In The Midst Of The Pandemic Handling Problems, The DPR Has Even Entered The People's Personal Domain To Propose National Repentance

Plenary illustration of the DPR (Mery Handayani / VOI)

JAKARTA - An interesting proposal came from a member of Commission VIII DPR RI from the faction of the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) Bukhori Yusuf. He proposed that the government hold a national repentance and remembrance event to stop the spread of COVID-19 in Indonesia. Salute. In the midst of various shortcomings of the government in handling the pandemic, the DPR has instead chosen to enter the religious and private realm of its people.

In a virtual Working Meeting (Raker) between Commission VIII and the Chairperson of the Task Force for the Acceleration of Handling COVID-19, Doni Monardo, Yusuf said that COVID-19 is not just a matter of health but also psychology. He considered, there is a medicine that is actually effective in preventing and even treating this epidemic. The medicine is not drugs like tamiflu or chloroquine, but dhikr and penance.

"We advise the Chairperson of the Task Force, apart from efforts regarding the (health) protocol, there is nothing wrong with holding a national repentance and remembrance," Yusuf said in a virtual meeting held on Monday, April 6.

This national remembrance and repentance is proposed to be led by Vice President Ma'ruf Amin. The reason is that apart from serving as leader Ma'ruf, he is also a figure of ulama in Indonesia. So, when it is held later, this joint dhikr can produce positive mass psychological energy to promote health.

This politician even said, the power of dhikr and repentance is far greater than the intake of any nutritious food. "Here, what is spiritual is very important," he stressed.

Responding to the proposal, the Chairperson of the Task Force for the Acceleration of Handling COVID-19, Doni Monardo, agreed with the proposal. He hopes that this proposal will raise enthusiasm for the community.

"Hopefully this will be an effort to raise morale, to raise our nation's immunity through prayer and remembrance," said the Head of the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB).

Doni, plans to submit this proposal to the staff of Vice President Ma'ruf Amin. Meanwhile, for its implementation, Doni said, it would be done online or from home to comply with physical distancing rules or maintain a safe distance between people.

Crowded atmosphere at Tanah Abang Market (Angga Nugraha / VOI)

Weigh

In fact, this proposal is not wrong. Prayer in the midst of disaster, as we have discussed, is important. However, in the midst of slow detection, health care, protection of medical personnel, and many other things that must be ensured to be available, this proposal feels inappropriate. Moreover, are not repentance and prayer a personal domain?

This view was expressed by researcher and Coordinator of the Legislation Division of the Indonesian Parliamentary Concern Community Forum (Formappi) Lucius Karus. He said members of the Indonesian Parliament should have submitted concrete proposals regarding the COVID-19 pandemic.

He said that, in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, DPR members actually make statements that make people easily believe in unreasonable things, such as thinking of a disaster as a punishment. "Because it is associated with some kind of punitive action for human error, people no longer feel the need to do concrete things to prevent the spread of the virus," Lucius told us.

According to him, instead of proposing something like this, DPR members could participate in promoting social restrictions to overcome the spread of the virus which originated in the city of Wuhan, China. In addition, they can also build healthy habits to maintain their immune system.

"Because this virus is a worldly disease, the methods recommended by the government and the world of health must be carried out consistently," he said.

Illustration of plenary photo at the DPR (Mery Handayani / VOI)

He also did not question the prayer proposal. However, it would be better if the matter of prayer was the initiative of each person according to beliefs. "If you want to invite the people to pray, do it yourself or through a religious group," said Lucius.

"BNPB is the business of dealing with disasters with real programs. Don't get mixed up," he added.

In line with Lucius, a political observer from the University of Al-Azhar Indonesia, Ujang Komarudin also considered that there was nothing wrong with the national zikir proposal. It's just that, there are many important things that the government has to do at this time. Even if they want to do it, the proposal for national remembrance and repentance can be carried out by religious-based community organizations or Islamic boarding schools.

"What the government has to do is just focus on dealing with the real corona problem so that not many are exposed anymore and no more die," said Ujang.

"Regarding the national dhikr, I just let mass organizations and Islamic boarding schools do it," added the Executive Director of the Indonesia Political Review.

The effect of prayer

Regarding the benefits of dhikr or prayer, we actually wrote it in an article entitled: It is a big mistake if you underestimate prayer to face Corona. To us, clinical psychologist Naomi Soetikno explained the important role of prayer in dealing with a disaster or disease outbreak such as COVID-19.

According to him, when someone prays earnestly and fully appreciatively, that person will get a calm effect.

"Prayer gives a sense of calm. We are talking about a human praying, praying earnestly, yes, where he really lives all the words he prays for so that from a cognitive perspective he concentrates on the words he prays for. "Surely when we pray fervently we concentrate well," said Naomi some time ago.

Meanwhile, from the emotional aspect, prayer that is done sincerely and repeatedly will have a meditative effect. Thus, the emotions of the person praying will be more stable and controlled.

Naomi also explained, concentration and understanding of requests in prayer makes us surrender to God and believe he will give our best. So, whatever happens we will be more surrendered and ready for anything, including bad things.

"Despite what is the worst she has faced, she believes that she has a responsibility to face it because her body is a gift from God, so praying sincerely in her heart and in her mind is indeed for her own good," said Naomi.