The Story Of The Indonesian Ambassador To Portugal Rudy Alfonso Attends An Invitation During Fasting: We Gather In A Corner

JAKARTA - Indonesian Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary (LBBP) to Portugal, Rudy Alfonso said he always attends invitations from the Portuguese ministry or government during the month of Ramadan.

Rudy said that when he attended the invitation, he and other Muslims who were fasting gathered in one place to talk. However, because of the high tolerance in Portugal, said Rudy, they have great respect for Muslims who are fasting.

"When invited to a reception at the Ministry or the presidential office, they usually serve food. But we (fellow Muslims) can't eat (because of fasting), we gather in a corner and don't eat. When asked we are fasting and they are very respectful, so we just gather", said Rudy to VOI, Sunday, May 1.

Rudy, who observes fasting for a full month in Portugal, said that there were several differences in worship this time with Indonesia. Starting from fasting for 15 hours to breaking the fast and sahur menu.

"Fasting in Portugal, especially in Lisbon, maybe slightly different because the hours are approximately 15 hours longer, in us (Indonesia) it is 12 hours, it is three hours long", he said.

Although the fasting time is longer, said Rudi, it is not an obstacle. Because, said Rudy Alfonso, fills his spare time with several activities. So time passes quickly.

"I happen to live near the beach, the atmosphere is very nice, we can walk there and meet many people and it doesn't feel like time has passed, it feels very fast. Then the weather here is also supportive because the weather here is getting hot", said Rudy.

Meanwhile, the Imam of the Great Mosque of Lisbon, Portugal, Shaykh David Munir alias Shaykh Munir, told about activities during the month of Ramadan with Muslims from various countries.

During Ramadan, Sheikh Munir said, the Great Mosque of Lisbon always provides food for Muslims after 15 hours of fasting. Every day there are hundreds of Muslims from various countries, including Indonesia iftar together at the mosque which has been presided over by Sheikh Munir for 36 years.

"Every day we cook more than 1,000 portions of food. And in the grand mosque we have about 500 to 800 people every day", said Shaykh Munir.

Apart from providing food, activities at the Great Mosque of Lisbon are as usual. Namely doing congregational prayers, reciting the Koran, reading the Qur'an and activities that are closer to Allah SWT.

"We hold five daily prayers at the mosque, we have a joint iftar activity aimed at Muslims who are fasting. We provide dinner after the Maghrib prayer, and we also pray tarawih with the recitation of the Qur'an", said Shaykh Munir.

Shaykh Munir said that he and the Muslims were very grateful to be able to carry out their fasting worship smoothly, even in a country where the majority of people are Catholic. This can be realized because the tolerance in Portugal is very high.

However, he and the Muslims are not arbitrary with the freedoms that are given. He and Muslims have always appreciated the freedom that has been given to all other faiths in this democratic country.

"So as Muslims who live in a non-Muslim majority country, for us this is a blessing to be grateful for, Portugal is not an Islamic country", said Sheikh Munir.

"Meanwhile, Eid al-Fitr in Portugal which falls on May 2, is a working Monday. What we do is perform Eid prayers in mosques and inform the authorities that Monday is a major Muslim day, and according to the law of freedom of belief Muslims who work are allowed not to come to work", he said.

One of the Indonesian citizens living in Portugal, Sayida Royatun Niswah, shared her experience of fasting in another country. This Ramadan is the fourth experience of fasting in Portugal.

"This is my fourth experience of fasting in Portugal. Fasting in Portugal and Indonesia is very different but very enjoyable for me, but there are also many temptations", he said.

The perceived difference is the absence of takjil food for breaking the fast. "In Portugal, we break our fast at the mosque with the Muslim community. The menu provided is very interesting, there are briani rice and others", he said.

The Muslim community in Portugal known as CIL (Comunidade Islamica de Lisboa) was founded in 1968. The Muslim community number is no less than 70,000 people. There are Muslims from Guinea-Bissau, Mozambique, North Africa, Asia, India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh, and there are Muslims from Indonesia.

CIL is known by the non-Muslim community as part of an integrated community. In Portugal, you have freedom of opinion, and freedom of belief.