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Iftar ban for public servants sparks backlash
President accused of double standards, anti-Islam bias.
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A man delivers food as Indonesian Muslims gather before iftar during the holy fasting month of Ramadan at the Grand Istiqlal Mosque in Jakarta on March 23, 2023. (Reuters/Ajeng Dinar Ulfiana)
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presidential ban on iftar gatherings for civil servants during the holy month of Ramadan, on the pretext of preventing the spread of COVID-19 nearly three months after all pandemic curbs were lifted, has sparked backlash from several Islamist political parties.
In a circular signed by Cabinet Secretary Pramono Anung, President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo said COVID-19 in Indonesia was transitioning from a pandemic to an endemic, and caution was therefore needed to facilitate this.
“The Home Affairs Minister is expected to forward this instruction to governors, regents and mayors,” said the circular dated March 21, a copy of which went viral on Thursday.
The policy has drawn criticism from Islamic groups, which have accused the President of bias against the Muslim community. Some have pointed out that the pandemic curbs were gradually eased until they were fully lifted at the end of December, and that bans no longer applied to crowd-drawing events, such as concerts, exhibitions and even big weddings, including that of the President’s son.
Read also: Ban on civil servants hosting iftar could backfire on Jokowi: Yusril
‘Unwise, unfair’
Yursril Ihza Mahendra, the leader of the Crescent Start Party (PBB), a small pro-government Islamist party, has called on the Cabinet Secretariat to revise the circular and allow civil servants to hold iftar gatherings.
