The West Nusa Tenggara Police and personnel from the provincial military base prayed with interfaith leaders in Mataram on Friday afternoon to ask for strength to rebuild the island.

West Nusa Tenggara Police chief Insp. Gen. Achmat Juri, Military Resort 162 commander Col. Ahmad Rizal Ramdhani and interfaith leaders were present at the event, which was held on a field at police headquarters.

“We prayed together to show empathy and solidarity in the name of humanity,” Juri said. “We are all grieving and we hope that the residents can be strong in the face of this disaster.”

He said the survivors had to rise to the occasion because the province had entered the rehabilitation and reconstruction period on Aug. 26.

The head of the Interfaith Forum in the province, Syahdan Ilyas, said the event aimed to ask for strength as well as to strengthen the friendship among different religious congregations. (evi)