Jusuf Kalla Conducts Eid Prayers at Sunda Kelapa Mosque

Pewarta :

Jusuf Kalla Conducts Eid Prayers at Sunda Kelapa Mosque

Jakarta (Antara Bali) - Vice President elect Jusuf Kalla conducted prayers here on Sunday at the Sunda Kelapa mosque in Central Jakarta to commemorate the holy day of Eid al Adha.

After conducting the Eid prayers, Jusuf Kalla greeted pilgrims at the mosque.

Regarding the Eid al Adha Jusuf Kalla said quoting the preaching that "what we had to sacrifice should be what we loved" while congratulating fellow attendees.

The vice president-elect looked relaxed wearing a white shirt, a black blazer and a purple sarong and was guarded by Paspampres (presidential guard) personnel.

"I sacrificed one cow," he added.

The Eid prayers was led by Hamsan Wadi who is the mosque's imam while former foreign minister Alwi Shihab was the preacher.

Alwi Shihab in his preaching called on all Moslems to respect differences in the community.

"As a Moslem community we must not have a feeling of superiority before others. Suspecting other groups and monitoring them only to topple them is a behavior condemned by religion," he said.

There were about 10 thousand people who carried out the Eid prayers at the Sunda Kelapa mosque.

According to the chairman of the committee of the Eid al Adha commemoration at the mosque, Mulyadi, the number of sacrificial animals received this year reached 87 goats and 22 cows.

That number declined from 2013 which was recorded at 110 goats and 24 cows.

Among the contributors of sacrifice animals were a number of state officials including President-elect Joko Widodo.

"Jokowi handed over two cows to a representative from the Sunda Kelapa mosque as a symbol of sacrifice during the Eid al Adha celebration, but he will also send sacrifice animals to other places," he said," he said.

Other contributors included former president Megawati Soekarnoputri, vice president Boediono, chief economic minister Chairul Tanjung and businessman Aksa Mahmud.

 Sacrifice animals will be distributed to approximately 2,500 people.

 "We will distribute about 2,500 packets to those eligible who have come here," said Mulyadi.

 The poor who came to Sunda Kelapa mosque were from various places in Greater Jakarta. (WDY)
Editor: I Gusti Bagus Widyantara
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