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Call for tolerance as fasting month begins
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Welcoming Ramadhan:People observe the moon’s position to determine the beginning of Ramadhan at Al-Musyari’in Mosque in West Jakarta on Friday. Most Islamic organizations have decided the first day of the holy month will fall on Saturday. (JP/Dhoni Setiawan)
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plea for tolerance and vigilance against religious extremism is in the air as millions of Indonesian Muslims observe the fasting month of Ramadhan, which begins on Saturday.
This year’s fasting month comes amid concerns of declining religious pluralism in the country following a highly sectarian election in Jakarta and the rise of religious extremism as evidenced by the latest deadly terror attack to hit the country.
The animosity toward nonactive Jakarta governor Basuki “Ahok” Tjahaja Purnama, the first Christian to contest a gubernatorial election in the capital, persists even after he was convicted of blasphemy earlier this month.
A video featuring a group of children chanting “kill Ahok, kill Ahok now” while taking part in a torch rally to welcome in the holy month has gone viral on social media over the past few days. It is unclear where the video was taken or whether it is authentic, but the police have said they will investigate the alleged incident.
On Wednesday, two young men from West Java committed a suicide bomb attack in Kampung Melayu, East Jakarta, killing three police officers and leaving more than a dozen people injured. The Islamic State (IS) terror group has claimed responsibility for the attacks, which they claim were carried out by its soldiers.
Religious Affairs Minister Lukman Hakim Saifuddin has called on Muslims nationwide to use the holy month of Ramadhan to reflect on their religiosity.
“I ask all Muslims to learn and to really understand the meaning of Ramadhan. Ramadhan is a time for introspection and to evaluate our religiosity. We have to ask whether the way we perform our religion has reflected good behavior, such as respecting others who are different from us,” Lukman said after holding an isbat (confirmation) meeting at his office on Friday afternoon.
