Ramadan is gonna be over soon, but the memories of fasting in Indonesia will remain forever for an international student from Thailand named Ikrom Ingding. Universitas Indonesia (UI) is where he first experienced fasting in a Muslim-majority country because the Muslim community in his motherland (Narathiwat Province, Thailand) was relatively small. “I feel warmth and comfort because every mosque prepares food for iftar (breaking fast),” he said.
Yong — his nickname — shared the exciting things he encountered while fasting in Indonesia. For example, the moment of iftar (buka bersama or bukber) is rarely done in Thailand because the culture of iftar with family is more often done than iftar with friends. Therefore, the event Ramadhan Iftar 2024 held by the UI International Affairs Office on March 28 gave him a different experience.
He also saw Indonesian people’s high values of solidarity and tolerance during Ramadan. One of them is reflected in the tradition of waking up for suhoor which depicts community solidarity and concern for others. “In Indonesia, when suhoor time, people go around wake people up, and there is no such thing in Thailand,” he said.
Meanwhile, lecturers show tolerance during Ramadan through adjustments to teaching and learning activities. Some lecturers changed offline to online learning and shifted in-class exams to take home. This convinces Yong that Indonesia is a comfortable place to worship during Ramadan.
However, Yong realized that one thing was similar to Thai culture: the mudik tradition (back to the homeland). Mudik in Thailand usually occurs in April to coincide with the Songkran Festival (Thai New Year). The Thai government declared a long holiday this month. “This year is more special because Eid al-Fitr is close to Songkran, so Muslims in Thailand will experience a longer holiday than usual,” he said.
Even though he cannot celebrate Eid al-Fitr in his hometown, Yong is still happy because he has the opportunity to celebrate Eid al-Fitr in Indonesia. He and his colleague Anas, who also comes from Thailand, will perform Eid prayers together. Yong’s enthusiasm grew even greater after learning that Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha had been recognized by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) as religious holidays. Thanks to Indonesia and support from other countries.
