Cultural awakening for Muslim converts
KOTA KINABALU: For many Sabahans, Hari Raya is celebrated with joyous gatherings of family members from various cultural and religious backgrounds.
Take, for example, sales executive Martha Martin, a Muslim convert.
Hari Raya this year is spent with her husband Khazri Shah’s relatives in Keningau and surrounding areas.
She said for her, Raya or Christmas is basically the same, as families from both sides come together to help out and prepare for open houses.
“We cook together, chat for hours and spend good times with each other.
“It is fun and we get to share our rezeki (good fortune) and catch up on lost times,” said the 31yearold who is celebrating Hari Raya for the first time with her baby Luna.
Having grown up in a Christian family, Martha said she didn’t want to neglect her family and relatives just because she had converted.
“It’s a normal practice for my family to celebrate festivals together, regardless of race or religion,” she said.
Jolica Angkun and her family spent time visiting their Muslim relatives and friends on the first day of Raya.
“What can be better than great food and wonderful company?” she asked, adding that her family included Muslims, Christians and Buddhists.
She said what she loved most when visiting open houses was sampling delights such as lemang, ketupat palas, rendang and assorted kuih.
“Hari Raya, like any other festivals in Sabah, is celebrated with everyone. It promotes togetherness and tolerance as well as understanding for each other’s culture,” she said.
Meanwhile, Christy Brown, a Sarawakian Christian who married a Sabahan, returned to her husband’s hometown in Ranau for Hari Raya.
“We went from one open house to another. It was tiring but fun and we had so much food,” she said.
Hari Raya, for her, is a time to learn more about her husband’s roots.
“I want our two children to learn both our cultures – Iban on my side and Dusun on my husband’s,” said the human resources clerk, adding that they also celebrate Gawai and Christmas too.