Idul Adha, like Ramadan and Idul Fitri, is welcomed by Indonesian Muslims every year with various slogans written on boards and posters. Many of these posters are hung along Jakarta's streets, summoning the Muslims to perform Idul Adha's main rite: Animal sacrifice.

In Ciputat, for example, a picture of an old woman on a big board on Ir. Juanda street says: "Terima Kasih Ita/Thank you brother/sister" (for your sacrificed animals). Therefore, in this season, selling goats and cows for that purpose is big business. Just look at many of Depok's corners, an area of Jakarta, where the smell of goat and cow urine is as painful as that of the black heavy smoke spewing out of old public buses. As soon as Idul Adha is over, the lucrative business will fade away.

Yes, we Indonesians like to show our private piety in public, and this tendency can be seen on these ads during Islamic holidays. Certain politicians, in this regard, also seem to enjoy this opportunity, and use it to promote their own image that they accord with the Indonesian standard of personal piety.

Promoting your own personal piety in this manner is so beneficial, cheap, easy and immeasurable -- as nobody can prove or disprove it. Additionally, showing piety seems to have become part of our politeness, showing ourselves to be irreligious or atheistic, on the other hand, seems to go against public morality -- if not a form of committing suicide.

In Depok, some old ads, perhaps remaining from Ramadan, can still be found, calling for Muslims to recite more Koranic verses, to read basmallah (reading-initiation by mentioning God) before doing all activities and to use the right hand -- instead of the left -- in every supposed virtuous deed. Interestingly, a few of these ads include pictures of Depok's mayor -- one has him smiling and surrounded by people wearing songkok -- an Indonesian hat which usually symbolizes piety -- and women wearing scarves (jilbab).

In view of this, most of Indonesia's Muslims still emphasize that individual piety is to be shown in public. This, however, offers a paradox -- if not an absurdity -- with regard to the real life. Just go to Depok. You don't have to be a civil engineer or an urban planner to feel the poor quality of Depok's roads and streets. Most of them are becoming bumpier and more and more holes are filling with muddy water. Riding in a car is like dancing, because of the instability of our body. Enjoy it.

Why do these ads not talk about those damaged public facilities -- but instead call on Depok's citizens to read more Scripture, to recite magic formulas and to spread prejudice against left-handed people? In view of this, I'm afraid that these posters are hung there to cover reality with fake piety. The citizens are urged to turn their attention from bumpy roads to personal piety. Reality is unpleasant, just escape from it. These ads seem to covey that message.

Yes, in Depok there is a mosque with a golden dome, which has recently attracted more pilgrims from outside of Jakarta. One then may wonder how these people feel when they visit that luxurious mosque while traveling on such streets and roads? Don't they see the many paradoxes? The mosque is indeed sumptuous, whereas the streets and roads leading to that mosque are far below standard.

Not only the Idul Adha ads hanging on the roadsides but also our day to day lives have gone against the true spirit of Idul Adha. Just recall the story of Abraham which is preserved in both the Bible and the Koran. Abraham was ready to sacrifice his own beloved son -- be he Ishmael or Isaac -- to teach us the meaning of "sacrifice". That is, we should sacrifice our most beloved possessions -- including our individual interests -- for the sake of a greater and wider interest, such as those of the public.

Here is another paradox. Just observe the streets in Depok. Many of the newest models of cars from various brands -- which are personal belongings -- pass by us every day on these damaged roads -- which are public facilities. You see, some of us show their personal belongings on the damaged public facilities. Note as well that these kinds of roads are surrounded by an increasing number of deluxe personal houses and magnificent malls.

Once again, most of the Idul Adha ads hanging on the roadsides, unfortunately, promote individual piety with the nuance of individual interest and gain. Many still hold, as most of our preachers keep telling us, that if you sacrifice an animal, you will receive a reward as big as that animal -- a gain-and-lose proposition.

Many even still believe that in the world to come you are going to ride your sacrificed animal as a vehicle on the way to paradise. Just imagine that on that road to paradise there will be so many goats, cows and camels serving as vehicles. Be careful and obey the traffic lights, don't get trapped in traffic jams. By the way, are the roads there bumpy, too?

What most of us, particularly our politicians, are doing and promoting does not fulfill what we need. We do need more individuals to sacrifice their interests for the sake of the public, just like Abraham who was ready to sacrifice his own beloved son. But most of us seem to have sacrificed public interest and enjoy our personal luxuries. No wonder corruption keeps our country famous.

The writer has just finished his Ph.D in Heidelberg University, Germany.

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