The family of West Java Governor Ridwan Kamil has stated that they have accepted the death of his eldest son, Emmeril Kahn Mumtadz AKA Eril.
Eril was in Switzerland to pursue a postgraduate degree. He went missing after swimming in the Aare river in Bern with his sister and their friends on the afternoon of May 26. According to Ridwan, Eril was carried away by a sudden surge in river current.
Erwin Muniruzaman, Ridwan’s elder brother, said today that Ridwan and other family members, as well as local authorities, had tried their best to locate Eril on the river Aare. After seven days of searching, the family resigned to accept the worst and left Switzerland for Indonesia yesterday evening.
“Because of that, [Ridwan] and [his wife Atalia] have conveyed that they have let him go and believe that Emmeril Kahn Mumtadz, or who we know as Eril, has died and returned to God’s side after drowning,” Erwin said on behalf of his family at a press conference in Bandung today.
Erwin also asked for residents of West Java to perform salat ghaib (funeral prayer) for Eril after today’s Friday prayer, as previously urged by the province’s chapter of the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) in a circular issued today.
In addition to the statement, Ridwan’s wife Atalia Praratya penned a heartbreaking letter for Eril on her social media pages — along with a photo of the couple and their daughter Zara on the riverside, and a handwritten letter from Bern Mayor Alec von Graffenried.
Below is Atalia’s letter, in which she refers to herself as “Mamah”, translated from Indonesian:
[Eril], Mamah is going home to Indonesia…
Mamah has entrusted you in the care and protection from your true owner, Allah SWT, wherever you are.
God willing, you will not be cold, starving, or lacking anything. In fact, you will get an abundance of love, blessings, and happiness that will never end.
Here, in this extraordinarily beautiful Aare river, Mamah has let you go, so that we will meet again sooner or later.
Just like what the mayor [of Bern] said, “The city of Bern will forever be deeply connected to us… “
Mamah’s best prayers in every breath,
Atalia,
Aare River, June 2022
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