Jakarta - During the fasting month of Ramadhan in Indonesia, it seems everything is focused on the country‘s Muslim population.
Malls and hotels run with Ramadhan themes all month and make sure their services cater to the needs of Muslims. Television stations broadcast Islam-themed programs all day and all night, including music shows and comedies.
Muslims crowd into mosques for tarawih evening prayers, which are carried out very loudly. The calls of imam and sermons from clerics are broadcast throughout most neighborhoods over sound systems, as are Koranic recitations.
Groups of teenagers march through the streets from 2 a.m., banging traditional beduk drums, pails and other instruments to wake up members of the Muslim community for sahur (predawn meals).
We, Muslims, often do not feel guilty for disturbing others, including fellow Muslims, when we are involved in such activities. We are rarely aware that to some degree we are acting beyond the limit of tolerance.
Ramadhan creates a lot of difficulties for nightclubs, bars, cafes and other amusement centers, not to mention the workforce employed in such sectors. These businesses must close entirely or limit their hours of operation so as not to spoil the sanctity of the fasting month.
Restaurants and food stalls in this predominantly Muslim nation also often fall prey to public order officers conducting raids.
Ramadhan, which is meant to be a time for Muslims to exercise self-restraint and introspection, sometimes turns unfriendly as many local governments evict low-income residents on the grounds of disrupting public order. Acts against vice intensify and strangely affect other groups, including daylight food vendors, during the holy month.
In Pekanbaru, the capital city of Riau, public order officers backed up by the military ransacked food stalls and coffee shops on Sept. 18. Customers stopped visiting the venues in fear of also being arrested.
The move followed a circular issued by Mayor Herman Abdullah banning restaurants and amusement centers from operating during daylight hours throughout Ramadhan. He threatened to revoke the business licenses of anyone defying the regulation.
On Sept. 17, arrests were also made by authorities in Banjarmasin, South Kalimantan, after they raided food stalls. Detained vendors were jailed for three months or fined Rp 500,000 each.
The radical Islam Defenders Front (FPI) has continued attacks on nightclubs this year, like during previous fasting months. The FPI activists, too, did have their share of the spotlight earlier this month when they raided the homes of al-Wahidiyah followers. Based in Tasikmalaya, West Java, al-Wahidiyah is an Islamic sect which the hard-line group claims is heretical.
Government officials have insisted that raids on food stalls and amusement centers are aimed at paying respect to Ramadhan and ensuring a "conducive environment" for Muslims to observe the holy month.
However, the policy itself has disrupted the solemnness of Ramadhan and affected Muslim workers and their families as it has not compensated those it has targeted.
The move to ban or limit the operation of entertainment centers during Ramadhan has caused many people, including Muslims, to lose their jobs, making it hard to celebrate Idul Fitri or contemplate the future.
Food vendors and owners of small restaurants have also suffered and sooner or later may be forced to close due to the ban.
The closure of food stalls and nightclubs does not make sense as many Muslims do not fast for a wide array of reasons, which are permissible under Islam. Moreover, such a ban on food sales during Ramadhan has no legal basis in Islam.
So why have authorities proceeded with such raids?
Are they just overacting or is it hypocrisy on their part? Perhaps they think such tough measures are a way to adhere to Islamic teachings, when in reality they are corrupt.
For whatever reason they act, they have failed to restrain themselves or control their nafs (passion), which is a core aspect of Ramadhan. They do not bring peace, share happiness or promote tolerance within society, which are all mandatory aspects of observing Ramadhan.
The fasting month should be an ideal time to foster mutual respect between those who fast and those who do not fast. Mutual respect cannot be reached with the use of force. It is reached through sincerity. The use of force is an act of tyranny, which Islam does not condone. The Koran itself says there should be no coercion in religion.
Respect cannot be obtained by hurting, intimidating or victimizing others, including under the guise of religion.
Padang food restaurants set a good example of how mutual respect works in Ramadhan. Generally they change their hours of operation or shut entirely during the fasting month.
Instead of banning food stalls during Ramadhan, it would be better to allow businesses to operate as usual. This would test our capability to control our nafs.
The more challenges we face, the more rewards we get. On the contrary, the less challenges we face, the more vulnerable we are to temptations or indulging in our nafs, which is certainly a source of human destruction.
Source: www.thejakartapost.com (27 September 2007)
