Eid al-Fitr; Maintaining Friendship, Maintaining Unity

By: Governor of West Sulawesi Suhardi Duka

Once again, we as Muslims are given the opportunity to celebrate Eid al-Fitr. God has generously allowed us to jointly perform Eid al-Fitr prayers on 1 Shawwal 1446 Hijri, 2025 AD as a momentum to celebrate the day of victory after a month of fasting during Ramadan.

Forgiving each other to maintain the ties of friendship between us all is one of the many main meanings contained in Eid al-Fitr. By forgiving each other, the bonds of brotherhood will of course be re-established. If that is realized, unity is clearly a necessity.

Knitting ties of friendship and forgiving each other is an attitude that is very relevant in the current context of our society. Until the presence of unity in the midst of society, this region will of course be ready to face all forms of challenges in welcoming the main vision of West Sulawesi which is advanced and prosperous.

Eid al-Fitr is always the right momentum for all of us to reconnect the bonds of brotherhood that were torn apart due to various factors. Now, there is no longer any reason not to forgive each other. It is time for us to re-knit brotherhood and of course maintain unity for a much greater interest.

I believe that a month of fasting during Ramadan has succeeded in forging us to achieve maturity in attitude. For that, the opportunity to celebrate Eid al-Fitr that we once again get is expected to be able to foster a spirit of brotherhood as well as eliminate misunderstandings that could have been present and occurred before.

There is no other choice. For me, the vision of a prosperous and advanced West Sulawesi can only be realized with the spirit of friendship and unity between all parties. The government and the community should work together in every step of this region.

Slowly but surely. The direction of this regional policy is starting to move to a more appropriate path. True, there are so many piles of problems that still plague this region that must be resolved as soon as possible. From the high poverty rate, the low quality of education, suboptimal health services, to the quality of bureaucracy that is still far from ideal.

Together with the Deputy Governor, Salim S Mengga, I have the same commitment to bring this region out of a handful of these problems. Once again, slowly but surely.

What we, I and Mr. Salim need is support from all parties, support from the community. Let's unite, together play our respective roles ideally. Because only with such great energy can we realize a prosperous and advanced West Sulawesi together.

Happy Eid al-Fitr. Please forgive me.

Sapota, Sunday, March 30, 2025