Ambon mosque survives violent test

Ambon, NU Online
The small mosque in the middle of a Christian kampong in Latta village no longer carries the scars of the religious violence that ripped through Ambon in 1999.

Nurul Hidayah Mosque was torched during the fighting between Christians and Muslims, and later served as a military post. It was recently repaired, along with several other buildings, with Rp 200 million (US$21,693) allocated by the central government.

<>During the conflict Muslim residents of Latta fled their homes. But as peace and security have returned, 76 Muslim families have moved back into the village.

After lying in disrepair for some time, the mosque has returned to life, sending out the call to prayer for the last 10 weeks.

The fasting month has helped highlight the progress Christians and Muslims in the village have made in mending relations. Christians and Muslims greet each other when they pass in the street, a small thing but a rarity during the bad days of the conflict. And some Christians have taken to sending food to the mosque for people breaking the fast.

When The Jakarta Post walked through the village with a Muslim resident and community leader, La Zaman, a young Christian man sitting on his porch drinking tea covered his cup and greeted Zaman.

Zaman, 44, said Christians in the village had gone out of their way to make returning Muslim residents feel welcome.

"Thank God, since our return we have had more mutual respect. They (Christians) respect those of us who are fasting by not openly eating or drinking," he told the Post.

When the conflict broke out, many Muslim residents of Latta took shelter at a naval complex in Ambon. They returned home in December 2003, but a new wave of violence in 2004 forced them to return to the complex, where they remained until October 2005.

"This hamlet is our home and we had to return. We thought about relocating but were worried there would be a land dispute in the new place, while here the land is rightfully ours," Zaman said.

Nurul Hidayah Mosque has been bustling with activity during Ramadhan. Children gather and recite the Koran each day, and a group of women hold twice weekly gatherings at the mosque. On Sundays, residents come together to clean up the mosque.

A mosque employee, Tasdun, said a loudspeaker was used for the call to prayer, but it was switched off during the Koran recital at night.

"We use a loudspeaker but the volume is adjusted according to the time of day, so it will not disrupt our Christian neighbors living close to the mosque, although there is no regulation on the matter," Tasdun said.

Rev. Wolter Refualu of Advent Jesus Church told the Post that Muslims and Christians in Latta were living together in peace.

He said members of his congregation were donating food to Muslims for breaking the fast.

"It's become our tradition. We've asked the congregation to bring food to our Muslim brothers to break the fast, and during Christmas they will do something similar for us," he said.

He said the mosque and the activities there did not bother residents.

"We have no negative thoughts. We want to live peacefully, without any fear of going anywhere, including when performing our religious duties," he said. (tjp/dar)