March 13, 2003
I am Islam, so I Live
Well, let's now talk open. This is just a recent days of 2003. A year half after 9/11 tragedy, a moment who believed by many people become shifting our world's relationship. And, it's just too easy became the truth. By many circumstances happened on our earth, from the fall of Taliban regime in Afghan, oir-crisis who following Venezuela politic crisis, and raisen by US plan to topple Iraq's leader Saddam Husein which lead to global anti-war protest in whole nations of the world, we just contstantly facing a horrible world, a situation that we really confused how the world would be. Especially if you're muslim. Why I focused in this thing? Let me continue, and please read it honestly.
I'm muslim since I was born (actually it doesn't, because Islam stated that someone became muslim after they were in maturity status--between 9-13 years old). Since I was living in modern city like Jakarta of Indonesia, but I actually affected by the behaviours of Islamic cultural traditional-openness thinking of my town Jombang. Jombang is also the hometown of Gus Dur, the former Indonesian president, one of so many Indonesian who famously had tolerant and open thinking. In the city like that, I was believed that no matter of our religion, we just born to live.
In the last year, thorougly in the past recent year, every muslim seems to be hard to live, especially they who live actively communicates with in global relationship. I had some friends came from Europe and American. It seem difficult to me for the first time to argue with them after the tragedy of 9/11 in the mean that such events didn't have any linking with Islam, also after Bali tragedy. For me, honestly, I felt that all of the world population just would be very hated me because I was muslim, no matter what we said. I also felt that the fault is because I was muslim. Indonesia's fact is the world's most populous Muslim country, but many scholars quoted in their study that our country is more tolerant and openness culture. I think global-media is also an agent of provocatuer. Why they only covers hard-liners Islamic leaders which actually had only small quantities followers in reality. Why they uderstated the many Islamic peace rally?
Islam is a peace religion. I believe that if you consider to study more depth, you'll find it in not any difference with any religion. Religions born to be a wisdom for mankind, Ulil Abshar-Abdalla, a coordinator of Liberal Islamic Network wrote in his essay. Islam just one of them. I believe then, with the many supports form colleagous and buddies around the world, these all in my mind just a wrong perceptions. I realize then, many people of the world don't hate me because I was muslim. And I very happy of the many increasing program study concerning on Islam, and also many increasing quantities of articles which covering Islam in more depth ways. Though it seems many worng quotations and comments (like in the Time's special report Islam in Asia, they quoted girlscout in Indonesia must use head-scarves [print edition], actually it doesn't, is just happened at Islamic school), but I think it's all just good enough. I hope, in the shifting of time, we could develop the next really peace of the world!
Posted at March 13, 2003 04:26 PM | Perspective
