TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Religious Affairs Minister Yaqut Cholil Qoumas said this year was the second year Muslims in the country celebrated Eid al-Fitr amid the pandemic.

He called on Muslims to take lessons from the situation, which among them reminded people that the religion taught that saving the lives of others was the top priority.

“The COVID-19 pandemic has sharpened our understanding that one of the cores of our religious teachings is to safeguard humanity values. [Celebrating] Ramadan and Eid al-Fitr during the pandemic has further cemented the values of humanity,” he said on Wednesday, May 12, 2021.

He also prayed for the public that the fasting and other activities of religious worship carried out during the pandemic would improve the quality of piety to God. “So that it becomes a new spirit for us to continue spreading good deeds and blessings for the universe,” he said.

The minister also lauded the public for all forms of social piety it delivered during Ramadan, particularly its obedience to abide by the health protocols and preserving conduciveness during worship activities.

“Starting from the Indonesia Ulema Council (MUI), religious and public figures, clerics, Islamic mass organizations, media managements, the press, philanthropists, the military and the police, to health workers who continue to save COVID-19 patients,” Yaqut Cholil Qoumas said.

Read: President Jokowi, First Lady Perform Eid Prayers at Bogor Palace

FRISKI RIANA