AMIDST the lush trees and crashing waves of the Indian Ocean, three Indonesian Muslim women stood at what is known as the “zero-kilometer” point of the archipelago in Sabang, Aceh.
As the sun began to set, casting an orange glow across the sky, three activists from Maemuna Center Indonesia, Onny Firyanti Hamidy, Yurdani Binti Muda Balia, and Alimah Bulan raised the Palestinian flag. They carried a message of solidarity from Jakarta to the westernmost tip of the country.
Their journey was not an easy one. Onny and Alimah Bulan, accompanied by a documentary filmmaker, Iwan Abdurrohman, flew from Jakarta before crossing from mainland Aceh to Weh Island. Yurdani Binti Muda Balia met them in Banda Aceh.
Guided by a local driver, Syafrizal, who has often accompanied activists working for Palestine, the three navigated a difficult, winding road to the Zero Kilometer Monument. People usually avoid the area after dark, but in Palestine, the women were undeterred. They arrived just before the evening call to prayer, as the wind grew colder and the road emptied. Onny Firyanti nearly gave up when the sea was rough, and the ferry was hit by strong winds and waves.
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“Finally, our struggle for Palestine has been voiced from Indonesia’s Zero Point,” Onny said upon their arrival.
In that solemn silence, they raised the flag. The black, red, green, and white cloth flew proudly alongside the Indonesian flag, a powerful symbol of empathy, courage, and resistance to injustice. Onny Firyanti, who leads the Maemuna Center Indonesia, focuses on aiding Palestine and is currently working to build a Maternal and Child Hospital in Gaza.
This isn’t the first time Sabang has been a site of support. On June 8, 2024, activists from the Aqsa Working Group (AWG) Sabang also raised the Palestinian flag at the Zero Kilometer Monument as part of a solidarity campaign for the people of Gaza. They not only raised the flag but also held discussions on Palestine and digital literacy, adding an educational component to their advocacy.
The next day, the solidarity went even deeper. On June 9, 2024, a group of divers from the Scuba Weh community and AWG volunteers did something unprecedented: they raised both the Palestinian and Indonesian flags 12 meters underwater at the Submarine Zero Kilometer Monument in Sabang.
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This underwater act touched many hearts. One of the divers, Arif Ramdan, was deeply moved to be part of what he called a small but meaningful piece of history. He felt that the Indonesian sea itself was speaking, that even from the bottom of the ocean, a voice of support for Palestine could echo across the world.
The wave of solidarity didn’t stop in Sabang. On Heroes’ Day, November 10, 2024, AWG volunteers once again raised the Palestinian flag, this time at the top of Pantan Terong Hill in Takengon, Central Aceh. What is normally a tourist destination became a place to declare that the true meaning of heroism today is taking a stand with the oppressed.
Even on the open sea, this spirit continues to fly high. On November 16, 2024, thousands of people from Lampung and surrounding areas gathered on a ferry in the Sunda Strait, waving the Palestinian and Indonesian flags in a massive and moving act of solidarity. From land to sea to hilltops, Indonesia is showing that its people’s hearts are with Palestine.
Three Women, Thousands of Souls, One Purpose
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The journey of Onny, Yurdani, and Alimah Bulan embodies the same spirit as the divers, activists, and thousands of others across the country. While their actions took place at different times and locations, the common thread is human solidarity.
They didn’t act for cameras or media attention. They simply wanted to send a message from a quiet but sacred place: that Indonesia, even from its westernmost point, will not be silent about the suffering of Palestine.
They know that their actions might not change the situation directly. But they believe that justice is not born from silence. It is born from small voices that dare to speak, from sincere symbolic acts, and from simple steps taken with love and good intentions.
As the night enveloped the Sabang forest and the evening call to prayer echoed in the distance, the three women gazed at the Palestinian flag waving at Zero Kilometer.
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In their silence, they knew: their journey was not the end of a struggle, but a small part of a larger human one. And at that zero point, Indonesia. []
Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)
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