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Religious harmony shown on Idul Fitri in Semarang, Malang
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Muslims gathering for Eid prayers at the Masjid Jamik Malang on Friday are welcomed in the yard of the Catholic Church of the Sacred Heart because the mosque could not accommodate them all. (JP/Aman Rochman)
S
emarang Archbishop Robertus Rubiyatmoko and four other Catholic priests visited the Central Java Grand Mosque on Friday to convey Idul Fitri greetings to the ulemas and to the Muslim faithful.
“We have come to wish our Muslim brothers and sisters a happy Idul Fitri,” Robertus said. “This is a tradition that is great for building togetherness, kinship and brotherhood between all Indonesians.”
Robertus met with former Muhammadiyah chairman Muhammad Sirajuddin "Din" Syamsuddin and several other ulemas at the mosque after they performed the Eid prayers and shared breakfast together.
Din Syamsuddin, who delivered the Idul Fitri sermon, expressed his gratitude for the archbishop’s visit, saying it was a good tradition that helped foster interreligious harmony in Central Java. “We may have different religions but we are still brethren as we are all God’s creations and Indonesian citizens,” he said.
The mosque’s manager, Noor Achmad, echoed Din’s sentiments, saying the mosque emphasized Islam as rahmatan lil ‘alamin (blessing for the universe).
“This mosque has established itself as a place for Muslims who protect and cooperate with all religions so as to create peace in Central Java, Indonesia, and the whole world,” he said.
Meanwhile, in Malang, Masjid Jamik Malang was so full of worshippers that the Eid sermon had to be held in the yard of the Catholic Church of the Sacred Heart (Gereja Hati Kudus Yesus) and in the city square.
According to church staff, helping out with Eid prayers was an annual tradition. To cater to it, the church’s morning mass was postponed from 7 a.m. to 9 a.m. Members of the church’s Young Catholic organization also distributed bottled water and paper to those who did not bring prayer rugs.
Moch Affandi, the mosque’s secretary, said it always coordinated with the church as well as the Protestant Church of Immanuel.
“The mosque has operated since 1903 and we never had any conflict with the churches,” he added.
One of the congregants praying in the church yard, Devi Amatanti, 34, said she was grateful that the church opened its doors to another faith.
“[When I arrived at the mosque] I did not find any space to pray. However, the church staff offered their yard to us. They even gave us free paper to use as replacements for prayer rugs. I’m happy to see tolerance and religious harmony in Malang,” she added. (kmt/gis)
