Zubair Qureshi
Two Indonesian cyclists, Asid Kusuma Atmaja and Yunus started their long-awaited spiritual journey to Makkah on bicycles from Indonesia in August 2022 to spread the message of peace, tolerance, and kindness. After bicycling across the five countries: Malaysia, Thailand, Myanmar, Singapore, and Bangladesh, they took a flight to Pakistan. In Pakistan, they are staying in the premises of the Indonesian Embassy to obtain a visa for their next destination i.e. is Oman. They intend to travel to Makkah via Oman and the United Arab Emirates. Indonesian Ambassador Adam Tugio welcomed the two Indonesian cyclists and wished them a safe journey as they embarked on their unique adventurous trip to Makkah.
The visiting cyclists are exploring Islamabad on their bicycles while displaying the flags of Indonesia and Pakistan and other visited countries to express the love and brotherhood between all brotherly nations and other visited countries. They were very warmly greeted by the people of Pakistan and received a lot of appreciation for their courage. Asid Kusuma Atmaina said, “This is my first International tour on a cycle, the motivation behind starting this journey was pure love and devotion for the supreme power of this world, which is Allah, and the Holy Prophet Muhammad (PBUH)”.
Asid and Yunus encountered many challenges during their arduous journey such as visa issues, grueling weather conditions, language barriers, and security concerns. Sometimes they camped on the side of the road, slept inside mosques, and on many occasions, it was too cold to sleep. They said these challenges are only making them stronger and more steadfast in achieving their goals. Yunus shared that he had been yearning for this expedition since his college days. He finds it hard to comprehend that his biggest dream is actually turning into reality and he is more than halfway through his journey. The cyclists are also very popular and liked by millions from all over the world on TikTok. By sharing their journey through short videos, they hope to motivate youth to achieve great things in life and leave a legacy behind despite any challenges or hardships
