Regional

10,000 muslims in Bandung hold prayers on New Year's Eve

Sel, 31 Desember 2013 | 21:00 WIB

Bandung, NU Online
Around 10,000 Muslims in West Java provincial capital of Bandung on the New Years eve 2014 conducted prayers and introspection on what they have done in 2013.<>

West Java governor Ahmad Heryawan also attended the prayers and introspection activity which took place at the mosque of Islamic Propagation Center here on Tuesday night and organized by the Republika daily.

Ridwan(24), one of the participants of the prayers activity, said that the aim of such prayers is to evaluate themselves. 

Last year we also participated in the "muhasabah" (introspection) here, thank God this year we can join the same event again. I just want to evaluate myself in this new years Eve, he stated.

Another participant, Desy said she prefer to spend the night in the mosque at the new years eve because the activity implies more positive values.

Meanwhile, Dr Syamsul Rijal, one of scholars of the State Islamic University (UIN) Ar-Raniry Darussalam Banda Aceh stated that the younger generation needs to promote the principles and values of education. 

"Thus, the younger generation of Aceh should be able to avoid various actions which are not in accordance with Islamic law and also local knowledge existing in the region,"he said.

Editing by Sudarto Murtaufiq