Mayor Eri Cahyadi Gauangan Surabaya Becomes A Tolerance City Coinciding With Christmas 2022

Surabaya Mayor Eri Cahyadi. (Photo: Doc. Antara)

JAKARTA - Surabaya Mayor Eri Cahyadi echoed Surabaya as a Tolerance City to coincide with Christmas Day 2022.

"Our lives vary, so they complement each other. So, I want to show Surabaya is a city of tolerance, please help and the city is harmonious," said Cak Eri, Eri Cahyadi's nickname in a written statement in Surabaya, quoted from Antara, Sunday, December 25.

In fact, in order to show this tolerance, at a number of points in the city of Surabaya, Christmas Tree ornaments and several videotrons of Mayor Eri also delivered Merry Christmas and New Year 2023.

Cak Eri said Surabaya is the sixth-ranked city of tolerance in Indonesia and is ranked first in East Java. Moreover, people who live from various ethnic groups, races and religions who live side by side.

According to him, the Surabaya City Government continues to collaborate and establish friendship with community leaders, ethnic groups, and interfaith.

In addition, he continued, his party together with the Surabaya City Regional Leadership Communication Forum (Forkopimda) also went around checking the security of churches in Surabaya on Saturday night, December 24. This is done to ensure Christians can carry out worship in a sense of security and comfort.

The checks were carried out by Forkopimda to several churches in the city of Surabaya, namely thesudah Nginden Church, GPIBTIh Jalan Wiratno Komplek AL Kenjeran, Church Session of the Congregation of Allah on Jalan Ambengan, Cathedral Church on Jalan Polisi Khusus, and at the Catholic Church Parish Kehiran Santa Perawan Maria on Jalan Kepanjen.

Every time he visited the churches, Cak Eri also asked the Christian congregation to participate in praying for Surabaya to always be kept away from disasters, their harmonious groups were raised and their tolerance was increased.

"We are all aware that we are one and the same, namely under the Republic of Indonesia," he said.

He explained that his visit to several churches that Christmas Eve was to see and ensure that Christmas in each church went smoothly, safely and comfortably. In some churches that were visited, some held Christmas tonight and some held Christmas this Sunday.

"God willing, this year's Christmas implementation will be safe, because in each church arrangements have been carried out starting from the parking lot, the entry to the exit of the congregation," he said.

Cak Eri said he was proud, because those who took part in guarding the church were friends of Muslims, from Hinduism, and also from Pramuka, as well as other mass organizations. Therefore, he hopes that during Eid al-Fitr or Eid al-Adha, those who participate in guarding the implementation are church youth friends.

"So, after the Eid prayer, for example, we cut the sacrificial animal and eat together. It will be beautiful and this is tolerance that must be maintained," he said.

The Head of Parish at the Cathedral Church, Fatherkodius Tri Widya Cahya Utama, previously also felt a sense of tolerance that was being echoed in the city of Surabaya. One proof of this tolerance, the Surabaya City Government puts Christmas tree ornaments at various points. For him, all differences can be combined with Bhinneka Tunggal Ika.

"Yes, we are grateful, there are student friends from UIN (State Islamic University) who witnessed the procession of Christmas celebrations at church. We are also happy during Eid al-Fitr, other religious days too," he said.