Epidemic Tests Harmony on the Slopes of Mt Merbabu
Residents of Thekelan hampet on Mount Merbabu, Central Java, have long maintained religious harmony, but had to temporarily halt their tradition of exchanging physical greetings this year.
By
ADITYA PUTRA PERDANA
·6 minutes read
Residents of Thekelan hampet on Mount Merbabu, Central Java, have long maintained religious harmony, but had to temporarily halt their tradition of exchanging physical greetings this year. However, their sense of religious tolerance has not declined. The outbreak has been unable to break the community bond that has prevailed across the generations.
Every year, the residents of Thekelan hamlet in Batur village, Getasan district, Semarang regency, deeply interpret all Muslim, Christian, Catholic and Buddhist religious holidays. On these occasions, the village streets are filled with people in orderly lines, shaking the hands of their neighbors one by one. Despite their different beliefs, the people embrace each other and wish each other a happy holiday with sincerity.
However, the tradition of exchanging forgiveness among the followers of different religions was temporarily canceled on Sunday (24/5/2020) due to the COVID-19 outbreak.
In previous years, the atmosphere of shared joy and celebration always prevailed on every religious holiday, no matter the religion. However, the villagers had to break with tradition momentarily in order to break the chain of COVID-19 transmission.
During Idul Fitri, non-Muslims typically head to the mosque, where they wait for their Muslim brothers and sisters to finish observing the Idul Fitri prayer. As soon as the prayer is over, the Buddhist, Christian, and Catholic villagers congratulate their fellow Muslim villagers as they depart the mosque to offer mutual forgiveness.
Similarly, during Waisak and Christmas, the villagers form long lines to congratulate those who celebrate these holidays. During Waisak this year on 7 May, the village canceled the tradition in order to adhere to the government\'s recommendation to maintain physical distance.
Thekelan helmet head Supriyo, 45, said on Monday (25/5/2020) when contacted from Semarang that the tradition was temporarily canceled due to the current circumstances. "We cannot shake hands or embrace each other in [a spirit of] forgiveness as usual," he said.
This complied with the government\'s emergency health protocol. Nevertheless, this did not necessarily mean that the spirit of togetherness had dissipated, said Supriyo. On the eve of Idul Fitri, Muslims continued to deliver food parcels to non-Muslim villagers.
This symbolizes Muslims asking for forgiveness from non-Muslims.
“The food was distributed door-to-door by young people from the mosque in accordance with the health protocol. This symbolizes Muslims asking for forgiveness from non-Muslims. We hope the plague will pass soon, "he said.
Thekelan hamlet is located 1,600 meters above sea level at the foot of Mt. Merbabu. Its residents follow Buddhism (majority), Islam, Christianity, and Catholicism. The village has three houses of worship: Abu Bakr as-Siddiq Mosque, Bhumika Temple, and Thekelan Church.
Abu Bakr as-Siddiq Mosque chairman Satiman, 34, said that the Idul Fitri prayer was held in keeping with the government\'s health protocol. In addition to maintaining distance between worshipers, all physical greetings were shunned, even among fellow Muslims.
This year, the people of other faiths did not wait at the mosque like they did during previous Idul Fitri holidays. "[The holiday] was incomplete. Deep in my heart, I wanted to shake hands. However, we had to follow the government\'s recommendation," he said.
Tugimin, 41, who manages Bhumika Temple, also felt the same way. After Waisak, Buddhists worshipped only at home and did not exchange any physical greetings. Even during Idul Fitri, the villagers could not shake hands and embrace each other.
"Really, it was a little disappointing. [The holiday celebration] was incomplete because we could not visit our neighbors. However, we still could express our wishes through WhatsApp. We could offer forgiveness, even though we did not meet face-to-face," he said.
According to an archived Kompas article dated 11 June 2018, Thekelan resident Dimas Jumali said that he had learned the tradition of congratulating those of other faiths on their religious holidays from his parents when he was a child. Besides exchanging greetings, they also visited their neighbors’ homes to strengthen the bonds of kinship. The tradition was also observed on Idul Fitri and Christmas. He said that he had never found this tradition in other villages.
"My mother and father often said, ‘If you want to unite Indonesia, you must unite the people in this village first,’" said Dimas.
To create an atmosphere of celebration, the followers of each religion typically made a banner of the appropriate holiday greeting and displayed them near the mosque, temple or church. The banner usually carried messages of peace and an appeal to strengthen national integrity.
During Idul Fitri, the villagers who worked in other towns usually came home, which made for a more festive atmosphere. Supriyo said that the pluralism of Thekelan hamlet was part of each family, and that it was not unusual for a single family to have members who followed a different religion.
This was due to familial tradition or freedom. However, mutual respect was always practiced to maintain peace.
For decades, Muslims, Christians and Buddhists in Thekelan hamlet have lived in peaceful diversity.
For decades, Muslims, Christians and Buddhists in Thekelan hamlet have lived in peaceful diversity. There has never been interreligious disputes or tensions. Out of the 220 village households in 2018, approximately 50 percent were Buddhist, 30 percent were Muslim, and 20 percent were Catholic or Christian. Buddhism first entered Thekelan hamlet in the 1960s, brought by migrants from Salatiga.
The three houses of worship in the village were built by the residents, regardless of their religious affiliation. The villagers came together as a single community to build the mosque, temple and church.
Idul Fitri in Semarang
In the city of Semarang, the atmosphere during the Idul Fitri celebration on Sunday also felt different. The three large mosques in the Central Java capital city, Kauman Mosque, Baiturrahman Mosque, and Central Java Grand Mosque (MAJT), did not hold the congregational Idul Fitri prayer.
Several mosques in a number of the city’s districts held the congregational Idul Fitri prayer with strict adherence to the health protocols. A number of officers were on duty at these mosques. There was no exchanging of physical greetings after the prayer.
Earlier, the Indonesian Ulema Council’s Central Java chairman, K.H. Ahmad Darodji, urged Muslims to observe the Idul Fitri prayer at home to contribute to the efforts to break the chain of COVID-19 transmission.
He said that this was the best option amidst the COVID-19 outbreak. "If the prayer is held at mosques or in [open] fields, it would be difficult not to shake hands with each other, [especially] if friends came from other villages or family members had come home to join the prayer," he said.
The epidemic has indeed been a test of the human sense of attachment, with people forced to follow social distancing to prevent COVID-19 transmission. However, true kinship is not based merely on physical contact. The outbreak is actually testing the solidarity of the people, the country\'s greatest social capital.