Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Deputy Chairperson of the Indonesian Ulema Council, Zainut Tauhid Saadi, appealed to the public to welcome the 2019 New Year with a spirit of simplicity.

"We have to welcome the New Year 2019 with a spirit of simplicity and distance ourselves from being wasteful and misusing money on interests that are not of much use (mubadzir)," Saadi stated in Jakarta on Monday.

He expressed hope that the community will make the 2019 New Year a year of social care to foster national solidarity, in order to alleviate the suffering of the victims of disasters.

The General Assembly of the MUI has exemplified that there are disaster victims who still need assistance, such as communities in Lombok, Palu, Donggala, and Banten.

"This is a form of reflection of human values, affection, and concern," he noted.

Saadi also invited Muslims to give thanks to Allah SWT for his gifts of longevity, health, and mercy.

For this, we should increase our prayer, dhikr, and draw closer to Allah SWT, especially praying for the protection of the nation and country from various calamities and threats of disaster that lately often afflict the Indonesian people.

That way, he revealed that Indonesia would become a country that is safe from various tests, slanders, and trials.

In the 2019 political year, he invited all parties, especially national leaders, religious leaders, and political elites to be able to refrain from expressing their politics, including expressing opinions, so as not to create an atmosphere that is tense and full of suspicion.

According to him, differences in choice should be addressed with maturity and not necessarily by destroying each other, slandering, spreading hoaxes, and preaching hate.

In addition to not providing good political education to the community, it can also cause friction and destroy our national unity.

"Let us build a polite political culture, values of civilization, and politeness. Let us stay away from a political culture full of suspicion (su`udzon), opposition (ta`arudl), hostility (tanazu `), and competition ( tabaghut) that is not healthy and cannot be justified any means, "he pointed out.

Reporting by Anom Prihantoro
Editing by Eliswan Azly, Yoseph Hariyadi

Reporter: ANTARA
Editor: Bustanuddin
Copyright © ANTARA 2018