Lebaran, a Moment to Restore Unity

KOMPAS/RHAMA PURNA JATI

A local official peers through a telescope on Monday (3/6/2019) in Palembang, South Sumatra. After confirming the sighting of the new moon, the government determined that Idul Fitri, or 1 Syawal 1440 Hijriah, would fall on 5 June 2019 (5/6/2019) in Indonesia.

Idul Fitri (Lebaran) can be an occasion for the elite and the grassroots to reknit and restore unity.

JAKARTA, KOMPAS — The social divisiveness that emerged as a result of different political choices in the 2019 elections must end immediately. Idul Fitri can be an occasion for the elite and grassroots to restore unity and strengthen our sense of kinship.

The general chairman of the Nahdlatul Ulama central executive board (PBNU), Said Aqil Siroj, said that the political elite needed to provide an example by holding a get-together in order to reestablish kinship and unity.

"The camp that has won is our brother, and the second winner is also our brother. So, we are again united, returning to work hand in hand to build this nation together. If we are successful, this will be a [shared] success," he said Monday (3/6/2019) at the PBNU headquarters in Jakarta.

"Halalbihalal"

Said continued that reconciliation could start with a halalbihalal (thanksgiving gathering) for the two presidential candidates. He said that during Ramadan in 1948, President Soekarno invited K.H. Wahab Chasbullah to provide a suggestion to resolve the unfavorable state of the nation, and that Wahab suggested holding a halalbihalal for the political elite to sit together and discuss national unity.

Said added that halalbihalal remained relevant today, because the elite and the Indonesian public were more educated.

A Kompas R&D survey of 620 respondents in 16 major cities showed that 90.3 percent of respondents planned to hold a gathering during Idul Fitri with relatives or friends who voted differently in the presidential election. Meanwhile, 78.5 percent of respondents believed that Lebaran was an occasion for bridging the different camps of supporters.

Muhammadiyah central executive board chairman Haedar Nashir said that the political elite should be an example for the grassroots community. The statesmanship of the elite was being tested by the polarization of the 2019 elections.

"This dispute should not be prolonged, but must be resolved for the sake of the people and the future of Indonesia," he said.

KOMPAS/RADITYA HELABUMI

Travelers board the Brantas train at Pasar Senen Station in Central Jakarta, which was still crowded three days before Idul Fitri on Sunday (2/6/2019). State-owned railway company PT KAI has expanded its operational fleet to accommodate the increased number of passengers during the holiday season.

Haedar said that the political elite had a variety of interests that made it difficult for them to reconcile. Therefore, on the occasion of Idul Fitri, the political elite needed to minimize tensions so that society could emulate their behavior.

Separately, President Joko Widodo pointed out that Idul Fitri was the right time to restore the spirit of unity and kinship in both families and society. With unity, all levels of society could build Indonesia together.

When asked about the possibility of reconciliation on Monday, rival candidate Prabowo Subianto responded with only a brief statement.

"We will see later, yes, everything has its time," he said on the sidelines of attending a wake at the residence of 6th president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono in Cikeas, Bogor.

Firman Noor, the head of the Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI) Political Research Center, said that reconciliation was not an overnight process. For it to succeed, reconciliation needed to progress through stages of dialogue that brought together the two competing parties. All parties must take advantage of any occasion, including Idul Fitri, to seek reunification.

Social media

PoliticaWave founder Yose Rizal said that political noise on social media had subsided after the 22 May riots. The political issues that had been trending topics had started fading.

KOMPAS/RIZA FATHONI

A man reads the Quran on Sunday (26/5/2019) at Istiqlal Mosque in Central Jakarta. Muslims increase their religious observance beyond the obligatory prayers during the final 10 days of Ramadan, such as by reading the Quran, observing iktikaf (devotional retreat), giving alms, and by performing the sunah and tahajud prayers.

Various factors had led to the decline, including that some netizens had accepted the election results as well as the ongoing legal process against members of the political elite whose words had frequently provoked unrest.

Idrus Marham, the chairperson of Aceh’s Kanot Bu Community – a literary, cultural and cross-professional community – said that the political elite must follow the example of the grassroots people who had reunited after the presidential election.

"We can expect nothing from our political elite. Every political season is a repeat of theatrics," said Idrus. (INA/DVD/SPW/HRS/TAM/AIN/DIV/SKA/NCA/FAI/SHR)