Mosques, Churches use Idul- Fitri to tighten Bonds

Mosque and church caretakers say they always use the Idul Fitri holiday as an opportunity to strengthen interfaith friendship and cooperation. For them, small gestures of kindness are pivotal to preserving inter-religious relationships.

The Protestant Masehi Injili Sangihe Talaud Church in Tanjung Priok, North Jakarta, has long been known for its location, standing side-by-side with the Al-Muqarrabien mosque. The church's former minister, Tatalade Barakati, recalled that the friendship between the two religious communities had lasted 50 years - and counting.

“A few years ago, Idul Fitri prayers were held on a Sunday, so we decided to forgo morning service that day,” she told thejakartapost.com on Friday.

For this year's Idul Fitri prayers, she continued, the church allocated its main yard as a parking lot for the Muslim faithful. She added that it was also customary for members of the two congregations to share breaking of the fast meals during Ramadhan.

Adi Muhammad, an official at the mosque, noted that it was traditional for the two houses of worship to share whatever they had every day, and especially during religious festivities. He also smoke warmly of the joint breaking of the fast tradition and the church's willingness to provide parking space for worshippers at the mosque.

Not far from the location, a mosque caretaker who asked to remain anonymous revealed that his usual mosque, the Jami At Tauhid Mosque, enjoyed a similarly harmonious relationship with the church next door, the Western Indonesia Protestant Church.

"Every time we hold an event here," he said, "the church always opens its door and lets us park our vehicles there."