http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/home/muslims-divided-on-marking-holy-day-but-united-in-their-idul-adha-devotion/407142
Muslims Divided on Marking Holy Day but United in Their Idul Adha Devotion Amir Tejo, Dofa Fasila& Antara | November 17, 2010 Residents line up for meat at a distribution point in Pejompongan, Jakarta. (JG Photo/Safir Makki) Jakarta. Idul Adha this year was marked in Indonesia with tens of millions of people celebrating the day one day earlier than the official date. The Muhammadiyah, the country's second-largest Islamic organization with 30 million followers, marked the day on Tuesday, while the official day was Wednesday. The Muhammadiyah relies on astronomical calculations to determine its date. Muhammadiyah chairman Din Syamsudin conducted his Idul Adha prayers in front of East Java governor's office in Surabaya before thousands of followers. In his sermon, Din reminded the congregation of a recent Muhammadiyah edict that said meat from the slaughtered animals be given to the survivors of the flashflood and landslides that hit Wasior in West Papua on Oct. 4, the earthquake-triggered tsunami in the Mentawai Islands and the eruption of Mount Merapi in Central Java and Yogyakarta. He said Muhammadiyah had collected 1,000 animals, including 200 cows, to donate for sacrifice in Yogyakarta, one of the regions hardest hit by the eruption. East Java Governor Soekarwo and his deputy, Saifullah Yusuf, attended the Idul Adha prayers on Wednesday, the date officially declared by the government. In Jakarta, thousands of devotees thronged the Istiqlal Mosque from dawn, forming long queues because of the strict security checks in place for the visit of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to perform his Idul Adha prayer. Also present were the first lady, some cabinet ministers and ambassadors from Muslim countries. Yudhoyono donated one cow to the mosque, which sacrificed 17 cows and 318 goats. Vice President Boediono, who is overseas, also donated a cow. The meat will be distributed today and the organizing committee has issued 5,000 coupons that entitle the holders to receive one kilogram. Prayers at City Hall this year were held without Governor Fauzi Bowo, who is on the hajj pilgrimage. His deputy, Prijanto, conducted his prayer at the Istiqlal as part of the president's retinue. City Secretary Fadjar Panjaitan said the fact that some Muslims marked Idul Adha on Tuesday "should not become a subject of debate," and that Muslims should remain united. The Jakarta administration this year donated 180 cows and 473 goats for sacrifice. Meanwhile, the holiness of the day did not mean a holiday for thieves. At least six devotees who had taken part in the morning prayer at the Istiqlal Mosque reported to the mosque's security post that they had lost their cellphones. One of the pickpockets was caught in action by the crowd at the mosque and was thoroughly beaten up before police could rescue him. [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] ------------------------------------ Post message: prole...@egroups.com Subscribe : proletar-subscr...@egroups.com Unsubscribe : proletar-unsubscr...@egroups.com List owner : proletar-ow...@egroups.com Homepage : http://proletar.8m.com/Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/proletar/ <*> Your email settings: Individual Email | Traditional <*> To change settings online go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/proletar/join (Yahoo! ID required) <*> To change settings via email: proletar-dig...@yahoogroups.com proletar-fullfeatu...@yahoogroups.com <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: proletar-unsubscr...@yahoogroups.com <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
