Night of Prayer and Humanity for Aceh: Halimah Munawir’s Poetry Reading Captivates the Audience
JAKARTA-JAYA NEWS.COM – Poet Halimah Munawir’s performance as a poetry reader at the “Night of Prayer and Humanity for Aceh” event at the Jakarta Arts Center (PKJ) in Taman Ismail Marzuki (TIM) Jakarta captivated the audience.
At the event, held by the Islamic Arts and Culture Association (HSBI) in collaboration with December Coffee Gayo, the Jakarta Arts Council (DKJ), and PT Jakarta Propertindo (Jakpro), on Friday (December 26, 2025), Halimah Munawir, who read a poem titled “Silence Is Very Painful,” seemed to be the central figure, enlivening the atmosphere.
Her words touched the audience, leaving everyone in attendance speechless and filled with sympathy.
Amidst the ecological crisis occurring in Aceh, North Sumatra, and West Sumatra, the poetry recited by poet Halimah Munawir was so timely and appropriate, that the charity event truly touched the atmosphere.
The event served as a space for collective reflection on the flash floods and landslides in Aceh in 2025, which left social, ecological, and humanitarian scars.
Very Precise
During an interview, Indonesian poet and literary critic Dr. Tarech Rasyid, MSi, stated that poetry is an open critique of ecological crimes.
“As a literary space that is sharp and directly witnesses ecological crimes and decay, poetry can speak volumes about the decay of those involved in these ecological crimes,” Tarech said.
Therefore, Tarech continued, Indonesian female poet Halimah Munawir was apt in predicting the problem when she read her poem at the event.
At that time, Halimah Munawir delivered her poem with a calm yet striking intonation.
The poet is not merely lamenting, but also challenging these ecological crimes.
“This is what is known as the fundamental principle of literary expression. Therefore, when Halimah Munawir reads her poem, she doesn’t just lament, but in her lamentation, she expresses anger and challenges social issues,” said the former rector of Palembang University.
In her reading, Halimah expresses her concern about arbitrary deforestation.
Aesthetically, this female poet is able to expose the exploitation of natural resources and economic greed that are the structural causes of the disaster in Aceh.
“By using metaphorical concepts, Halimah dares to sharply criticize the government system that seems to allow nature to be destroyed by certain parties,” asserted Tarech, who happened to be attending the event.
Meanwhile, poet Halimah Munawir herself stated that poetry is an educational medium capable of reaching public awareness more deeply than technocratic reports.
“So, the poem I read, entitled ‘Silence Is Very Painful,’ is not just a work of literature, but a form of literature that constitutes a document of moral resistance against ecological crimes,” he said after reading his poem.
Poet and Writer Halimah Munawir was born in Cirebon on January 18, 1964. She has enjoyed writing since high school.
“I am active in various national literary and cultural communities,” she said.
Halimah has also written several important novels, including The Sinden, Sucinya Cinta Sungai Gangga, Kidung Volendam, PADMI, and Bayi Merapi.
As a poet and writer, Halimah Munawir is known for consistently addressing issues of humanity, spirituality, and social justice.
This quote is taken from a report by Poet Anto Narasoma (Palembang), and was delivered in a WhatsApp literary group on Sunday, December 28, 2025. (***)
Contributor: Lasman Simanjuntak
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