A little news item I seem to have overlooked connects up yesterday's post and one I've got lined up for tomorrow.
As much as I like Bukittinggi, I've always been very careful to not complain about the five full on sermons per day from two competing, sonically speaking, mosques which dominate the town centre. One has to respect religious values, but it does seem a shame that religious figures don't respect other cultural norms.
The Bukittinggi municipality ... decided to cover the Jam Gadang (Big Clock) tower at the turn of the new year so people, who usually crowd the city landmark, (wouldn't) celebrate the event there."We will drape the Jam Gadang in black, red and yellow cloth so people will not wait for the clock to strike 12:00 on New Year's Day," said municipal spokesman Elvis Sahri Munir.
Elvis cited concerns over public safety and orderly conduct, especially among courting youngsters, as the reason for the move.
"Usually, around 300,000 people gather at the clock every New Year's Eve to witness the clock strike 12, marking the change of year. Youngsters express their happiness by hugging their mates, and even kissing. People from religious circles have criticized these acts because they are against religious and local traditions," Elvis said.
Noted journalist Desi Anwar, whose heritage is Minang, the ethnic group of the area which is culturally matrilinear and presumably diametrically opposed to the paternalism of the West Sumatran government, was most displeased when the blinkered bureaucrats covered up the clock tower last St. Valentine's Day.
As she says, young couples kiss each other whether it's Valentine's Day or not and there is nothing immoral in it especially when they are in love!
And I do wonder what the original Elvis would have made of this ridiculous kerfuffle.
