A 21-year-old migrant named Arjuna Tamaraya died in the area of Masjid Agung Sibolga, North Sumatra, after a brutal beating by five people while trying to sleep there before dawn on Friday. The incident occurred because the attackers felt disturbed by his presence. CCTV footage captured the violent acts leading to his tragic death.
The tragic incident took place at Masjid Agung Sibolga, North Sumatra, where Arjuna Tamaraya, a 21-year-old migrant, simply wanted to close his eyes for sleep before dawn on Friday. However, he became the victim of a brutal mobbing by five people who felt disturbed by his presence. They kicked, punched, dragged him out, slammed his head against the stairs, and even threw a coconut at him.
CCTV footage recorded the entire event, showing the brutal violence in the sacred place. Arjuna never woke up after the attack, dying from a fatal kick and other injuries. Columnist Ahmadie Thaha, known as Cak AT, describes the incident as a bitter reminder of the failure to uphold humanity in the mosque.
Thaha highlights that a mosque should be a safe place, not an arena for violence. He quotes the Quran, Surah Al-Maidah verse 32: "barangsiapa yang membunuh seorang manusia, bukan karena orang itu (membunuh) orang lain, atau bukan karena membuat kerusakan di muka bumi, maka seakan-akan dia telah membunuh manusia seluruhnya." The column questions the effectiveness of Friday sermons in conveying basic religious values like respect for human life.
Thaha also emphasizes that mosque etiquette prohibits sleeping or lying down, but does not justify violence such as kicks to the head or harsh eviction. The incident raises reflections on the role of mosques as centers of morality and social guidance, where preaching should humanize people before teaching laws. Arjuna's tragedy serves as a mirror that what is broken is not the mosque building, but the behavior of its occupants.