Welcoming Kartini’s Day, 21 April, Ministry of Religion of Student Executive Board (BEM), Student Family (KM), of UniversitasMuhammadiyah Yogyakarta (UMY) organized an action of “Free Veil Dispensing” in titiknol kilometer (zero kilometer – a name of a place), Malioboro, Yogyakarta. It was conducted on Tuesday (12/4). It aimed at creating Yogyakarta Muslim women’s awareness of wearing veil.
Mochammad Rizal Kurniawan, Minister of Religion of BEM KM UMY, stated that, apart from pros and cons of solidarity in action to welcome Kartini’s Day, BEM KM UMY decided to undertake solidarity to welcome the Day since Kartini is one of the Indonesian heroes. He argued that it aimed at commemorating and giving lesson for Indonesian women and young generation so that women are not discriminated.
“The main purpose of the event is asour way to share Islam to community, particularly ‘Dakwahbil Hal’ in raising Yogyakarta Muslim women’s awareness of wearing veil,” told Rizal, a student of Islamic Faculty of UMY.
The event had a theme of “Enthusiasm of Wearing Veil in Modern Kartini’s Era”. Rizal said that it gained good responses from Yogyakarta people. Various groups of people were enthusiastic about the event. “They would get afree veil, brooch, and sticker if they tried the veil and take their picture,” he stated.
Moreover, Rizal’s friends and he were satisfied since it was not only women participating the event but also young and old men. They contributed to the event through promoting the veil to pedestrians and asking veils to the committee so that they could give it to their children or wife. “There was something interesting. There was a Canadian woman trying the veil, but she did not bring it home,” he asserted.
The solidarity in action of Free Veil was ended at 10.30 am and the veil was not remaining because all the veils had been distributed to the community. Rizal expected that the solidarity in action could raise people’s awareness of wearing veil. “In fact, wearing veil is an obligation that Muslim women could not negotiate for,” he conveyed.
