Surabaya, December 10, 2023, The Europe Today: Surabaya City in East Java has been selected to host the Indonesian National Christmas celebration on December 27, 2023. “God willing, Surabaya residents, including Muslims, who are full of tolerance, will definitely take care of it,” Surabaya Mayor Eri Cahyadi said here on Sunday.
The Ministry of Religious Affairs chose the Nginden Bethany Church in Surabaya as the venue of the national Christmas celebration, where 30 thousand people are expected to attend the event.
According to him, the Surabaya City Government and the community are ready to maintain tolerance ahead of the national Christmas celebration.
Cahyadi is optimistic that the religious celebration can run safely.
Related to this, he has coordinated with religious organizations in the city to promote tolerance, especially during the Christmas celebration.
“The people of Surabaya, especially those who are Muslims, have very high tolerance because we are taught ‘For You is Your Religion; For Me is My Religion’,” he said.
He hoped that Muslims in Surabaya, as in previous years, could continue to contribute to the peaceful implementation of Christmas Day celebrations in churches throughout the city.
“Muslims will guard it like in previous years. We also give direction to churches regarding security. The people of Surabaya, with a lot of tolerance, will maintain the Christmas celebration to stay peaceful,” he said.
Earlier, a team from the Religious Affairs Ministry checked the readiness of facilities, set the stage, and prepared the security plan to ensure that things were going according to plan.
Advisor to the Minister, Abdul Qodir, said that his side is committed to ensuring that this event runs smoothly and festively while complying with applicable health protocols.
