Cape Town, South Africa - Dozens of Muslims were setting up tents near the shrine of Sheikh Yusuf in Cape Town, South Africa, on Sunday afternoon when President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono made a visit to the area.
"We will be camping here during the Easter holiday to pray because this place is keramat (treated as holy)," said 65-year-old Faridah, who made the trip with her large family.
Sheikh Yusuf`s shrine has become a magnet for Muslim pilgrims in South Africa, especially during long holidays, like Easter.
Many Muslims in South Africa have roots in Indonesia, including Sheikh Yusuf.
According to history, Sheikh Yusuf was born in 1626 of noble descent in Goa, Sulawesi. He fought alongside and supported Sultan Agung of Mataram in the war against the Dutch. Twice the sheikh escaped Dutch custody, but was finally persuaded to surrender on the promise of a pardon.
The Dutch, however, did not fulfill their promise, and Sheikh Yusuf was banished along with his family and followers to Colombo in Ceylon (now Sri Lanka). Fearing his influence in Colombo, the sheikh was exiled to the Cape of Good Hope in 1694, 10 years after his initial surrender.
The Dutch isolated Sheikh Yusuf on a farm in Zandyleit, far from Cape Town. But Zandyleit turned into a rallying point for fugitive slaves and other exiles. Since many of the sheikh`s followers came from Makassar in South Sulawesi, the area around Zandyleit is now known as Macassar.
Sheikh Yusuf died on May 23, 1699, at the age of 73.
Because of his role in the war against the Dutch, the Indonesian government conferred on him national hero status in August 1995. Since then, a number of Indonesian dignitaries have visited Sheikh Yusuf`s tomb, including then president Soeharto in 1997, president Megawati Soekarnoputri (2002), Vice President Jusuf Kalla (2005) and President Yudhoyono.
Arriving at Nurul Latief Mosque near the shrine, Yudhoyono was welcomed by Western Cape Premier Ibrahim Rasool, himself a Muslim with roots in Sleman, Yogyakarta.
"Mr. President, you come at the wrong time. If you came during Easter, you would see thousands of people camping on this ground, praying and silaturrahim (meeting with fellow Muslims)," Rasool said.
Rasool thanked the President and the Indonesian people for supporting the construction of the mosque and its operation.
In response, Yudhoyono promised the Indonesian government would provide additional support in the form of a library inside the mosque, in a bid to strengthen cultural ties between Muslims in South Africa and Indonesia.
Yudhoyono said he would also discuss with South African President Thabo Mbeki the possibility of providing scholarships for Muslims in South Africa to pursue their studies in Indonesia.
The President then prayed in the mosque together with local Muslim leaders and visited Sheikh Yusuf`s shrine (Riyadi Suparno).
Source: www.thejakartapost.com (18 Maret 2008)
