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Eid in Land of a Million Elephants
Jakarta, Kominfo Newsroom – Eid al-Fitr moment in Laos gives out strikingly different atmosphere to that in Indonesia, considering that Muslims are a minority in this socialist country.
According to a Social and Cultural Information Officer of the Indonesian Embassy in Vientiane Aik Retno Utari when contacted from Jakarta, Saturday (4/22), the number of Muslims in the Land of a Million Elephants (Laos) is only around 800 people.
“The 800 muslim population include foreigners from Malaysia and India. There are only around 150 Indonesian Muslims," said Retno.
Based on data from the Indonesian Embassy in Vientiane, there are 251 Indonesian citizens (WNI) in Laos, most of whom live in the capital city of Laos, Vientiane.
Retno also mentioned that Muslim people in Laos celebrate Eid in accordance with the decision of a local mosque in Thailand.
"In Southern Thailand there are many Muslim residents, so we are following (adjusting to Eid) there. Last Thursday night it was announced, like the isbat meeting in Indonesia, that Eid falls on Saturday," said Retno.
Eid tradition of Indonesian muslim in Vientiane begins with the Eid al-Fitr prayer at the Al-Azhar Mosque, which is also known as the Cambodian Mosque, followed by participating an open house hosted by the Indonesian Ambassador to Laos’ Residence.
According to Retno, participants prepared their own Indonesian dishes for the Eid feist.
"We have almost similar spices, only a few spices that we don’t have. We can still eat Indonesian food, we cook it ourselves," said Retno, adding that the usual dish served at the Eid feast include satay, longtong (rice cake wrapped in banana leaves), opor (chicken stewed in coconut milk), sambal goreng (diced potatoes with chicken or liver cooked in spices and coconut milk), and the likes.
Apart from that, Retno also said that the Indonesian citizens currently residing in Laos are middle to upper class workers.
“Most are white collar workers, experts and administrative workers. Some also (work) for international organizations," said Retno.
She added that Indonesian migrant workers currently working in Laos do not always return to Indonesia for Eid al Fitr.
“They (workers) have a schedule, for example, four week on and one week off. If it's their off week, they can go home (to Indonesia). If not, because they already have a previous agreement, it's not certain whether they are returning for Eid," Retno explained.
Retno continued, in a country where the majority of the population is Buddhist, tolerance in Laos is still very high.
“From my observation, Lao people are very patient and kind, they have high tolerance. They’re socialists but they are religious too," said Retno.
According to the 2021 census, the population of Laos is 7.4 million people and about 5 million people observe Budhism.
Their traditions are the glue that binds people together in the ASEAN region as the world's center of growth, as echoed through the theme of Indonesia’s ASEAN Chairmanship 2023, "ASEAN Matters: Epicentrum of Growth". (Cindy/Elvira/TR)
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Photo: illustration/Antara