On Christmas Day, Muslims and Christians, from scavengers to affluent
residents, were lining up to extend holiday greetings to Jakarta Deputy
Governor Basuki “Ahok” Tjahaja Purnama at his official residence in
Kuningan, South Jakarta.
The deputy governor — the first
Christian of Chinese-descent to take a top job in the capital city since
1965 — hosted an open house to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ
despite a mostly unheeded edict from the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI)
for Muslims not to wish Christians a happy Christmas let alone take part
in festivities. The MUI had said wishing a happy Christmas was akin to
confirming the “misguided” teachings of Christianity.
Ahok said
that it was customary for high officials to hold an open house on
religious festivals in a bid to stay in touch with residents of the
city. “If other officials do it every Lebaran [the Idul Fitri Islamic
holiday], I will do it on Christmas,” he said in his greeting speech,
before inviting visitors to enjoy chicken satay, soto Betawi (beef and
coconut milk soup) and meatballs that were served non-stop.
The
election of Ahok as Jakarta’s deputy governor has been seen as a sign
that the majority of Jakarta residents are becoming more tolerant of
having a leader from a different religious background.
The last
Christian to hold an executive post in the capital city was Henk
Ngantung, who served as deputy governor from 1960 to 1964 and as
governor from 1964 to 1965.
Governor Joko “Jokowi” Widodo,
former governor Sutiyoso and former deputy governor Prijanto were among
Ahok’s guests along with other Jakarta administration officials, who are
mostly Muslims. Jokowi, who visited the Jakarta Cathedral and Immanuel
Church on Christmas Eve, came at midday to Ahok’s residence to
personally deliver his Christmas greeting, in what he called his first
friendly visit to his deputy.
In most parts of the archipelago,
Christmas celebrations passed off peacefully, except for the members of
GKI Yasmin and Filadelfia congregations in Bogor and Bekasi who were
still barred from holding services in their own churches. The two
congregations still face persecution and called for an end to their
plights.
In Yogyakarta, an entourage of some 70 representatives
of community and interfaith groups conducted a Christmas tour to wish
Protestants and Catholics a merry Christmas. They visited three
churches, namely the GPIB Jamaat Church in Margo Mulyo, the Santo
Antonius Church in Kota Baru and the Javanese Christian Church (GKJ)
Sawo Jajar in Gondokusuman.
“On behalf of the Yogyakarta Palace we convey a Merry Christmas to you all,” KPH Wironegoro of the
Yogyakarta Palace told the congregation of Santo Antonius Church on Sunday evening, which was received warmly.
The
palace, he said, supported multiculturalism and pluralism. “Hopefully
what we do in Yogyakarta can be a light for Indonesia and the world,”
said Wironegoro, the husband of the sultan’s first daughter GKR
Pembayun.
Abdul Muhaimin of the Yogyakarta Interfaith Forum
(FPUB) said the sultan had an obligation to protect the rights of all
his people even those who believed only in the mythical figure of Nyai
Roro Kidul, the ruler the South Sea.
In Bantul, Yogyakarta,
thousands of Catholics flocked to Hati Kudus Tuhan Yesus (HKTY) Church
to enjoy the colossal Javanese traditional drama Kethoprak during
Christmas mass on Monday evening. “Through the performance hopefully the
congregations will find it easier to understand the Bible, because the
story is taken from verses in the Bible,” said Sri Nugroho, who
organized the Christmas celebration.
A different way of
celebrating Christmas was found on the slopes of Mount Merapi in Tangkil
village in Magelang, Central Java. The celebration was marked by a
blessing of agricultural implements, seedlings and livestock.
In
Ungaran, Semarang regency, Central Java, Christmas celebrations held in
Sidomulyo Square right next to the Ungaran Grand Mosque also ran
smoothly and peacefully despite initial threats by the Islam Defenders
Front (FPI) to thwart the event.
Some 3,000 worshippers from 40
churches across Semarang regency joined the celebrations that have been
conducted annually in the square since 2000.