Jakarta. Around 300 Indonesians and members of the diaspora from Ottawa and nearby cities, including Montréal and Brockville, gathered at the Indonesian Embassy in Ottawa last Friday to perform Eid al-Fitr prayers, braving temperatures of -7°C and snowfall reaching up to 10 centimeters.

The prayers were conducted in a solemn yet warm atmosphere, reflecting the strong sense of community among Indonesians in Canada. The embassy’s multipurpose hall was transformed into a prayer space, accommodating worshippers who traveled up to two hours to attend.

The prayers were led by Amin Jalloh, a Canadian national who serves as an Islamic teacher within the Indonesian Muslim community in Ottawa.

Following the prayers, Indonesian Ambassador to Canada Muhsin Syihab called on attendees to strengthen ties and embrace forgiveness as a core value of the holiday.

“On this day of victory, I invite all of us to reflect on the importance of forgiving one another. We are not free from mistakes, whether intentional or not, which may cause hurt to others,” Muhsin said in a statement.

Bani Setijoso, head of the Indonesian Muslim community study group in Ottawa, expressed appreciation for the embassy’s role in facilitating the event, describing it as an important moment to reinforce community bonds.

This year’s Eid al-Fitr prayers marked the first time the Ottawa embassy has hosted the gathering in nearly a decade. The strong turnout highlighted both the unity of the Indonesian diaspora and a renewed desire for communal spaces to reconnect and celebrate together.