Mosques Told to Tone Down During Festivities: Bali

By Barrie | October 10th, 2007 | No Comments

Muslims have been asked to tone down their celebrations and prayers in Bali this year — to not disturb others with prayers delivered using loudspeaker systems and to conduct evening parades with more respect for the Bali bomb attacks on October 12, 2002.

A number of mosques and city squares in Denpasar and other parts of Bali have been prepared for the 10 percent of Bali’s population that are Muslims to say their Idul Fitri prayers later this week, a Muslim administrative representative said.

Wayan Syamsul Bahri from the Bali administration and representing Muslims said Monday large-scale “takbiran” evening parades to mark the end of the fasting month used to be launched along major thoroughfares in Bali cities.

“The suggestion (to tone the parades down) was made to anticipate any conflicts with non-Muslims, who have been suspicious certain Muslim groups were behind the bomb attacks,” Wayan said.

Muslims have also been asked to tone down the use of speakers for prayers so as not to disturb the surroundings, Wayan said.

He said mosques and city squares in Bali had always been full of Muslims during Idul Fitri prayers, despite many choosing to travel to celebrate the holiday with their families outside Bali.

In Denpasar and Badung, Idul Fitri prayers would be held at mosques in Al Ikhlas at Monang-Maning area, Al Muhajirin at Kepaon, Baiturahman at Kampung Jawa, Al Muhajirin at Tanjung Benoa, Ukhuwah Denpasar and Al Ihsan Sanurhe.

The city squares usually used to accommodate prayers would include Puputan Badung, Nitimandala Renon, Buyung, Nitipraja Lumintang, Tohpati, Pegok, Samudra Kuta, Nusa Dua, Pokmer Tuban and Bali Police and Tuban military district command’s yards.
Wayan said the last eight years had seen an increasing number of mosques in Bali used for Idul Fitri prayers.

He said some 80 percent of the 600 mosques on the tourist island were used for the prayers during Idul Fitri.

The Central Statistics Agency (BPS) said some 10 percent of Bali’s 3.5 million residents were Muslims.

Wayan said he thought it would reach 25 percent, “because many Muslim migrants here do not have local citizenship cards”.

He said 70 percent of Muslims in Bali were members of Indonesia’s largest Muslim organization Nahdlatul Ulama (NU).

There remains some dispute over the date of Idul Fitri prayers and Wayan said he would ask Bali’s Muslims to pray in line with their beliefs.

The government has set Saturday as the first day of the Muslim month Syawal, when Idul Fitri is usually held, but NU and a number of other Muslim organizations said they would wait for the moon’s crescent to appear Thursday evening.

The country’s second largest Muslim organization Muhammadiyah has decided to commence prayers Friday.

The Idul Fitri prayers by Muhammadiyah members would be held at Monang-Maning mosque and Nitimandala Renon square.

“We can just expect the difference should not necessarily affect the solemnness of the prayers,” Wayan said.

He said during Ramadhan fasting month he had visited a number of mosques prepared for the Idul Fitri prayers.

Wasti Atmodjo