President joins mass prayer at national monument

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono will attend a mass prayer event held in commemoration commemoration of the Prophet’s birthday at the National Monument Park in Central Jakarta on Friday morning.

Hundreds of participants have crowded the park since early in the morning, causing traffic congestion in nearby areas.

In his speech at the holiday at the State Palace on Thursday evening, Yudhoyono called on Thursday for the need to maintain polite and ethical manners while exercising democracy as Prophet Muhammad had shown.

Yudhoyono said civilized democracy was among the legacies Muhammad had passed on to his followers and the human race.

“Democracy that we build must uphold ethics, politeness and morality, rather than democracy that is based on hostility and intention to disgrace others,” he said.