The elected president and vice president have emphasized that the Idul Fitri or Lebaran festivities serve as a momentum for the peoples reunification.
The offer to make the Idul Fitri holiday an occasion to reunite and maintain peace was expressed by President-elect Joko Widodo or Jokowi and his running mate, Vice President-elect Jusuf Kalla on the occasion of the current Lebaran festival.
Besides Jokowi and Kalla, other parties have also expressed keenness to build and maintain national peace and unity.
According to Jokowi, Idul Fitri, the celebration that marks the end of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan, is the best time to unify the nation. His running mate, Jusuf Kalla, also echoed his views.
Kalla stressed that Idul Fitri is an opportune time for the people to make the country more peaceful.
Therefore, according to the Indonesian Ulemas Council (MUI) for Bali, Indonesian Muslims should continue to maintain peace and togetherness in order to prevent matters from spiraling out of control.
"It should not happen that we experience a chaotic and uncontrolled situation. All human beings should remain united and, like brothers, serve God," MUI Chairman for Bali HM Taufik Asad stated while preaching during an Idul Fitri prayer on Monday.
He remarked that cordial relations built on the occasion of the post-fasting Idul Fitri festivities will reinforce solidarity, forge togetherness, and help to develop a sense of respect towards diversity.
Preaching in front of a congregation of about a thousand Muslims, Taufik Asad noted that such relations will facilitate development across various fields for the benefit of the people.
It is important that the people will forgive each other in keeping with the spirit of Lebaran or Idul Fitri. President-elect Jokowi highlighted the importance of forgiveness for developing the nation together.
"After fasting for an entire month, let us forgive each other and reunite to build our beloved and great nation," Jokowi stated at the Jakarta City Hall on Monday.
The president-elect noted that Idul Fitri should be the best time for reconciliation in this political year after the presidential election.
"If there were differences during the presidential election, let us take this holy occasion of Idul Fitri to reconcile and reunite to build our great nation, the nation of Indonesia," Jokowi stated.
His Vice President-elect Jusuf Kalla added that Idul Fitri would serve as a momentum for the people to make Indonesia more peaceful.
"Let us extend apologies to each other and express happiness, so that Indonesia will be filled in with joy and peace," Jusuf Kalla noted at his residence on Monday.
Kalla again celebrated the Idul Fitri festivities in Jakarta after three consecutive years of celebrating the Lebaran day in his native town of Makassar, South Sulawesi.
Therefore, he appealed to the people of Indonesia to maintain peace during the post-fasting Idul Fitri festivities.
"I simply want to call on the Indonesian people to help maintain peace," Kalla who is also a former vice president and general chairman of the Golkar Party, emphasized on the occasion of Idul Fitri on Monday.
The need for the nation to forge togetherness was also accentuated by West Java Governor Ahmad Heryawan when acting as a preacher during an Idul Fitri prayer.
Ahmad Heryawan remarked that the responsibilities of the people will increase in the future, so Idul Fitri should serve as the occasion to forge togetherness in order to build a better future for Indonesia.
The governor noted that Idul Fitri served as an awakening in a mans life, leading him toward a better future based on religious guidance to create a noble civilization. He added that unity should be fostered to reduce the burden of life.
"Working together is essential for the development of the nation," he pointed out.
In doing so, Heryawan stated that a person should have faith and knowledge of science and technology and implement them optimally.
"With science and technology, our life will advance," he added.
The governor stated that life is a journey, which should be filled with good deeds and faith, and not merely to seek monetary gains.
In the meantime, General Chairman of the Indonesian Islamic Propagation Council (DDII) KH Suhada Bahri on the occasion called on the Indonesian people to offers prayers so that their future leaders will be trustworthy and honest and will protect them and their religions.
"We hope that Indonesia will not get bad leaders who will ruin the peoples faith and morals. Whoever is elected the leader should not betray the trust of the people who have voted for him," Syuhada Bahri remarked while delivering a sermon during an Idul Fitri prayer on Monday.
Bahri noted that history has shown that a despotic leader will later have a dire ending. Our leaders should take a cue from the mistakes committed in the past.
"Leaders who support Islam will not be disadvantaged. They will be praiseworthy in the eyes of God," he emphasized.
Syuhada was also optimistic that the leaders will not tolerate and protect groups that deviated from Islam in Indonesia.
The DDII leader stated that Ramadan constituted the manifestation of Gods love because during the fasting month, mankind was given an opportunity to cleanse its sins.
"The Prophet Muhammad has stressed that God will erase the sins of people who fast because of their faith and hope in Gods grace," he remarked in his sermons in Jakarta.
Syuhada noted that through the fasting month of Ramadan, God has given the people an opportunity and offered his blessings and rewards.
During the fasting month of Ramadan, the gates of Paradise are opened, and the doors of Hell are tightly closed, and the evils are bound, he added.
"It is a proof of Gods love. He does not want us to suffer, let alone be admitted to Hell," he stated.
With regard to the result of the recent presidential election, the DDII chairman noted that the final decision was pending as some problems were yet to be settled.
Therefore, he called on all sides to unequivocally accept the result of the election and whoever is elected.
(T.A014/INE)
EDITED BY INE
(H-YH)
Reporter: Andi Abdussalam
Editor: Aditia Maruli Radja
Copyright © ANTARA 2014
