By Ainur Rohmah
JAKARTA
Millions of Indonesians flocked to fields and mosques in their best outfits early Friday to attend prayers central to the Eid al-Fitr holiday celebrations.
After a month of fasting during Ramadan, worshippers across the world’s most populous Muslim country gathered to listen to the preaching of religious leaders.
Jubair, an imam (religious leader) in East Java province who like many Indonesians uses only one name, told mosque attendant to not misinterpret the concept of "jihad" like some groups who understood it to mean the raising of arms.
"Due to the misinterpretation of jihad by certain groups, Indonesia is made to appear as a terrorist State. But that's not true," state news agency Antara quoted Jubair as saying in Malang City.
He stressed that the real meaning of jihad is the battle against desire, rather than take up arms and fighting other people who do not share the beliefs of "radical groups".
"Jihad in Indonesia is led by the head of state [President], not by a certain group," he said, adding that it included actions such as fighting against poverty to improve the welfare of mankind.
After the prayer, people asked their family members, neighbors and friends for forgiveness for any wrongdoings.
They are also gathered to eat traditional dishes such as “opor ayam” (chicken curry), “sambal goreng ati” (spicy beef liver) and “semur daging” (stewed meat), serving them with “ketupat” (a dumpling made from rice packed inside a diamond-shaped container woven from palm leaf).
