MAKASSAR, SOUTH SULAWESI — Dompet Dhuafa continues to raise its voice for the freedom of Palestine. Unity does not stop the world’s attention to Palestine. Aid has been pouring in, including from renowned musician Mohammad Istiqamah or familiarly called Bang Is (Pusakata).
Bang Is expressed his belief that justice must always be upheld. Firmly, he conveyed a message to his fans and the entire community to unhesitatingly take a stand in defense of Palestine. Bang Is confidently voiced his views on the importance of solidarity in the face of injustice.
“The Palestinian issue is not a religious issue anymore, but a humanitarian issue. There are many human rights cases there. So we must do something according to our portion regarding this issue. One day, we will be asked where we stand and we must try to cultivate goodness. So if asked, how long will it take? I don’t know yet as long as life is still conceived, as long as my relationship with Dompet Dhuafa still exists, I will still be there to voice goodness, “said Bang Is.
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Through the Sound of Humanity (SOH) event featuring Pusakata’s music, Dompet Dhuafa called on the public to care about Palestine, along with local Makassar musicians. This humanitarian action was held on Thursday (4/25/2024) at Cafe Kota Kopi, Makassar. Sound of Humanity invited the people of Makassar, especially the visitors of KotaKopi to get involved and care. Indirectly, they were also invited to donate and support the aid program to Palestine. In addition, Bang Is also consistently supports the freedom of Palestine. According to him, goodness must continue to grow wherever it is.
“Hopefully goodness grows well. God willing, through Dompet Dhuafa it will be conveyed. Don’t be afraid to do good, because we are the ones who need it, not them,” he added.
The genocide committed by Israel against Palestine has taken a huge toll. As many as 33,899 people died, 76,664 people were injured, 360 thousand houses were damaged, and 1.7 million people were displaced, as quoted from the latest Situation Report of Dompet Dhuafa’s Disaster Management Center (DMC) as of April 19, 2024.
The humanitarian tragedy that deprives Palestinians of their human rights due to the Israeli occupation has been going on for a long time. Many parties have called attention to the Palestinians so that there will be no more human rights violations against the Palestinians. However, this has not been successful. Until now, the dispute between Palestine and Israel is still ongoing and has caused many wounds, especially to children in Palestine.
Read also: Dompet Dhuafa’s Support for Palestine Echoes at the Sound of Humanity Event
Dompet Dhuafa South Sulawesi Branch, together with musicians who are members of the Makassar Alternative Nation (MAN) community, united in the goal of Palestinian freedom. Incha, the Chief Coordinator of MAN, said that he and the bands born in the 2000s also care about what is happening in Palestine.
“We once told each of our members, Makassar Alternative Nation, that we want to donate to our brothers and sisters in Palestine. But we were confused about where to distribute the donation. Then we met our friends from Dompet Dhuafa South Sulawesi. Let’s collab through Sound of Humanity. For humanitarian reasons, especially seeing posts on social media about Palestine, our hearts are saddened. So we made a song for Palestine. ‘Free Free Palestine!’,” said Incha.
DD South Sulawesi Branch Manager, Pandu Satrio said, Dompet Dhuafa seeks to continue to embrace many parties, families, and communities to further foster a sense of sharing without waiting for a certain moment.
“Alhamdulillah, this is the first event after we vacuumed to make SOH at Dompet Dhuafa South Sulawesi. Alhamdulillah, we managed to realize this collaboration with our friends from Makassar Alternative Nation. This is really amazing, even though they have a rock music background, they still remember humanity, they still remember their God. So, even though they are humming with their music, they also have a concern. Initially, this event happened because of their concern,” said Pandu Satrio.
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At this event, DD South Sulawesi invited all audiences to participate. Various methods were provided to make it easier for viewers who wanted to donate. Not only relying on digital technology such as QRIS and electronic transfers, but also using conventional methods such as fundraising by going around carrying boxes among the audience.
In addition, there were also booths selling clothes from MAN with limited collections to auctions of special signed clothes, including those that attracted the attention of Bang Is. The auction was lively, as Bang Is’ shirt was valued at Rp1,000,000. With these various ways, donations were collected from the visitors’ concern in the form of funds amounting to Rp16,208,988.00.
Dompet Dhuafa continues to open its doors for various forms of collaboration, regardless of religious background or community. Here, all are united by the spirit of humanity, where support for Palestine is not limited to Muslim individuals. Inviting all entities and communities to work together with Dompet Dhuafa in an effort to defend Palestine, through support and donations, so that the ideals of Palestinian independence can be realized.
Read also: Dompet Dhuafa Holds Humanity for Turkey and Syria, A Joint Prayer for Brothers in Turkey
Indah was one of the thousands of people who attended the Sound of Humanity event. She revealed that she was here not only to see her idol, Pusakata, but also to benefit Palestine.
“I’m happy, excited, and entertained to be able to participate for my friends in Palestine. Because we can’t go there directly, by coming here we can participate by donating what we have although not as much as others. I was touched because my favorite is Pusakata and being able to meet them in person and see the performance, I was touched,” said Indah. (Dompet Dhuafa)
Text and Photo: Anndini Dwi Putri & Creative Marketing
Editors: Dhika Prabowo, Ronna