News Focus: CALLS ON MUSLIMS ENTERING ISLAMIC NEW YEAR 1431-H By Bustanuddin.

Jakarta, Dec 20 (ANTARA) - Along with many activities which enlivened the Islamic New Year celebrations 1431 Hijriah or Hegira that falls on December 18, 2009, Muslim businessmen in particular are expected to abandon all forms of usury-related practices.

Chairman of the North Sumatra chapter of the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI), Prof Dr Abdullah Shah expected the Muslim businessmen to interpret the Islamic New Year celebrations as an obligation to abandon all forms of usury-related practices.

"In accordance with the celebrations' objectives, Muslims should improve themselves in entering every Hijriah or Muslims new year," Prof Dr Abdullah Shah, said in Medan, North Sumatra provincial capital city on Saturday.

So far many Muslims were trapped in usury-tainted behavior in running all types of business, he disclosed, adding that whereas in Islam, usury was strictly prohibited, and earnings from usury-tainted business practices would not bring blessings in a person's life.

This was because property obtained by usury was not clean because it was obtained by way of blackmailing other people, he said.

In addition, the running of a business through usury was considered an outrage behavior hated in Islam.

Therefore, the arrival of the 1431 Hijriah should be responded to by Muslim businessmen with a change in behavior, he said.

"Stop immediately usury-based acts," the professor at the North Sumatra Islamic High Learning Institute (IAIN) required.

One of ways to avoid usury-tainted behavior can be conducted by increasing the utilization of Islamic (Syariah) banking which is growing in Indonesia, he said, explaining this was because the concept was applied in Islamic banking always on the basis of "Ridlo" (mutual willingness) between the customer and the bank manager and implement systems for the results.

"Therefore, transactions in Islamic banking are more of a blessing," he said.
In the meantime, Director of Education for Ulema cadres of the North Sumatra Indonesia Ulema Council (MUI) Prof. Dr. Ramli Abdul Wahid MA, said in Medan on Friday that all Muslims especially the younger generation should use the Islamic new year as the momentum to increase the passion for reading and studying the Qur'an holy book.

By extending the study of the Qur'an, it could restore the glory of Islam, he said, explaining that the Quran also containing many science and technology.

He also said, with the spirit of the Muslims to study the science of religion and science and technology contained in the Qur'an, it was expected to make Islam the world leader in the development.

Ramli argued that moral values among the Muslim younger generation today began to suffer a setback, because the Muslims are away from the teachings of Islam and began to forget the Qur'an.

Muslims today have started late in the development of age which is not fortified by faith, so that reading the Qur'an is almost forgotten by the Muslims, he said.

"Returning to the Holy Quran is a smart solution, in order to evoke the glory of Islam and improve the moral depravity of the young generation today," he stated.

Meanwhile, Muslim residents in the city of Bandung, West Java, welcomed the Islamic New Year's Eve 1 Muharam 1431 Hijriah by holding lectures and prayer at every mosque of each neighborhood on Thursday.

There is no specific activity associated with the Islamic new year greeting, but the average Family Mosques Council (DKM) held a joint prayer for blessings and safety in the coming years.

"This year there are lectures related to the Islamic New Year 1431 Hegira," Iyep Dimyati, Chairman Ciparay DKM in Bandung regency said.

In North Sulawesi, head of the provincial Religious Affairs Office, H. Halil Domu, MSi. invited Muslims in North Sulawesi province to greet the coming New Year 1431 Hijriah with the spirit to be better in the years ahead.

"The new year is expected to bring a new spirit. Therefore let's make the sense of Hijriah to increase religious harmony in North Sulawesi," he said.

In Mataram, West Nusa Tenggara or NTB on the eve of the Islamic New Year, thousands of Muslims welcomed the new year by reading the Quran.

The Quran (Surah Yasin) readings was conducted almost evenly in every mosque especially in the evening.

In Bogor city, West Java province, thousands members of the Nahdlotul Ulama or NU, the largest Muslim organization in the country on Thursday (Dec 17) conducted a "long march" (walking distance) to welcome the islamic New Year.

Meanwhile, Bengkulu Governor Agusrin M Najamudin on Thursday night officially opened the annual Tabot festival to welcome the Islamic New Year of Hegira or 1431 Hijriya.

Despite heavy rain, the festival`s opening in a field of the Koto Baru market, attracted a large crowd who wished to witness the release of Tabot Family Harmony (KKT) as a sign of the beginning of the Tabot ritual.

The Tabot Festival is a traditional event of the Bengkulu community to welcome the Islamic New Year and commemorate the death of the Prophet Muhammad's grandson, Amir Hussain, in the Karbala plains in Iraq.

The Tabot Festival in Bengkulu is on the calendar of the "Visit Indonesia Year 2008" program of the Tourism Ministry, said the head of Bengkulu`s provincial tourism office, Edi Nevian, recently.

"I am grateful to the Tabot families who still maintain this tradition. Although without government support, they still observe it," the governor said in his speech.

The Bengkulu community has been holding the Tabot rite since the 13th century and now it is an annual event included in the national tourism calendar.

The word "tabot" means coffin and refers to the coffin containing Amir Hussain`s body. In the ritual, the tabot is paraded around a field symbolizing the Karbala plains in Iraq.

"Hopefully, this tradition will be maintained in addition to increasing our faith. It is also one of Bengkulu`s cultural assets," the governor said.

The head of the culture and tourism office of Bengkulu province, Agus Setiyanto, in his speech expressed hope the local community would continue to stage the traditional rite.

The Tabot Festival is held for 10 days each year, from 1-10 Muharam Hijriah.