Salesian open door at Eid-Al-Adha in Jakarta
Sunter, Jakarta, Indonesia, 9 August 2019 -- Since its establishment and inauguration in 1992, the Salesian house "Wisma Salesian Don Bosco" in Sunter, North Jakarta, is open every day to its surrounding Muslim residents. Open - this means that the playground facilities are extensive and the grounds are used by all walks of life from the neighborhood. Through the adaptation process in the first years of the Salesians and the surrounding community, mutual understanding and respect are now well established.
One of the results of neighboring and intricate life interwoven is the use of a sports field area given over to use for the Muslim Feast of Eid al-Adha day. This memory of the Abraham sacrifice of his son Isaac, is remembered through the sacrifice of goats, sheeps and cattle. The sacrifice does not happen in the Don Bosco complex, but in the cutting area in accordance with Islamic religious rules.
On Friday 9 August 2019, there was a group of teachers and pupils of early childhood education doing their activities in Don Bosco's yard in Wisma Don Bosco. All of them Muslims. This is a unique sight, because usually the youth playing at Don Bosco are teenagers, both middle and high school or vocational schoo age, who use the large Salesian playgrounds. This morning the whole playground was kept free for these small children. Their educators guided them to assemble cotton spheres attached to goat-shaped cartons. They are divided into groups, so it is seen how these children work together to make their favorite goat. After successfully making it, they lined up while showing the results of his work. "Happy Eid al-Adha" is on a board displayed in front of them.
After the game and learning, they are guided to the edge of the football field, where they feed the goats and sheep. They were very enthusiastic about giving goats and sheep food, remembering that a day later, their joy will be complete by enjoying the victims' meat as a sign of their faith.
Sharing of the Muslim visitors on Youtube:
