a wedding.

"Muslims don't eat during the daytime (during Ramadan), so they couldn't hold wedding ceremonies this month," he said. In China, feasts are an indispensable part of a wedding ceremony, as are photographs.

This year, Ramadan lasted from June 18 to July 17.

Muhamet didn't book any wedding photography jobs the entire month. "I will get busy as soon as Ramadan is over," he said. In the next week, he has four wedding ceremonies to attend.

As society develops, the way people celebrate the festival is changing.

When Ma Shaoxiong returned home Saturday, he found his grandson video chatting with his sister, who is in college in Shaanxi and unable to return for Eid al-Fitr.

The boy showed his sister the dishes on the table. "Wanna taste?" he asked, making faces to the smart phone.

"It is an occasion for family reunion," said Ma. "I would have missed my granddaughter, had there been no video chat."

Patamkhan Niyaz celebrated Eid al-Fitr in a new house, where children ran in the yard and adults enjoyed stewed mutton.

"This house is stronger than our adobe house, and it didn't cost much," she said.

Muslims mark end of Ramadan with Eid-al-Fitr festival

The Muslim community around the world has begun to mark the end of Ramadan. After a month of fasting, followers of Islam will now start celebrating the festival of Eid-al-Fitr - not all, however, on the same day.

Deutsche Welle, 17 July 2015

For the past month, some 1.5 billion devotees have fasted from dawn to sunset every day, marking the month in which they believe the Quran was sent down to the lowest heaven, where it was prepared for Gabriel to later reveal to the Islamic Prophet Muhammed. Many Muslims regard the fast as a means of creating astronger bond with their religion.

Due to Islam's 12-month lunar calendar, however, not all Muslims will begin the celebrations of Eid on the same day. The sighting of the new, crescent moon ends Ramadan, and the start of Eid must be declared by sunset; some countries still observe the tradition that this new moon be observed with the naked eye, meaning they tend to be one day late.

Some 1.5 billion Muslims around the
 world have fasted for the last month

Festivities will therefore have a staggered start across Friday and Saturday, as Muslim communities rely on different methods of confirming the end of Ramadan.

'New beginning'

Whether beginning on Friday or Saturday, the world's Islamic community will now revel in three days of celebrations to mark the end of Ramadan. Eid, also known among other names as the Feast of Breaking the Fast or the Sugar Feast, brings together Muslim families over gifts and decadent meals.

In a statement released late on Thursday, US President Barack Obama offered his wishes to Muslims around the globe as they prepared to break their fast.

"While Eid marks the end of Ramadan, it marks a new beginning for each individual - a reason to celebrate and express gratitude on this holiday," Obama said.

The president also made reference to New York City's recent decision to include Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha as public school holidays, describing the decision as "acknowledgement of the great diversity and inclusiveness that adds to the richness of our nation."

German President Joachim Gauck, himself a former pastor, used the occasion to appeal for religious unity.

"If we let ourselves be driven by a wish for respectful, peaceful coexistence, we'll secure a good, collective future," Gauck said. Germany's Central Council of Muslims said it was happy to have observed many non-Muslims in Germany joining in the late-night fast-breaking celebrations which take place during Ramadan.

Heatwave during fasting

Many communities turn to Mecca to

determine the end of Ramadan

Since beginning Ramadan on June 18, Muslims, especially in the Northern Hemisphere, faced a particularly grueling month of fasting this year, with temperatures reaching as high as 38 degrees Celsius (100 degrees Fahrenheit) in Germany, taking the meaning of Ramadan - "hot month" - to the very extremes.

There are of course exemptions to fasting during Ramadan, which include menstruating or pregnant women, the sick, the young and the elderly. Doctors and public health organizations this year issued extra warnings to fasting Muslims across Europe, reminding families of the dangers of dehydration, particularly among the young and elderly - sentiments which were widely supported by Muslim councils and leaders.

Temperatures in Europe were nothing, however, compared to those in the Middle East, which saw highs of 48 degrees Celsius in Iraq. Military and civilian aid organizations in Pakistan set up dozens of temporary camps to care for victims of dehydration, heatstroke and circulatory collapse as temperatures soared to 45 degrees Celsius in the shade.

ksb/msh (AFP, dpa)

The Empire State Building glows green on July 17, 2015 in New York City to 

celebrate the Eid al-Fitr holiday that marks the end of Ramadan (AFP 

Photo/Brigitte Dusseau)

Related Article:

New York's Empire State Building glows green for Eid

Death toll in Indonesia Eid boat sinkings rises to 36

Yahoo – AFP, 1 Aug 2014

Indonesians arrive by boat to attend the morning prayer to celebrate the Eid
al-Fitr festival at the Sunda Kelapa port district of Jakarta, on July 28, 2014

Rescuers pulled 12 more bodies from an Indonesian river Friday, bringing the death toll in two boat sinkings to 36, as millions travel across the country for the Eid holiday season.

Most Indonesians in the world's biggest Muslim-majority nation spend Eid, the end of the holy fasting month of Ramadan, with their families, abandoning cities in the massive exodus.

Local police confirmed 19 people dead from a boat carrying 48 that sank late Wednesday in a river on the island of Sumatra.

"We are still searching for the last missing person. The rest are accounted for," local police chief of operations E. Hutagaol told AFP.

A ferry carrying 70 people on the Indonesian part of Borneo island sank on Tuesday, with authorities Friday revising the final death toll down from 18 to 17. The rest of the passengers and crew survived.

The National Disaster Management Agency said police were questioning the ferry crew as there were reports it might have been operating at overcapacity.

Boat accidents in the vast Indonesian archipelago are not uncommon, and there is a significant death toll from transport accidents during Eid each year.

Indonesia Frees Hundreds of Prisoners on Idul Fitri

Jakarta Globe, SP/Novianti Setuningsih, Jul 28, 2014

Prisoners greet ward officials in celebration of Idul Fitri at the Cipinang
 Detention Center in East Jakarta on July 28, 2014. (Antara Photo/Vitalis
Yogi Trisna)

Jakarta.  Hundreds of prisoners across Indonesia were freed on Monday, the start of the Idul Fitri celebration this year, following a massive sentence reduction granted by the government as it sought to reduce overcrowding at jail facilities.

Justice and Human Rights Ministry spokesman Akbar Hadi said the government had granted an Idul Fitri reduced sentences for 56,704 Muslim prisoners, 820 of which were allowed to walk free on Idul Fitri.

“As many as 55,884 prisoners and juvenile detainees were handed a special remission but remain in jail,” Akbar said.

He said that of those, 15,958 had their sentences reduced by 15 days, 35,534 received a one-month sentence reduction, 3,471 received a one-month and 15-day sentence cut, while another 921 prisoners received a two-month sentence cut, Akbar said. He added that a majority of the prisoners who received the reduced time were located in West Java.

According to Akbar, a total of 165,731 prisoners live in 463 detention centers and prisons across Indonesia, indication that overcapacity was 152 percent. Such facilities were built to house only 109,231 detainees.

Some of the prisons and detention centers suffering from overcapacity are located in Yogyakarta, Maluku, North Maluku, Papua, West Papua, West Sulawesi, South Sulawesi and Southeast Sulawesi.

“The sentence cut, aside from motivating the prisoners to behave well and actively join training programs at the prisons and detention centers, also aims to decrease the impact of overcapactiy,” he said.

Momentous Idul Fitri Celebrating a Spiritual and Democratic Triumph

Jakarta Globe, Yanto Soegiarto, Jul 26, 2014

 (JG Graphic/Josep Tri Ronggo Laksono)

Despite the difficulties for most people to return to their hometowns for the annual “Lebaran” holiday due to traffic and poor infrastructure, Indonesians remain high-spirited; they look forward to being united with their families, friends and relatives to celebrate a joyous Idul Fitri on Monday and Tuesday.

This year, however, the festive mood is quite different. Aside from celebrating a day of triumph after having completed the Ramadan fasting period, they have so many stories to tell about a great feat they have just accomplished: Indonesians have elected a new leader, whom they believe will bring about changes to their welfare and livelihoods.

Mamad, a taxi driver who decided to return early to his hometown in Indramayu, West Java, just after the real count announcement that crowned Joko Widodo as president-elect, was upbeat in telling his family about how he had sacrificed his working hours and a day’s earnings simply to wait for the General Elections Commission’s (KPU) official declaration.

Unlike Mamad, his family members in Indramayu had voted for Prabowo Subianto as the region is known for being a Prabowo coalition stronghold.

The Joko supporter recalled proudly casting his vote at a polling station in a ward where the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS), a member of Prabowo’s coalition, rules. The ward chief was a staunch PKS follower and had encouraged people not to vote for Joko. But Mamad was not influenced and at the end of that day, Joko garnered the most votes there.

Matrodji, a collector of used wooden materials, returned to his hometown in Sampang, Madura, in East Java, where he was told by his relatives that no votes had been cast in favor for Joko. Matrodji was not surprised as he had suspected the influential Muslim cleric of the region had discouraged people from casting their votes for the Jakarta governor.

Not wanting to make an issue out of Joko’s victory, Matrodji switched the subject of conversation to ways of preventing hard-line elements from infiltrating Indonesia’s moderate ideology and Joko’s wish to set up an Indonesian representative office in Gaza, which he thought would be impossible. He was of the view that Joko should concentrate on domestic affairs.

Gembong, a native of Solo, Central Java, has a message for the president-elect: If he can indeed meet the Indonesian people’s expectations, that would be an amazing feat. But at national scale, the task would not be easy.

Infrastructure is key. Indonesia has long faced infrastructure problems. The closest example is the annual Idul Fitri exodus, during which travelers face the same problems again and again despite years of potential improvement to roads and transportation.

The recent breakdown of bridges in Comal, Central Java, and Ciamis, West Java, are the perfect example of failure on the part of the outgoing administration after 10 years in power. The public works ministry is a mess due to rampant corruption and markups. So, if by Idul Fitri next year the conditions of Indonesia’s infrastructure hasn’t changed, people will slowly lose their trust in Joko, regardless of how popular the president-elect is.

People are pinning their hopes on the new leader, but the country’s problems are complex. If Joko can appoint professionals into his cabinet, reduce fuel subsidies, formulate a proper budget, implement realistic policies, promote religious tolerance, build infrastructure, reduce imports food imports, promote the nation’s business environment and open Indonesia up to new investments in the same spirit and outstanding volunteerism with which people have supported him, he can endure.

The discourse on our president-elect’s ability to lead the country is what will set this year’s Idul Fitri celebration apart from previous years’.

Yanto Soegiarto is the managing editor of Globe Asia, a sister publication of the Jakarta Globe.

How All Religions Can Play a Part in Ramadan

Jakarta Globe, Dyah Ayu Pitaloka, August 4, 2013

Buddhist members of the Vihara Sanggar Suci temple in Malang, East Java,
have been opening their doors to serve up meals for Muslims to break their fast
during the month of Ramadan for the past 15 years. (JG Photo/Dyah Ayu Pitaloka)

Tineke paced back and forth as she looked at her watch. “It’s now 5 p.m., and the food has yet to come,” the middle-aged woman said, her restlessness shown by her frown and shortness of breath.

She was not the only one waiting anxiously for the food to arrive. Eight other women were also standing by and keeping themselves busy by arranging tables into rows, laying down tablecloths and stacking empty plates.

Tineke and the other women were preparing a mass iftar event for some 200 hungry Muslims who were eager to break their fast.

But while the women had volunteered and financed the event for Muslims who were not fortunate enough to buy a decent meal or who did not have time to prepare anything, they won’t be fasting this Ramadan.

(JG Photo/Dyah Ayu Pitaloka)

The women are Buddhists and members of the Vihara Sanggar Suci temple located in the subdistrict of Lawang in Malang, East Java. For the past 15 years, the temple has opened its doors and converted its garage into a gathering place where food is served for Muslims looking to break their fast during the holy month.

Winantea Listiahadi, the temple’s head clergyman and the drive’s initiator, is a humble, elderly man with grey hair who likes to wear simple clothes — a plain white T-shirt and a pair of old, worn, faded black trousers.

He recounted how he started the drive. It was 1998 and the Asian financial crisis was at its height. Businesses were forced to close, jobs were lost and people were going to bed hungry.

The crisis was so severe it paved the way for the resignation of former president Suharto, a powerful, iron-fisted leader who reigned for 32 years. But it also gave way to friction, ethnic violence and tensions. That year, 850 kilometers away in Jakarta, people of Chinese descent like Winantea were targeted, murdered and raped, their homes, stores and factories burned.

But Winantea couldn’t care less.

What he saw at the time were victims of the financial crisis, people who had little money to break their fast. And he felt compelled to do something about it.

Winantea said he first contacted members of Metta, a women’s group from the temple, to enlist their help.

“The following day we staged our first fast-breaking event,” he explained.

When the drive kicked off, Winantea and the group served 80 people. But word spread and the number grew to 300, with people coming from the city of Malang to the neighboring district of Jombang. As the number of visitors soared so did the Buddhist community’s drive to lend a hand or provide financial support.

“We started handing out packed meals, visiting them directly. But we realized that people were asking for two to three packs to keep for later so we opened our doors and invited them [to the temple]. That way more people could be served. If they want more they can have another go but after everyone else has had their share,” Winantea said.

The sun was slowly fading and the time to break the fast was just around the corner. A minivan pulled up by the side of the temple, to everyone’s relief. Inside were pots of mutton curry, the meal for the day, ordered from a distant restaurant.

The women wasted no time carrying the heavy pots filled with the stew inside. Tineke swiftly readied the serving bowls, filling them up with the curry as people began queuing up in one long line, snaking out to the nearby streets.

Winantea and the women from Metta ensure that the meals vary each day to keep visitors from getting bored.

They also make sure that the meals are halal, choosing to buy food from restaurants serving halal food rather than preparing their own meals to hand out to visitors.

The volunteers are even willing to help and reach out even if it’s not in line with their own beliefs.

“I am a vegetarian,” the Buddhist monk said.

“If I served them with pecel [vegetables with peanut sauce], they can buy it themselves. It wouldn’t be special for those with low income. This is my way of helping them. So I gladly sacrifice my vegetarianism.”

Winantea said previous items on the menu included rawon (beef stew with soy sauce), soto (soup) or satay .

“If you want more you can head to that table over there. There are also biscuits after you finish your meal,” Tineke shouted to the visitors who had lined up with empty plates in their hands.

Tineke swooped up a ladle full of mutton, pouring it into people’s plates as they moved their way up the long queue.

The call to prayer filled the air, a signal that the day’s fasting was over, preceded by a loud series of drumming from a nearby mosque. One by one the hundreds of people who were there began to down the hot tea served and to eat their first meal for the day.

In a matter of minutes the meals were finished, leaving stacks of dirty plates placed at one corner of the garage waiting to be cleaned. At another corner there sits a plastic bag filled with used plastic spoons and cups and colorful food wrappers.

“The food is great here,” said Karyadi, a man from a neighboring subdistrict who came with his wife and grandson.

“I have been coming here since the first day of fasting and will do so until the fasting month ends.”

(JG Photo/Dyah Ayu Pitaloka)

Indonesia is home to the world’s biggest Muslim population and was once a model of religious tolerance and democracy. But over the years, religious extremism and radicalism have grown in prominence.

Last year, the Setara Institute, an advocacy group, recorded 579 cases of religious violence.

Less than 100 kilometers north of Malang, on the island of Madura, an entire Shia community was attacked and driven away from their homes by radical Sunnis, the predominant Muslim group in Indonesia. In Jakarta, a terrorist cell plotted an attack against a Buddhist temple in retaliation for the killings of Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar.

While the temple’s food drive remains an example of how religious tolerance still has a place in Indonesia and can bridge a widening divide between religions, Winantea said the volunteers’ only intention was to do good without any other agenda or goals in mind.

“We never bothered to check whether they are indeed fasting or not, whether they can afford to buy meals for themselves or not. Everyone is welcome,” he explained.

“I don’t even know for how long we will keep doing this. It’s all about showing compassion. We just let it flow.”

Related Article:

5 Million People Leave Jakarta as Idul Fitri Exodus Peaks

Watatita: Idul Fitri in Malang Sparks Hope for the Country's Religious Issues

Jakarta Globe, Alexia Cahyaningtyas, August 27, 2012

 (Drawings by Alexia Cahyaningtyas)

Among the religious violence and discrimination that this country often experiences, the people of Malang, East Java prove that religious appreciation is still possible. On Idul Fitri, The Kayutangan Catholic Church in Malang welcomed the Muslim citizens in the area to pray at the church’s courtyard.

Photographs of people praying in the courtyard went viral on the Internet and the church has been receiving a lot of praise all over social networks.

This is wonderful to hear and shouldn't be an amazing news because circumstances like this should happen everywhere and as often as possible.

In Malang, this is nothing new; the Christians have been lending the churches to the Muslims for Idul Fitri for years. Even during Christmas, the Muslims help their counterparts with ensuring security in the churches.

If religious differences are not a problem in Malang, why should it be an issue in other places in Indonesia? I guess the extremists who think they are the most righteous, the holiest, the most religious should learn a lot from the people in this city. We can all live together despite our differences.

Malang is a city located 90 kilometers south of the capital city of East Java, Surabaya. This city is also well known for its diverse cultural, ethnic and religious backgrounds. There are Muslims, Christians, Catholics, Buddhists, Hindus and even the Kong Hu Cus.

You can find so many Islamic boarding schools there, but at the same time, there are also many Hindu temples scattered around the area. Malang is also a big center for Christian religious education.

The last time I went to Malang, which wasn’t so long ago, I visited a place where they perform Wayang Potehi, or Chinese Puppets, and the place is well maintained and is still regularly attended by both the Indonesian Chinese and the Javanese.

The city of Malang has shown that hope is still here and we can educate other people about religious tolerance and appreciation. If this can happen in Malang, it can happen in Jakarta, Sumatra, Banten, basically everywhere throughout the archipelago.

Churches, mosques, temples, monasteries, synagogues are all houses of God. We have different ways, different rituals to pray to God, but we all pray to the same God.

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“.. For centuries you haven't been able to think past that box of what God must be like. So you create a Human-like God with wars in heaven, angel strife, things that would explain the devil, fallen angels, pearly gates, lists of dos and don'ts, and many rules still based on cultures that are centuries old. You create golden streets and even sexual pleasures as rewards for men (of course) - all Human perspective, pasted upon God. I want to tell you that it's a lot different than that. I want to remind you that there are those who have seen it! Why don't you ask somebody who has had what you would call a near-death experience?

Catholics pray for Muslims on holiday travels

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta, Sun, 08/28/2011

The congregation of one Catholic church is offering prayers for the safe travels of Muslims on the road for the holiday.

“We pray for everyone's safety - especially for those who are right now struggling to reach their hometowns to celebrate Idul Fitri,” said a priest at St. Bartholomew church in Bekasi during mass on Sunday as quoted by kompas.com.

In an annual tradition, Pope Benedict XVI is expected to offer greetings to all Muslims on the first day of Idul Fitri.

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