Universalising Islam in Malaysia — Hew Wai Weng

AUG 23 — Early this year, I attended a Chinese New Year open house, organised jointly by the Hidayah Centre (a dakwah [preaching] institution under IKRAM, a Muslim organisation) and the Malaysian Chinese Muslim Association (MACMA), with sponsorship from the Islamic Council of Selangor (MAIS, Majlis Agama Islam Selangor) and Mohd Chan Restaurant. Alongside a small exhibition about Islam in Mandarin and English, there were various cultural activities during the open house, such as Chinese traditional music performance, lion dances and Chinese calligraphy competition.

Indeed, in the last few years, as a way of disseminating Islamic message among non-Muslim Chinese, there is a growing trend of accommodating Chinese cultural elements in the Islamic preaching in Malaysia. Chinese-style mosques, Chinese Muslim preachers, Chinese halal restaurants and Chinese New Year celebrations are among the creative forms to promote the universality of Islam and to show that “there can be a Chinese way of being Muslim”.

Chinese Muslims are minorities in Malaysia, in which only one per cent of ethnic Chinese are Muslims. In the past, ethnic Chinese who became Muslims were assumed to lose their Chinese cultural identity and become “Malay”. The recent emergence of Chinese Muslim cultural identities, which combine both Chinese cultural symbols and Islamic messages have challenged this widely held perception that “Chineseness” and Islam are incompatible.

Unlike conventional dakwah activities, which aim at strengthening the faith of Muslims, Chinese Muslims dakwah movements aim to universalise Islam and invite non-Muslims to get closer to the Islamic faith. Differentiating Chinese “cultural” traditions (budaya) from religious rituals (agama), Chinese Muslim leaders argue that Chinese culture does not contradict with Islamic principles. Instead, it can facilitate the spread of Islamic messages, which I call here “dakwah pendekatan budaya” (preaching by using [Chinese] culture) or “cultural dakwah”.

Statements such as “Chinese New Year does not belong to any religion and that it is a cultural event shared by all Chinese” are commonly used by Chinese Muslims to justify their celebrations. A common belief in this school of thought is that many Chinese in Malaysia hesitate to become Muslim, because they are afraid of losing their Chinese cultural identity after conversion to Islam. By holding public Chinese New Year celebrations, this group would like to diminish such worry, with the hope that more Chinese will convert to Islam, or at least get closer to Islam.

Many Muslim leaders endorse these celebrations, as long as such activities do not contain non-Islamic elements, such as deity worship and the consumption of non-halal food, for example, pork and alcohol. They see Chinese New Year activities such as wearing red, giving ang pow and lion dance as cultural practices that do not contradict Islamic teachings. They also think get-together events, such as mutual visits, reunion dinners and open houses, fit well with Islamic values, and view these activities as promoting “silaturahim” (maintaining good relationships).

Since 2010, working together with MACMA, IKRAM has held various Chinese New Year open house celebrations. IKRAM consists primarily of well-educated, urban-based, middle-class and reformist-minded Malay Muslims. In 2013, the Selangor branch of IKRAM organised Chinese New Year celebrations in nine locations in Selangor: eight small open houses at different districts, all held at Chinese halal restaurants; and a grand one in a Chinese school. Remarkably, one of the key sponsors was the state-controlled MAIS. I joined some of these celebrations, which were well attended by Malay and Chinese Muslims, as well as non-Muslim Chinese.

Chinese cultural elements and Islamic messages are strategically combined in such events. Let me describe one of these celebrations in detail. On February 24, 2013, the 15th day of Chinese New Year, more than 1,000 people attended a grand Chinese New Year open house in the Chee Wen Chinese primary school in Subang Jaya. The organisers had chosen a Chinese school and not a mosque to hold this event, hoping that more Chinese would join without hesitation. Invited guest speakers included leaders from Chinese organisations, Islamic NGOs, and Hui Muslims working in Malaysia. There were three hosts for the event: one of them was of mixed Chinese-Malay parentage and the other two were Hui Muslims studying in Malaysia. Most of those involved in organising the event were — both Chinese and Malay Muslims — wore red. Halal Chinese dishes with a localised twist, including a 100-feet yee sang (a popular Chinese New Year dish in Malaysia), were served. The food was sponsored by Mohd Chan Restaurant, a Chinese halal restaurant.

Inside the hall, there were decorations of Chinese lanterns and Chinese calligraphy that read: “Allah is the Greatest” and “Happy Chinese New Year” in Mandarin. Various entertainment programmes, including Chinese traditional music performance and lion dances were staged. There were also screening of videos, introducing Islamic teachings and sharing experiences of Chinese converts.  MACMA Selangor also held a small exhibition about Islam in Mandarin and English. The Quran, Islamic books and leaflets in Mandarin and English were available for free. Some volunteers also approached the non-Muslim Chinese who attended, asking their views on Islam and sharing the Islamic messages with them, in a subtle and indirect way.

The chairman of IKRAM Selangor Hassanuddin Mohd Yunus explains:

“Islam is a universal religion. In the past, we have only conducted dakwah among Malay Muslims. This is our mistake. We have made Islam a Malay religion, which contradicts the universal value of Islam. We should share the beauty of Islam with ethnic Chinese, who are mostly non-Muslims. And the best way to spread Islamic messages to ethnic Chinese is by using cultural approaches. Chinese New Year is a cultural event, not a religious one. Therefore, we organise Chinese New Year open houses. We serve yee sang (a Chinese Malaysian dish). We give ang pow (red envelope with money). We want to show that Islam and Chinese culture are compatible. Masuk Islam itu bukan Masuk Melayu (convert to Islam is not equal to convert to ethnic Malay).” (Interview, Hassanudin Yunus, February 24, 2013)

In Seremban, there was also a Chinese New Year dinner celebration inside the Al-Saadah Complex. The complex is a newly-completed Chinese-style mosque in Malaysia, initiated and sponsored by the Islamic Council of Negri Sembilan (MAINS, Majlis Agama Islam Negeri Sembilan). Its architectural design was inspired by the Great Mosque of Xi An, in mainland China. Various Chinese features dominated both the exterior and interior design of the mosque complex, such as the Chinese-designed entrance gate, the Chinese garden, the courtyard and pavilion, the red pagoda-shaped minaret, red lanterns and Chinese calligraphy.

This mosque complex hosts various activities, such as religious talks, Mandarin classes, conversion ceremonies and cultural festivals. Remarkably, during the Idul Adha celebrations in 2011 and 2012, Chinese Muslim religious teachers presented their sermons in Mandarin (with translation in Malay on LCD screen) inside the mosque. Moreover, the mosque invited an imam from mainland China to serve the mosque. The mosque committee is also planning to hold regular Friday sermons in Mandarin, beginning from mid-2013. If this plan comes true, the Al-Saadah Complex might be the first mosque in post-independent Malaysia which conducts Friday sermons in Mandarin regularly.

In the past, it was quite difficult to imagine that a Muslim organisation would organise a Chinese New Year open house or an Islamic authority building a Chinese-style mosque simply because of the pervasive perception of Islam as the symbolic marker of Malay identity. Yet today, not only Chinese Muslims, but many Malay Muslims are enthusiastic in preaching Islam through the use of Chinese cultural symbols and practices.

What are the factors that have contributed to this emergence of cultural dakwah in contemporary Malaysia?

First, there is a growing expression of Chinese Muslim cultural identity among Chinese converts. In the past, many Chinese converted to Islam because of intermarriage or for economic reasons. Many of them came from lower middle-class background, were less educated and did not speak Mandarin. Therefore they were more easily assimilated into the Malay community. Today, there is an increasing number of urban middle-class and Mandarin-speaking converts. They become Muslims out of religious interest and take their new religion seriously. They also prefer to maintain their Chinese identity. They see their Chinese culture as an important asset and a preaching strategy, which could facilitate them to share the Islamic message among non-Muslim Chinese. In addition, the recent influx of Hui migrants and students in Malaysia has also given confidence to local Chinese Muslims to cultivate their unique identity.

Second, there is increasing number of urban middle-class Malay Muslims who no longer rely on government assistance and who do not view Islam from an ethnicised perspective. In the past, generally, Malay Muslim organisations were not keen to preach Islam to non-Muslim Chinese. Certain groups were worried that when a Chinese converts to Islam, he or she can then obtain Bumiputera status and enjoy the extensive economic benefits associated with the status (which, in reality, is not always the case). These groups also viewed Islam as their core identity marker, hence if a Chinese becomes a Muslim, he or she should also become a Malay. However, such perceptions have diminished in these recent years. Today, many middle-class Malay Muslims are well educated and do not depend on government assistance to make ends meet. They do not see Islam as a “Malay religion”, but a religion for all mankind. They state that Islam teaches Muslims against asabiyah (clanism/tribalism). They refer to Quranic verses and Hadith texts to highlight the universality of Islam.

Islam is highly controlled by the state in Malaysia. Some religious authorities even regulate the mosque architecture. Although there is not much public resistance towards these various forms of religious control, there are growing demands for diversity within Islamic expressions among urban Muslim youth. They do not want to see all the mosques built in similar pan-Islamic architecture, thus they support the construction of Chinese-style mosques. They do not want to just eat Malay food, thus they visit Chinese halal restaurants. However, it is uncertain whether this support for diverse cultural expressions of Islam will also lead to the greater pluralisation of Islamic discourses.

Certainly, cultural dakwah is a means for Malay Muslim organisations to expand their “faith market” beyond their own ethnic group. Perhaps, it is also a reaction to the perceived threat of “Christianisation” among Malay Muslims. In the last few years, some religious authorities have warned Muslims against the wave of “Christianisation”. In 2012, the Selangor Religious Department (JAIS, Jabatan Agama Islam Selangor) even raided a church activity, which allegedly attempted to convert some Malay Muslims to Christianity. At the same time, some religious authorities have begun to sponsor the establishment of Chinese-style mosques and the celebration of Chinese New Year as a way to disseminate Islamic messages to non-Muslim Chinese.

In Malaysia today, we are witnessing not only the emergence of “cultural dakwah”, but also “political dakwah”, “street dakwah”, “digital dakwah”, “food dakwah” and so on. Recently, the Islamist party, PAS, has put focus not on its “Islamic state” agenda, but on a “welfare state”, together with the slogan, “PAS for All” to broaden its electoral support. In the last election, for the first time, there were non-Muslim candidates running under the PAS banner. There is also an increasing support of non-Muslims towards the Islamist party. During the last election campaign, many non-Muslim Chinese publicly campaigned for PAS to the extent that some even put up the PAS logo as the display picture of their Facebook pages. Several PAS strategists welcomed this support of non-Muslims and see this as a form of “political dakwah”, which means spreading the Islamic messages through political engagement.

In the last 10 years, there has also been a mushrooming of Chinese halal restaurants in Malaysia. Mohammad Chan Halal Restaurant and Sharin Low Seafood Restaurant are the two most successful cases. Both Mohammad Chan and Sharin Low do not see contradictions between making profit and preaching Islam. Low notes that he “berniaga sambil beribadah” (does business while worshipping). All these dakwah methods share similar criteria — indirect, friendly and adaptive. Such attempts certainly could improve the perceptions of non-Muslims towards Islam, yet it is uncertain whether these efforts will convince more non-Muslims to become Muslim.

Amidst the concern of an increasingly puritan Islam or “Arabisation of Islam” that is hostile to ethnic traditions, “cultural dakwah” which promotes hybrid forms of Islamic manifestation reaffirms the cultural inclusivity of Islam in Malaysia. Indeed, the successful stories of Chinese-style mosques, halal restaurants and Chinese New Year celebrations show that many Malay Muslims no longer equal Islam to a Malay religion. There are also various transnational dimensions of “cultural dakwah”, such as building mosques with reference to the design of old mosques in mainland China, and inviting a Hui Muslim from China to become an imam in Malaysia.

The promoters of “cultural dakwah” differentiate “ethnic practices” from “religious ritual” to preach Islam by using Chinese cultural approaches. By doing so, they make Islam appear more universal and inclusive. However, such “culture-religion” distinction has limitations and can be problematic, especially when it comes to defending contentious practices. For example, the notion of a “culture-religion” distinction might be convincing enough to justify the Chinese New Year “cultural” celebration, yet it is inadequate to defend Muslims practising yoga (which some Islamic authorities in Malaysia deem to contain Hindu elements and are therefore un-Islamic), and to protect the rights of Christians to use the term “Allah” in the Bible. In other words, while many promoters of “cultural dakwah” accept cultural diversity, provided it falls within specified “orthodox” boundaries, yet they might hesitate to cross religious boundaries, observe non-Islamic rituals and endorse alternative interpretations of Islam. — New Mandala

* Hew Wai Weng is a research fellow at Zentrum Moderner Orient, Berlin.

* This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of The Malay Mail Online. 

Article source: http://www.lensaindonesia.com/2013/04/28/formappi-calonkan-angel-lelga-di-parlemen-ppp-beruntung.html

Universalising Islam in Malaysia — Hew Wai Weng

Of the fairness or unfairness of unilateral conversion - Aidil Khalid

Of the fairness or unfairness of unilateral conversion – Aidil Khalid

July 07, 2013

It takes only one word, and that word is parent.

Yes – parent – and that is to say, without an ‘s’.

Should that single word be read in the national language as “ibu atau bapa”, or should the same be read as “ibu dan bapa” instead? 

In light of the proposed Administration of the Religion of Islam (Federal Territories) Bill 2013 (‘the proposed bill’), the reading as to the former would mean that a father or a mother alone could unilaterally convert a child into Islam without having to obtain the consent of the other parent; while the latter, on the other hand, would make it compulsory for the consent of both parents to be obtained.

Therefrom sprung a whole host of blitzkrieg attack from the media, and, understandably, based upon such coverage, a large chunk of public reactions seem to be harsh slamming and strenuous criticisms. 

The chief minister of Penang reportedly said that a move to pass the proposed bill – where the word ‘parent’ in its proposed section 107(b) reads as “ibu atau bapa” instead of “ibu dan bapa” – reeks of “malicious and deceptive trick” on the part of the government. 

And there are even ministers in the government’s very own cabinet who voiced out concerns about the unfairness of such a move. 

With the latest being the report that the government has now decided to withdraw the proposed bill, “to ensure that any religious decision made is fair to all.”

The main thrust of the criticisms, so it seems, would be as to the question of fairness or unfairness in allowing only a father without the consent of the mother, or vice versa, to convert the religion of a child. 

The learned president of the Bar Council went even a couple of steps further so as to accuse such a move being “unconstitutional”.

But is that really the case?

Is it really that unfair?

It is pertinent to put the subject matter upon which any such allegations of unfairness or unconstitutionality under close and careful scrutiny. 

What is unfair or unconstitutional cannot be summarily or arbitrarily concluded without reference to established principles of justice. 

For fairness and justice are but abstract concepts, the determination of which must be strictly subjected to and scrupulously guided by proper reading of the law and constitution, lest it may lead to abuse of such abstraction by many quarters. 

The abuse, should it be by one in the position of authority, might lead to dictatorship where fairness or unfairness is determined by the fancy of one man alone; should it be by the public at large, might lead to anarchism, chaos and uncertainty, where what constitutes fair or unfair being dictated by just about anyone according to their own liking or disliking. 

Such is the danger of allowing such abstract concepts to stray, severed from the wellsprings of established principles.

Thankfully, we have several authoritative references to look into, for the above purpose of determination. I propose however to look into only two. 

The first would be the current piece of legislation of which the proposed bill seeks to replace – and that would be the existing Administration of Islamic Law (Federal Territories) Act 1993 (Act 505). 

It is important to look into the existing law as it stands today so as to determine whether the allegation of bad intention in the move to introduce the proposed bill, holds any water at all. 

Secondly, we have the Federal Court’s judgment in the landmark case of Subashini Rajasingam v. Saravanan Thangothoray Other Appeals [2008] 2 CLJ 1 (‘Subashini’s Case’). 

In this regard it is important to look at how the apex court interpreted the word ‘parent’ as used in the Federal Constitution, and thereafter, determine the question of fairness or unfairness as the case may be upon both of the parents into effect.

Section 95 of the current and existing Administration of Islamic Law (Fedral Territories) Act 1993 (Act 505) reads as follows:-

“Bagi maksud Bahagian ini, seseorang yang tidak beragama Islam boleh masuk Islam jika dia sempurna akal dan – mencapai umur lapan belas tahun; atau jika dia belum mencapai lapan belas tahun, ibu atau bapa atau penjaganya mengizinkan kemasukannya.” (emphasis is mine)

Yes – ibu atau bapa. It is spelled there very clearly. And it has been so in forced for almost 20 years now, since 1993 when the Act was passed and thereafter gazetted.

Thus when the proposed section 107(b) of the proposed bill construes the word parent as “ibu atau bapa”, it is merely reiterating what has been the position of the law all these while. 

Nothing new is being imposed here. Neither is there anything sneaky. 

The accusation that the move to pass the proposed bill is made with “malicious and deceptive trick”, as the chief minister of Penang had so defamatorily accused the federal government of, is clearly without any merit whatsoever.

It is noted that there are voices who claim that the objection is not so much to the wordings of the proposed bill, as it is to the fact that – now that the election is over – the government changes direction from its previous decision in 2009 where it was announced that unilateral conversion of a child would be barred and the consent of both parents be made compulsory.

Granted, but this argument too, must be examined closely, and mustn’t be accepted at its face value. 

For it is trite that the cabinet is an executive body, and that being the case, it is not vested with the authority to undertake any policy that goes against the wordings of the Federal Constitution. 

Merely being executive and not legislative in nature, the cabinet can only execute what the laws and constitution dictates; they aren’t allowed to usurp upon the purviews of the legislature or the judiciary for that matter. 

And in this regard, the provision of article 12(4) of the Federal Constitution clearly provides that “the religion of a person under the age of eighteen years shall be decided by his parent or guardian.”

Yes – parent – as in without an ‘s’.

But how does one interpret that word? Clearly just as much as parent without an ‘s’ could mean a father, it could also mean a mother, or simply father and mother. 

This brings us to the Federal Court’s decision in the Subashini’s case, wherein Nik Hashim FCJ, in delivering the majority judgment of the court, held as follows:-

“After careful study of the authorities, I am of the opinion that … [t]he word ‘parent’ in art. 12(4) of the FC, which states that the religion of a person under the age of 18 years shall be decided by his parent or guardian, means a single parent.” (emphasis is mine)

Just as important is the minority judgment of the court, wherein Abdul Aziz Mohamed FCJ observed as follows:-

“One has to begin by construing what is the meaning of “parent”. 

The ordinary meaning is ‘a father or mother’. See, for example, the Concise Oxford Dictionary. 

So is the legal meaning. Black’s Law Dictionary, 7th edn, gives the meaning as “the lawful father or mother of someone”. 

The relevant phrase in clause (4) has, therefore, to be read as “by his father or mother or guardian … Either father or mother will do, not both.” (emphasis is mine)

If such is the interpretation of the court, however good intentioned the cabinet were in their earlier decision to require the consent of both parents, the fact simply is that they cannot proceed with such a decision. 

It will go against the constitution for them to do so. 

It will be unconstitutional and it will render the same to be ultra vires. 

If a father, for instance, or a mother, wishes to convert his or her child, but is sent away by the authority and asked to obtain the consent of his or her spouse first, such a requirement would be a fundamental breach and violation of the right of the singular parent, as protected under article 12(4).

It is in this light that the position taken by the Bar Council in criticising the government seems perplexing. 

Shouldn’t they instead commend the government for the latter’s honourable move to strictly comply with the constitutional provision? 

And that is, of course, not to forget also that notwithstanding whatever that had been said by the learned president of the Bar Council, the fact simply remains that he is not in the position to declare unconstitutional what has been declared by the court to be constitutional. 

For the Bar Council is not the judiciary. It is not vested with any such declaratory jurisdiction.

Be that as it may, the fundamental question remains: was the Federal Court’s decision in the Subashini’s case fair?; had it not stripped away the wife’s natural right as a poor mother to her own child?; had the decision not been absurdly unjust and utterly unfair? How o how, could a unilateral conversion of a child by the father alone without the consent of the mother, or vice versa, be said to be fair?

The problem with these lines of criticisms is that it simply fails to appreciate the whole matrix of the judgment. 

As reported in the CLJ Law Report, the broad ground of judgment is rather lengthy and voluminous. 

There are 101 pages in total. 

But it is very important that it be read and appreciated in its totality if any conclusion as to the fairness or unfairness were to be properly attained at all, so as to avoid misconstruing the effect of the court’s decision. 

But for the benefit of those who do not have the time or access to read the whole judgment, the gist of the relevant part is thus quoted here, wherein Abdul Aziz Mohamed FCJ, in the minority judgment, at pages 94 to 95 of the case report observed as follows:-

“But that does not mean that the other parent has no right to object or to prevent his child from being taught that religion or being converted to Islam…

Generally speaking, what those sections, especially s. 5, do is to give both parents an equal say in the affairs and destinies of their children. 

The fact that each has an equal say must necessarily result sometimes in opposing wishes. 

If both agree over something concerning their child no problem arises and the right of equal say is not of operative importance. 

If they are opposed, a decision has to be reached as to whose wishes are best for the child, otherwise the child might suffer a disadvantage. 

The right of equal say entitles one spouse to come to court to prevent the other from doing what he or she intends to do about their child. 

The court will then decide for the wife or the husband, unless they can agree. 

Otherwise it ends with the thing being done according to the wishes of one parent only … The wife has an equal right not to want Sharvind to be converted. 

She is claiming custody of the two children, hoping probably that, having legal custody of the children, she will be in good position in law to obtain the permanent injunction against conversion in the petition.”

In a nutshell what the judge is saying is that no one can deny the right of a father or a mother to convert his or her child, not even the other parent. But notwithstanding that – and pay attention to this for it is of paramount importance – that doesn’t mean that the other parent is denied the right to object. 

To the very contrary, he or she has all the equal right in the world to object. 

And if such an objection is raised, the court will then have to determine the matter based upon the facts presented before it, and in the lights of the contending wishes between the parents on the one hand, and the interest of the child on the other, make a decision.

Thus there is no question of unfairness here. 

It has been fair and square all along. 

In fact, to require the father or mother to obtain the consent of the other – in which event if the parents are not in good terms would almost certainly be impossible – would amount to stripping away the fundamental right of the father or the mother to have his or her own respective wishes upon the child.

By construing ‘parent’ as ‘father or mother’, as the court did, would at least allow the converted parent an opportunity of being heard by the court, without depriving the right of the other to object. 

By contrast, should the word be construed as ‘father and mother’ instead, the converted parent would not have any opportunity at all of being heard, for the mandatory requirement of consent – which now renders impossible in light of the relationship turning sour – would make it even the court not having the power to entertain any such application should the mandatory requirement not being fulfilled. 

Any application to convert the child would then just be summarily dismissed for want of consent. Under no circumstances at all could the poor converting parent gets his or her child to be converted along, however well meaning or however reasonable the reasons he or she may have. 

Now let us consider this. 

Say that the father converts to Islam, or the mother converts to Islam – whichever the case may be – does that make it right for the law to strip away whatever paternal or maternal authority that the father or mother possesses over the infant child with regards to religion, just because he or she has now converted to Islam? 

And between the two contending wishes of the now disputing parents, does it make it right to deny the converted parent’s wishes upon the child’s religion from being heard at all? 

Does that not amount to religious discrimination against the converted parent, and as such a clear violation of article 8 of the Federal Constitution that says “there shall be no discrimination against citizens on the ground only of religion”? 

Does it not go against the very principle of natural justice, the legal maxim of which – audi alteram partem – requires that both sides of the disputing party be given equal rights of being heard?

In any event, it is pertinent to point out that the effect of allowing a singular parent without having to obtain the consent of the other would only make it legal to unilaterally convert the religion of a child. 

It does not make it automatically right. 

It simply means that legally it is allowed, but the rightness or wrongness of which would have to be determined by the court based upon the facts of each individual cases, should the other parent objects. 

That is all. 

Needless to say, there is a gap between what is only legal on the one side, and what is legal and also right on the other.

Perhaps at this juncture it must also be made clear that what is being discussed through out here is only pertaining to the religion of the child, not custody, for the two are of separate matters. 

In the case of Shamala Sathiyaseelan v. Dr. Jeyaganesh C Mogarajah [2004] 3 CLJ 786, for instance, although the father had earlier converted the child to the religion of Islam, the court held that the custody of the child nevertheless remains with the mother, not the father. 

This ought to put to rest the allegation that some unscrupulous individuals may easily win custody by merely converting the child. Nothing can be further from true for the matter is not as simple as that. 

The court will look into the facts of the matter holistically, rather than simplistically conclude based solely upon whether the child has been converted or not.

That as it is, it seems to me that the court had indeed aptly and acutely laid down the principle of justice rather very mindfully in it’s judgment in the Subashini’s case. 

It was a thoroughly well thought, sound and well-meaning decision. 

Thrust with such conflicting dispute, surrounded by sensitivities upon various corners, ringed by constitutional and emotional issues all around, the court honourably threaded the thin line of fairness and equity.

As for the proposed bill with the words “ibu atau bapa”, notwithstanding the fact that the government has decided to withdraw from further tabling, the fact remains that the current piece of legislation has the very same provision with the very same wordings. 

The position of the law therefore, particularly with regards to the conversion of a child remains very much the same, as much as the constitutional position as interpreted by the court. 

The effect of which, looked upon holistically and examined upon microscopically, I would not hesitate to say: not in the least seems unfair. – July 7, 2013.

*Aidil Khalid is an advocate and solicitor practicing in Seri Kembangan, Selangor.

* This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of The Malaysian Insider

Article source: http://www.malaysia-chronicle.com/index.php?option=com_k2&view=item&id=124611:muhyiddin-springs-a-surprise-withdraws-islamic-bill-allowing-conversion-of-kids-by-one-parent&Itemid=2

Of the fairness or unfairness of unilateral conversion - Aidil Khalid

Don: Prepare beyond ETP

MALAYSIA is on its way towards achieving its targets set under the Economic Transformation Programme (ETP), which is to become a developed nation by 2020 by targeting a per capita income of US$15,000 (RM48,900).

However, it must prepare and devise a plan on what next to do and on how to sustain that growth for years to come.

Harvard Business School associate professor of business administration Diego Comin said it is time for Malaysia to think its next growth track to determine what type of country it wants to be post-ETP.

“To ensure sustainable growth beyond 2020, Malaysia has to stop relying on natural resources due to the volatile prices and limited supply and focus more on knowledge intensive sectors, where opportunities are self-generated, of which the more you know, the more opportunities arise.

“Malaysia has to strategise and devise a plan fit in the global economy after 2020 and to face the medium-term challenges,” he told Business Times, here, yesterday.

Comin is here as part of Universiti Teknologi Malaysia visiting researchers programme to give talks to 700 Master’s of Business Administration students at the UTM International Business School in Jalan Semarak.

He will also be meeting Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak tomorrow to give recommendations on what Malaysia can do to tweak and improve on the ETP after 2020.

“One way for Malaysia to sustain that growth post-ETP in 2020 is to bolster its knowledge economy in all sectors from information, communications and technology to oil and gas, electrical and electronics.

“It must create a knowledge inclusive society as well as a knowledge economy for companies to operate to counter low-quality exports, such as the electrical and electronics sector, which has gone down the drain.

“Malaysia has to think globally now to ensure the continuity of the growth experience for the economic development to be sustainable after 2020.”

Comin said even though Malaysia has had a strong recovery since 2009 with a gross domestic product growth of 5.5 per cent, symptoms of medium-term challenges persist for Malaysia, such as a slowdown in productivity growth, reduction in investment rate, high price-earnings and and high dividend yield at Bursa Malaysia.

He said there is also high capital and skilled labour outflow, relative contraction of high-skilled manufacturing sectors, reduction in Malaysia’s market share and quality in skilled-intensive exports, and many of these symptoms are unique to Malaysia.

“There is a missing factor, which is the lack of technological knowledge that prevents companies to move up the value chain to take advantage of new opportunities as well as prevent companies from creating more good jobs that pay well, induce workers to go to college and reduce inequality.”

Comin said to create a knowledge- friendly ecosystem where knowledge is produced and assimilated, universities and research institutes must distribute it to companies.

As an example, he said, the Malaysian Palm Oil Board (MPOB) has done well by finding technological solutions for plantation companies, such as developing a variety of palm products, improving yield, and getting rid of pests.

The role of the research organisations is to provide technical knowledge to the firms so that they can solve problems and become world-class firms.

Institutes such as Mimos and MPOB can engage in conducting and assimilating applied research and development and getting involved in contract research with private companies that need knowledge and not involved in the development of new products.

“Top science and engineering university departments connected to institutes must supply scientists who conduct research and development and participate in contract research.”

He said public institutions must coordinate and collaborate with each other because there is now an inefficient diffusion of knowledge, of which companies do not know where to go for help.

Comin said there are also weak links between research institutes and top universities’ science and engineering deparments, which must be addressed.

“It requires properly targeted actions that alleviate missing factor (knowledge) and provide new opportunities to companies.

“Such companies also need to move away from their comfort zone and take advantage of the new opportunities.”

Comin is also scheduled to meet Bank Negara Malaysia governor Tan Sri Dr Zeti Akhtar Aziz, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department in charge of economic planning Datuk Seri Abdul Wahid Omar and Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department and Performance Management and Delivery Unit chief executive officer Datuk Seri Idris Jala.

Article source: http://life.viva.co.id/news/read/431329-jalan-islam-sam-brodie

Don: Prepare beyond ETP

Five reasons why the blog post about Wong Fei Hung being Muslim is a bit iffy

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The article which appeared on the Pertubuhan Jamaah Islam Malaysia (JIM) website.

There’s a sensational article making its rounds in Facebook now, claiming that Wong Fei Hung was a Muslim.
 
Yup.
 
If you haven’t read it yet, you should. It will brighten your day.
 
The article is found on the Pertubuhan Jamaah Islah Malaysia (JIM) website, an Islamic group dedicated to proselytising and social development. It’s got a pretty cool picture of Jet Li too.
 
Curiosity got the better of me and I clicked on the link to read what proofs the JIM had to offer that Wong Fei Hung was a Muslim.
 
What I found was an article that read more like a hastily put together first draft of a Back to the Future, Part 4 script – it was full of laughable scenarios that involved a lot of time-shifting!
 
Some of the bigger (and most clearly wrong) claims made by the article are:

1 – “Fei Hung merupakan dialek Canton untuk menyebut nama Arab, Fais. Sementara Nama Hung juga merupakan dialek Kanton untuk menyebut nama Arab, Hussein. Jadi, bila di-bahasa-arab- kan, namanya ialah Faisal Hussein Wong.”
 
(Fei Hung is the Cantonese dialect’s pronunciation of the Arab name Fais. While the name Hung is also the Cantonese dialect’s pronunciation of the Arab name, Hussein. Thus when his name is Arabic-ised, it is Faisal Hussein Wong)

First of all, Chinese is a monosyllabic language. Thus to express the name “Fais”, it would be translated into either 2 or 3 monosyllables. Typically, it would be FA-YEE or FA-YEE-SAR (actual pronunciation depends on which words are used in the translation). “Hussein” will also be similarly translated into 2 or 3 characters.
 
If Wong Fei Hung’s real Muslim name was Faisal Hussein, it will not be written in the typical Chinese 3-name system. Even a simple Western name like Will Smith is translated in Cantonese as “WAI-YEE SEE-MAT-SI”. So it’s impossible that a multi-syllable name will be simplified into 2 monosyllables that fits into the traditional Chinese naming system!

2 – “Dinasti Ch’in ialah Dinasti yang merubuhkan kekuasaan Dinasti Yuan yang memerintah sebelumnya”
 
(The Ch’in Dynasty was the dynasty which overthrew the Yuan Dynasty which ruled before it)

Wong Fei Hung was born in 1847, during the Qing Dynasty (1644-1912), which overthrew the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). The Ch’in Dynasty existed over 2000 years before his time (around 200+BC), and was established by Qin Shihuang, the first emperor who unified China under him. The Yuan dynasty was established in the 1200s by the Mongol Khans (yup, Kublai Khan, et al).

3 – “Dinasti Yuan ini dikenal sebagai satu-satunya Dinasti Kaisar Cina yang anggota keluarganya banyak yang memeluk agama Islam.”
 
(The Yuan Dynasty is known as the only Chinese Imperial Dynasty where many members of its household converted to Islam.)

While the Mongol emperors of the Yuan Dynasty did encourage various foreign religions to be propagated in China (Islam, Christianity, Buddhism), ALL Chinese emperors ruled under the “Mandate of Heaven” which includes seeking heaven’s favour and blessings through Chinese worship rites. The Emperor and his household also counted priests as royal advisers. The entire imperial household has no choice but to follow the state religion or else the Dynasty would fall apart from religious differences within the family.

4 – “Wong Fei-Hung mula mengasah bakat beladirinya sejak berguru kepada Luk Ah-Choi. Hung Hei-Kwun, abang seperguruan Luk Ah-Choi…seorang pendekar Shaolin yang terlepas dari peristiwa pembakaran dan pembantaian oleh pemerintahan Dinasti Ch’in pada 1734.”
 
(Wong Fei Hung began honing his martial arts skills since he came under the tutelage of Luk Ah-Choi. Hung Hei Kwun, who trained in the martial arts with Luk Ah Choi…was a Shaolin warrior who escaped the burning and sacking by the Ch’in Dynasty in 1734.)

OK, there’s some serious time-warping here. Wong Fei Hung was born in 1847 and started learning kungfu at age 5. Hung Hei Gun and Luk Ah Choi are believed to have taught Wong Fei Hung’s father AND grandfather! Hung Hei Kwun lived from 1745-1825, so it’s not likely that he joined his classmate Luk Ah Choi in the 1734 incident cited above. In fact, it’s quite unlikely that Luk Ah Choi would be involved too as there are indications that Luk Ah Choi is even younger than Hung (because Luk had also studied martial arts under Hung).
 
ASSUMING Luk Ah Choi was still around to teach Wong Fei Hung, he would be over 100 years old, or about 150 years old (according to this article’s timeline)! Besides, nowhere in Wong Fei Hung’s history does it mention that Luk Ah Choi was his master.
 
And the Ch’in Dynasty’s timeline has been shifted (again) from 200+BC to the 18th century now.

5 – “Jika saja pemerintah Ch’in tidak meminta bantuan pasukan-pasukan bersenjata bangsa asing (Rusia, Inggris, Jepun), pemberontakan pimpinan Hung Hei-Kwun itu nescaya akan berjaya mengusir pendudukan Dinasti Ch’in.”
 
(If the Ch’in had not asked for the help of the armed forces of foreign powers (Russia, England, Japan), the rebellion led by Hung Hei Kwun would have succeeded in ousting the Ch’in Dynasty)

NO emperor in China has ever asked foreign militaries for help (except for the Battle of Shanghai  with the Taiping rebels, but it was the city government who asked for help, not the emperor)! In fact, the Qing dynasty fought several wars with foreign powers who were trying to conquer China during Wong Fei Hung’s lifetime – including Russia, Britain and Japan!

I’ll admit that I’m no historian.  I’ll even admit that there may be evidence somewhere out there that Wong Fei Hung was indeed a Muslim. But if there is proof, it’s certainly not in the Jamaah Islah article. And the factual errors really don’t inspire confidence at all in that claim.

Note: The JIM website states www.penainsan.blogspot.com as the source of this article.

• Wong Fei Hung


• Yuan Dynasty

Article source: http://www.sinarharian.com.my/kronologi-mukhriz-kupas-kesan-krisis-timur-tengah-1.205132

Five reasons why the blog post about Wong Fei Hung being Muslim is a bit iffy

Kisah Gadis yang Hidup Sebagai Pria dan Jadi Mualaf di Aljazair

Di Aljazair, Isabelle hidup sebagai pria bernama Si Mahmoud Essaadi. Ia mengaku sebagai seorang mahasiswa.

Perempuan berpikiran bebas dan mandiri itu kemudian bergabung dengan sekte sufi rahasia, Qadiriyyah -- yang didedikasikan untuk membantu orang miskin dan menentang kekuasaan kolonial Prancis di Aljazair.

Perempuan itu merasa paling bahagia ketika hidup "seperti anjing liar," menunggang kuda melewati gundukan pasir Sahara dan tidur sendirian di bawah bintang-bintang. Kehidupannya kala itu konon liar.

Saat kehabisan uang, ia menuju Paris untuk mencari uang sebagai penulis. Di sana ia bertemu Marquis de Mores -- yang suaminya tewas terbunuh di Sahara.

Perempuan yang menjanda itu menawarkan diri untuk membiayai Isabelle ke Aljazair, untuk menyelidiki pembunuhan suaminya. Pada tahun 1900, perempuan pemberani itu kembali dan tinggal ke El Oued.

Isabelle menulis puluhan cerita dan artikel. Ia juga kerap ikut serta dalam protes anti-kolonialisme.

Sikapnya itu yang mungkin membuatnya kemudian jadi target pembunuhan pada 1901. Kala itu di kota gurun Behima, Isabell diserang oleh seorang pria lokal dengan pedang. Lengan kirinya hampir putus.

Meskipun penyerangnya mungkin disewa pihak Prancis, dalam sidang Isabell memohon agar pelaku tak dihukum mati. Permohonannya tak dipenuhi.

Ia kemudian bertemu dengan seorang anggota militer Slimane Ehnni, jatuh cinta, keduanya lalu menikah. Isabell kemudian bekerja sebagai wartawan perang di barat daya Aljazair dan terus menulis jurnalnya.

Kehidupan keras berpengaruh pada fisiknya. Pada usia 27 Isabelle nyaris tak memiliki gigi, kehilangan hampir semua rambutnya, dan harus bolak balik ke rumah sakit.

Pada tahun 1904, Isabell Eberhardt meninggal dunia saat menyelamatkan nyawa suaminya ketika banjir bandang menerjang rumah mereka yang sederhana di Ain Sefra.

Kisah hidupnya mungkin tak akan pernah diketahui jika editornya tak menerbitkan tulisan-tulisannya secara anumerta -- meski dengan banyak sensor dan pelintiran.

Pada awal 1920-an, sekarung penuh naskah yang belum selesai, catatan, dan buku harian ditemukan di bawah reruntuhan rumah Isabelle Eberhardt meninggal.

Karya-karya Isabell kemudian diterbitkan dalam tiga buku: The Wilder Shores of Love, Writings From the Sand, dan The Oblivion Seekers -- yang memberi wawasan sejarah tentang kehidupan warga Eropa di tengah warga lokal Aljazair. Yang menarik, penulisnya adalah seorang perempuan yang menyamar jadi pria. 

Buku-buku itu juga mengisahkan tentang kehidupan singkat, mistis, romantis seorang Isabell Eberhardt -- wanita muda yang gelisah, berpikiran bebas, dan nekat. 

"

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Mualaf hairan kalimah Allah jadi polemik

KUCHING: Umat Islam di Malaysia tidak sepatutnya gusar mengenai penggunaan kalimah “Allah” oleh penganut Kristian di negara ini selagi kalimah itu digunakan secara positif, kata bekas penyampai MTV Europe, Kristiane Backer (gambar).
    
Penyampai itu yang kini merupakan pensyarah mengenai Islam, yang memeluk agama Islam pada 1995, dan telah menerbitkan memoir beliau bertajuk From MTV to Mecca”, semalam menyifatkan isu itu sebagai luar biasa dan orang ramai patut gembira mengenainya.
    
“Anda tahu ‘Allah’ ialah nama untuk Tuhan dalam bahasa Arab. Ia digunakan dalam dunia Arab oleh penganut Kristian untuk Tuhan (God)…untuk menggambarkan God (mereka). Jadi kenapa kita perlu merungut mengenainya?” soalnya semasa menjawab soalan daripada audien di Pusat Maklumat Islam (IIC), di sini.
    
Sambil mengakui beliau masih tidak faham kenapa kalimah Allah menjadi isu kontroversi di Malaysia, tidak sepertimana di negara-negara Islam yang lain  dengan kalimah itu digunakan penganut Kristian, beliau percaya isu itu telah dipolitikkan.
    
Backer berada di sini atas jemputan IIC untuk menyampaikan syarahan mengenai “From MTV to Mecca: How Islam Inspired My Life”.
    
Syarahan itu merupakan satu daripada usaha pusat itu untuk menggalakkan dan menyebarkan kesejagatan Islam, serta meningkatan kefahaman dan penghargaan terhadap Islam dalam kalangan penduduk pelbagai etnik dan agama di Sarawak.
    
Selain sering dijemput menjadi penceramah dalam acara-cara peringkat antarabangsa, Backer juga baru-baru ini menjadi pengacara program pengembaraan  ‘Travel Channel’. - Bernama

Article source: http://dunia.news.viva.co.id/news/read/471499-as-hukum-perempuan-amerika--jihad-jane--10-tahun-penjara

Mualaf hairan kalimah Allah jadi polemik

Potential Malaysia IPOs for 2014

KUALA LUMPUR: IOI Properties Group kicked off an potential record year for Malaysia IPOs with a stellar debut, jumping by more than a fifth after raising some US$580 million in its initial public offering.

Malaysia’s initial public offering market could more than double this year to US$7.1 billion, led by an up to US$2 billion sale of state investor 1Malaysia Development Bhd’s energy assets, according to information from bankers compiled by Reuters.

Following is a list of other Malaysian IPOs that bankers have flagged as likely to occur in 2014 with their estimates of deal sizes. The total figure does not include two possible deals where the size has not been flagged – a property trust listing from Permodalan Nasional and an IPO for Boustead Plantations.

* Seven Convenience, operator of all 7-11 stores in Malaysia. The company is controlled by Malaysian tycoon Tan Sri Vincent Tan, the 10th richest man in the country, according to Forbes. A US$250 million IPO expected in March.

* Power producer Malakoff, a unit of tycoon Tan Sri Syed Mokhtar AlBukhary’s conglomerate MMC Corp. Syed Mokhtar is the country’s eight richest man, according to Forbes. A US$1 billion IPO seen in the first half of 2014.

* State investor 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) has invited investment banks to pitch for advisory roles in an initial public offering (IPO) ranging between US$1 billion to US$2 billion involving its power assets, three sources told Reuters on Wednesday.

* Boustead Plantations, the palm oil arm of Malaysia’s conglomerate Boustead Holdings, which is controlled by the country’s army fund, Lembaga Tabung Angkatan Tentera. The IPO is expected in the second quarter of 2014 but its size has not been determined yet.

* Icon Offshore, an oil and gas offshore service firm owned by the Malaysian government-linked private equity fund, Ekuiti Nasional. A US$150 million IPO expected in the first half of the year.

* Iskandar Waterfront, property developer off the coast of southern state of Johor near Singapore, partly owned by the Johor state government. A US$300 million IPO likely in the second half of 2014.

* Medini Iskandar, master property developer of 2200 acres of land in the heart of Iskandar economic region in the southern state of Johor, majority owned by state investor Khazanah Nasional Bhd. An US$800 million IPO expected in the first half of 2014.

* Themed Attractions and Resorts Bhd, a theme parks operator owned by Malaysia’s state investor Khazanah Nasional. A US$150 million IPO expected this year.

* Malaysian property developer Naza TTDI is expected to raise some US$250 million IPO in the first half of 2014.

* Malaysia’s largest mobile operator by market value Axiata plans to list its tower assets, with the IPO estimated at US$500 million.

* Internet-payment company MOL Global, the owner of social networking site Friendster Inc. Controlled by Malaysian tycoon Tan Sri Vincent Tan. The IPO is estimated at US$300 million.

* Southeast Asia’s largest offshore helicopter operator Weststar, partly owned by US private equity company KKR and Co. A US$625 million IPO expected in either 2014 or 2015.

* Malaysia’s largest fund management firm Permodalan Nasional Bhd’s planned property trust listing. The deal is expected in 2014 or 2015. The size has not been determined yet but the property under PNB has a value of US$4.7 billion.

* Ranhill Energy and Resources, the oil and gas service firm that had its listing in 2013 cancelled due to a disclosure breach related to the suspension of Petronas license of one of its units. It is exploring a comeback in 2014, with the IPO estimated at US$230 million.

Seven Convenience, Malakoff, Icon Offshore, MOL, Weststar, Boustead and Axiata have said they intend to list. 1MDB declined to comment. Ranhill, Permodalan Nasional, Themed Attractions and Resorts, Medini , Naza TTDI and Iskandar Waterfront were not immediately available for comment.– Reuters

Article source: http://jogja.tribunnews.com/2013/12/30/selebrasi-hormat-ala-nazi-anelka-berujung-sanksi

Potential Malaysia IPOs for 2014

Kalah, Tertantang, dan Kemudian Menang (bag. 2)

Home Sejarah

Perang Salib

Kalah, Tertantang, dan Kemudian Menang (bag. 2)

 

Menjelang Perang Salib III, Shalahuddin yang menggantikan Nuruddin Zanki

Jum’at, 21 Desember 2012

Oleh: Alwi Alatas

Kekalahan yang diikuti dengan kemenangan pada peristiwa Perang Salib

Bagaimanapun, bukan hanya kemenangan yang bisa berakhir dengan kekalahan. Kekalahan juga bisa disikapi dan dikelola dengan baik sehingga akhirnya berbalik menjadi kemenangan. Hal ini bisa kita lihat pada peristiwa Perang Salib.

Perang Salib I dimulai dengan seruan Paus Urbanus II pada sidang gereja di Clermont, Prancis. Seruan ini pada asalnya merupakan tanggapan positif gereja Katholik atas permintaan bantuan dari Byzantium untuk menghadapi pasukan-pasukan Turki Saljuk yang mengganggu wilayahnya. Namun isu ini kemudian dikembangkan dan diarahkan oleh Paus untuk merebut kota al-Quds atau Yerusalem. Paus tentu mempunyai pertimbangan pribadi saat menyampaikan seruannya. Gereja Katholik ketika itu sedang banyak masalah: perselisihan gereja dengan kaisar Jerman (Holy Roman Empire), adanya paus tandingan (anti-pope), perpecahan Katholik dengan Kristen Orthodoks yang berpusat di Byzantium, ditambah lagi dengan berbagai masalah sosial di Prancis dan beberapa negara Eropa Barat lainnya. Penguasaan Yerusalem, yang mereka yakini sebagai tempat disalibnya Yesus tentu akan menjadi prestasi yang menonjol dan meningkatkan pengaruh gereja Katholik di Eropa (Paine, 2005: 32).

Orang-orang yang hadir menyambut seruan Paus itu dengan penuh semangat. Sepanjang khutbah Paus Urbanus II mereka berseru, ”Deus Vult! Deus Vult! (Tuhan menghendakinya! Tuhan menghendakinya!) (Cole, 1991: 1-2). Setelah itu, beberapa pendeta mengkhususkan diri untuk menyebarluaskan seruan Paus kepada masyarakat. Manusia kemudian berbondong-bondong datang untuk menyertai Perang Salib yang pertama (1095-1099). Kata Edward Gibbon, seorang Sejarawan Inggris abad ke-18, khutbah Paus itu telah ”menyentuh syaraf perasaan (Eropa) yang paling halus” dan mendorong mereka untuk menyambutnya dengan penuh semangat. 

Terjadinya pasukan Salib I bertepatan dengan keadaan kekhalifahan Abbasiyah yang sedang mengalami perpecahan. Pemerintahan di kekhalifahan Abbasiyah ketika itu dipimpin oleh orang-orang Turki Saljuk. Ketika pemimpin tertingginya meninggal dunia pada tahun 1092, keadaan menjadi tidak stabil dan para emir saling memperebutkan wilayah dan memperjuangkan kepentingannya sendiri-sendiri. Perpecahan ini membuka jalan bagi pasukan Salib untuk masuk ke wilayah Muslim di Asia Minor, Suriah dan Palestina dan menguasai beberapa kota. Kota Nicaea (Iznik) jatuh pada tahun 1097, Antioch (Antakya) pada tahun 1098, dan Yerusalem (al-Quds) pada tahun 1099. Beberapa kota Muslim lainnya juga jatuh ke tangan pasukan Salib pada tahun-tahun tersebut. Selama puluhan tahun berikutnya, tidak ada satu pun kekuatan di dunia Islam yang mampu membebaskan kota-kota tersebut dan menghadapi pasukan Salib secara efektif.

Kaum Muslimin mengalami kekalahan yang telak. Kekalahan itu bukan disebabkan oleh musuh yang sangat hebat, tetapi lebih disebabkan oleh kelemahan yang menimpa kaum Muslimin. Mereka terkena penyakit cinta dunia dan jatuh dalam perpecahan dan permusuhan di antara sesama mereka. ”Para penguasa semuanya dalam keadaan berselisih …,” kata Ibn al-Athir (2006: 22), ”dan demikianlah orang-orang Frank menaklukkan negeri-negeri (Muslim).” Dr. Majid Irsan al-Kilani (2007: 49) memberikan gambaran yang lebih lengkap tentang kemunduran dan kelemahan kaum Muslimin pada masa itu, termasuk para ulamanya:

“Mereka menjalani rutinitas harian tanpa arahan yang benar, standar nilai Islam lenyap dari panggung kehidupan nyata, sedangkan nafsu dan syahwat merajalela. Pengaruh-pengaruh negatif terasa begitu kental dalam kehidupan sosial, ekonomi, politik, dan kemiliteran. Bidang-bidang tersebut hancur, fundamen internal masyarakat rapuh dan daya tahannya lemah serta rentan terhadap segala macam krisis dan keterpurukan.”

Keadaan ini menyebabkan mereka kalah, walaupun sebenarnya jumlah mereka lebih banyak dibandingkan musuh dan peradaban mereka jauh lebih maju. Untungnya keadaan ini tidak berlangsung terus menerus. Belakangan ada beberapa ulama yang berupaya sungguh-sungguh untuk memperbaiki keadaan ummat. Mereka memahami bahwa semua kekalahan itu adalah disebabkan oleh masalah internal kaum Muslimin. Maka mereka pun berusaha memperbaiki kondisi internal kaum Muslimin, khususnya memperbaiki barisan ulamanya agar menjadi ulama yang lurus dan mampu menerangi ummat (Al-Kilani, 2007).

Kemudian muncul juga seorang peminpin yang shaleh di Suriah, yaitu Nuruddin Zanki, sehingga semakin menyempurnakan perjuangan kaum Muslimin dalam menghadapi pasukan Salib. Nuruddin Zanki menjadi sultan menggantikan ayahnya pada tahun 1146, hampir bersamaan dengan terjadinya Perang Salib II (1147-1148). Pada Perang Salib II inilah mulai terlihat perubahan signifikan di dunia Islam, dan juga di kalangan orang-orang Frank (Prancis) dan Kristen pada umumnya. Dalam menghadapi gelombang kedatangan pasukan Salib yang baru ini, para pemimpin Muslim di Suriah mulai berupaya untuk menjalin kerja sama. Ketika pasukan Salib menjadikan Damaskus sebagai target serangan, emir Damaskus mengirim surat permintaan bantuan kepada Nuruddin Zanki di Aleppo dan kakaknya yang memerintah di Mosul. Keduanya segera menyambut permintaan bantuan itu.

Sebaliknya, orang-orang Kristen justru mulai mengalami perpecahan. Kaisar Byzantium mengijinkan pasukan Prancis dan Jerman melewati wilayahnya dan memfasilitasi mereka untuk menyeberang ke Asia Minor, tetapi tampaknya diam-diam memberikan informasi kepada orang-orang Turki Saljuk di wilayah itu untuk menghadang pasukan dari Prancis dan Jerman ini. Orang-orang Eropa yang baru datang itu juga belakangan mengalami perselisihan dengan orang-orang Frank yang telah lama berada di Palestina. Semua itu menyebabkan pasukan Salib mengalami kekalahan dan pasukan Salib II itu terpaksa kembali ke negerinya masing-masing dengan tangan hampa (Alatas, 2012: 286-292). Steven Runciman (1987: 288), seorang sejarawan yang menulis tentang sejarah Perang Salib mengomentari Perang Salib II dengan kata-kata berikut:

”Tidak ada usaha (enterprise) abad pertengahan yang dimulai dengan harapan yang begitu baiknya. Direncanakan oleh Paus, dikhotbahkan dan diinspirasikan oleh Santo Bernard, dan dipimpin oleh dua raja utama Eropa Barat, ia menjanjikan begitu banyak kejayaan dan keselamatan bagi dunia Kristen. Namun ketika ia sampai pada akhir yang begitu memalukan berupa penarikan pasukan dari Damaskus, semua yang berhasil dicapainya adalah memperburuk hubungan antara orang-orang Kristen di (Eropa) Barat dan orang-orang Byzantium hingga ke titik yang paling serius, menaburkan kecurigaan di antara tentara-tentara Salib yang baru datang dengan orang-orang Frank yang menetap di Suriah, memisahkan para bangsawan Frank di antara sesama mereka, menarik kaum Muslimin untuk saling mendekat dan bersatu, dan menghancurkan reputasi orang-orang Frank dalam hal kecakapan militer.”

Pada perang-perang Salib berikutnya kaum Muslimin juga mampu menahan serangan pasukan Salib. Menjelang Perang Salib III, Shalahuddin yang menggantikan Nuruddin Zanki yang meninggal dunia pada tahun 1174 berhasil membebaskan al-Quds. Pasukan Salib tidak pernah lagi mampu merebut kota al-Quds sejak saat itu. 

Kaum Muslimin memang kalah pada Perang Salib I. Tetapi para ulama dan pemimpinnya dapat merespon kekalahan itu dengan baik dan berjuang untuk mengubah keadaan internal kaum Muslimin sehingga mereka akhirnya mampu menghadapi lawan dan membebaskan kembali kota-kota di Palestina dan Suriah.

Kaum Muslimin pada hari ini juga sedang mengalami kekalahan. Mereka telah dikalahkan sejak lama. Mampukah para ulama dan pemimpinnya untuk bangkit memperbaiki ummat sehingga suatu saat nanti mereka dapat mengubah kekalahan menjadi kemenangan? Semoga saja.*/Jakarta, 3 Safar 1434/ 17 Desember 2012 

Daftar Pustaka

Alatas, Alwi. Nuruddin Zanki dan Perang Salib. Jakarta: Zikrul Hakim. 2012.

Ibn al-Athir. The Chronicle of Ibn al-Athīr for the Crusading Period from al-Kāmil fi’l-ta’rīkh, part 1, The 

Years 491-541/ 1097-1146, The Coming of the Franks and the Muslim Response (terjemahan oleh  D.S. Richards). Aldershot: Ashgate. 2006.

Gibbon, Edward. History of the Decline And Fall of the Roman Empire, vol. 5. e-text edition by David Reed.

Al-Kilani, Dr. Majid ‘Irsan. Misteri Masa Kelam Islam dan Kemenangan Perang Salib (terjemahan dari Hakadza Zhahara Jil Salah al-Din wa Hakadza ‘Adat al-Quds). Bekasi: Kalam Aulia Mediatama. 2007.

Al-Maqqari, Ahmed ibn Muhammed. 1984. The History of the Mohammedan Dynasties in Spain, extracted from the Nafhu-t-Tib min Ghosni-l-Andalusi-r-Rattib wa Tarikh Lisanu-d-din Ibni-l-Khattib, vol. I II, translated and ilustrated with critical notes by Pascual de Gayangos. Delhi: Idarah-I Adabiyat-I Delhi.

Paine, Michael. The Crusades. Harpenden: Pocket Essentials. 2005.

Runciman, Steven. A History of the Crusades, 2: The Kingdom of Jerusalem. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 1987.

 

Red: Cholis Akbar

Article source: http://www.hidayatullah.com/read/26448/21/12/2012/penyesatan-opini-paham-pembela-kebathilan.html

Kalah, Tertantang, dan Kemudian Menang (bag. 2)

Umat Kristen Dianiaya: Afrika dan Timur Tengah Diawasi

THURSDAY, 24 JANUARY 2013

Total View : 328 times

Yayasan Kristen internasional, Open Doors telah menyatakan bahwa ada 50 negara di daftar khusus mereka untuk diawasi ketat pada tahun 2013, terutama negara-negara Afrika dan Timur Tengah di mana banyak terjadi penyiksaan umat Kristen akhir-akhir ini.

Beberapa negara yang disebutkan adalah Uganda, Tanzania, Kenya, dan Nigeria yang merupakan “pendatang baru” dalam daftar milik Open Doors. Negara-negara tersebut masuk ke daftar Open Doors karena agama Islam telah menyebar dengan sangat mudah dan cepat di negara-negara tersebut. Telah banyak terjadi peristiwa pengeboman gereja, pembakaran rumah, serta pembantaian umat Kristen sepanjang tahun 2012 oleh kelompok Islam Boko Harem yang berupaya mengubah Nigeria menjadi negara Muslim.

Sementara Ethiopia, Eritrea, dan Libya telah naik peringkat di daftar pengawasan yayasan Open Doors. Ethiopia dari peringkat 38 ke 15, sementara Mali yang juga pendatang baru langsung menempati nomor 7 sebagai tempat paling berbahaya bagi umat Kristen.

“Padahal sebelumnya Mali adalah negara yang patut dijadikan contoh,” juru bicara yayasan Open Doors, Jerry Dykstra, menyebutkan. “Situasi di daerah utara memang selalu dipenuhi ketegangan, tapi umat Kristen dan para misionaris masih bisa bekerja dengan aktif. Tapi sekarang situasi di Mali mirip dengan yang terjadi di Arab Saudi. Tidak ada umat Kristen yang diperbolahkan tinggal di sana.”

Negara-negara yang ada di 10 besar daftar pengawasan Open Doors adalah: Korea Utara, Arab Saudi, Afganistan, Irak, Somalia, Republik Maldives, Mali, Iran, dan Yemen. Negara-negara tersebut adalah negara yang melakukan penyiksaan keji terhadap umat Kristen. Di Korea Utara, contohnya, umat Kristen akan langsung ditangkap dan dijebloskan dalam penjara penampungan hanya dengan memiliki Alkitab.

Menurut yayasan Open Doors, penganiayaan umat Kristen terjadi di sekitar 60 negara di seluruh dunia, namun yang mereka daftar sebagai negara yang paling berbahaya bagi umat beriman untuk tinggal adalah 50 negara.

Keberadaan yayasan Open Doors telah memberikan secercah harapan kepada umat Kristen di seluruh dunia yang tinggal dalam ketakutan. Marilah kita membantu mereka dengan terus berdoa dan berharap bagi keselamatan saudara-saudara kita.

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Ivana Lie Pergi, Roy Suryo Tembak Susi Susanti

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True Story: The Successful Entrepreneur from the Poor Family

Sumber : christiannews.net / Zee

Article source: http://www.suarapembaruan.com/home/kedepankan-muatan-nilai-agama-bukan-penambahan-jam-belajar/29108

Umat Kristen Dianiaya: Afrika dan Timur Tengah Diawasi

Diego Michiels: Saya Masuk Islam Bukan karena Nikita Willy

Laporan Wartawan Tribunnews, Eri Komar Sinaga

TRIBUNNEWS.COM, JAKARTA – Diego Robbie Michiels (22) menegaskan bahwa dirinya memeluk agama Islam bukan karena berpacaran dengan Nikita Willy.

Diego mengaku mantap pindah keyakinan lantaran dorongan dari hatinya.

“No, I did it for my self. From my heart (Tidak ada hubungannya. Saya melakukannya untuk saya sendiri. Dari hati saya),” ujar Diego di hadapan wartawan dan Tribunnews.com, sebelum sidang di Pengadilan Negeri Jakarta Pusat, Kamis (7/2/2013).

Diego juga menampik jika menjadi mualaf karena teman-temannya banyak yang muslim. Namun, Diego mengaku kini diajari temannya yang Islam.

“I don’t do it for my friends. My friends here who also Moeslim they teach me how to pray (saya tidak melakukannya demi teman. Teman-teman saya yang Islam mengajari saya bagaimana caranya berdoa,” ujarnya.

Diego juga mengaku ibunya sudah mengetahui tentang kepindahannya menjadi seorang Muslim.

Diego mengatakan tidak ada masalah dengan ibunya. Jika Diego bahagia dengan pilihannya, ibunya juga demikian.

“My mother already know. I aksed her before one month ago and when she was here last month I asked if it’s okay. She said if you happy I’m happy (ibu saya sudah tahu. Sebulan yang lalu saya bertanya kepadanya. Dan ketika dia di sini bulan lalu dia bilang jika kamu bahagia saya juga bahagia,” terangnya.

Diego sebelum menjadi warga negara Indonesia (WNI) adalah warga negara Belanda.

Diego lahir di Deventer, Belanda, pada 8 Agustus 1990. Sebelumnya, Deigo adalah penganut agama Kristen.

Article source: http://www.hidayatullah.com/read/27187/10/02/2013/anggota-dpr:-anak-muda-wajib-masuk-pesantren.html

Diego Michiels: Saya Masuk Islam Bukan karena Nikita Willy

PERKIM, Penang Islam council get leave to fight conversion challenge

PERKIM, Penang Islam council get leave to fight conversion challenge

March 25, 2013

PUTRJAYA, March 25 — The Muslim Welfare Organisation (PERKIM) and the Penang Islamic Religious Council were given the nod by the Federal Court here today to appeal against an appellate court’s decision in reverting back to the Penang High Court to hear an application brought by a female factory worker who is questioning the validity of her conversion to Islam.

A five-member panel led by Court of Appeal President Tan Sri Md Raus Sharif allowed their application for leave to appeal to the Federal Court.

“I think it is a fit and proper case for the Federal Court to decide,” said Justice Raus who presided on the panel with Chief Judge of Malaya Tan Sri Zulkefli Ahmad Makinudin and Federal Court judges Datuk Hashim Yusof, Tan Sri Abdull Hamid Embong and Datuk Jeffrey Tan Kok Wha.

The court would determine two legal questions. One is whether Section 121 (A) of the Federal Constitution and Section 61(3)(b)(x) of the administration of religion of Islam Penang Enactment 2004 apply and binds the respondent, Siti Hasnah Vangarama Abdullah.

On January 12 last year, the Court of Appeal reverted Siti Hasnah’s case back to the High Court in Penang after ruling that the High Court had the jurisdiction to hear her originating summons, which she had filed questioning the validity of her conversion to Islam when she was seven years old.

On August 4 2010, the High Court struck out Siti Hasnah’s case after it (the High Court) ruled that the court did not have the jurisdiction to hear her case and that her matter was a subject matter exclusively for the Syariah court.

In her originating summons filed on December 23 2009, Siti Hasnah, 29, named as defendants Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad in his capacity as PERKIM chairman, former PERKIM officer Raimi Abdullah and the Penang Islamic Religious Council.

In her application, Siti Hasnah sought for a declaration that the defendants had wrongfully caused her to undergo a religious conversion process when she was seven years old in 1989.

In her affidavit supporting her application, the mother of three children claimed that she was in the Ramakrishna orphanage when she was taken by Raimi to the Kadi Bandaraya Pulau Pinang to take affirmation of faith to renounce Hinduism and embrace Islam.

She claimed that the conduct of the defendants to order her to recite the “kalimah shahadat” on December 28 1989 was wrong in law.

She said she did not understand the content and the meaning of the words in the “Sijil Akuan Masuk Islam” which she had read, recited and signed, adding that at the age of seven years, she did not have any choice but to follow the defendants’ orders to recite the “kalimah shahadat”.

Siti Hasnah also wants the court to instruct the National Registration Department to change her religion and her Muslim name to her original Hindu name Banggarma a/p Subramaniam in her MyKad and omit the word Islam from her identity card.

In his affidavit, Raimi said according to the records obtained by PERKIM, Siti Hasnah, together with her parents and her other siblings, converted to Islam in 1983.

Siti Hasnah was one year old then. At the age of five, her parents placed her at the Ramakrishna orphanage and she was there for a year and a half. Her mother died in 1989 and her father died in 2004.

Siti Hasnah married S. Sockalingam, 32, under Hindu customary rites. The couple did not register their marriage. — Bernama

Article source: http://kabarcepat.com/2013/03/23/gereja-katolik-tambora-jakarta-barat-disegel-massa-pendemo

PERKIM, Penang Islam council get leave to fight conversion challenge

Film Tentang Cinta Beda Agama, Kenapa Terus Dibuat?

Film Tentang Cinta Beda Agama, Kenapa Terus Dibuat?

Selasa, 08 Januari 2013 10:49

| Ade Irwansyah

HINGGA selesai menulis artikel ini, jujur, saya belum nonton film terbaru Hanung Bramantyo, Cinta Tapi Beda.

Saya tak tertarik menontonnya. Saya sedang malas nonton film bertema “berat.” Sebab, jika menonton, saya akan repot menuliskan ulasannya. Tapi, kontroversi soal filmnya, bahkan kabar Hanung memutuskan menarik filmnya dari peredaran sampai dilaporkan ke polisi segala mendorong saya menulis artikel ini.

Karena belum nonton, saya tak berhak menilai Cinta Tapi Beda. Namun, saya sudah nonton beberapa film yang mengangkat soal cinta beda agama sebelum yang ini. Jadi, menurut saya, sah saja saya punya pendapat soal tema yang diangkatnya: tentang cinta beda agama.

Negeri kita yang terdiri atas beragam suku, budaya, dan agama sudah sejak dulu menjadi bahan baku cerita fiksi, termasuk film cerita. Kritikus film Eric Sasono pernah menulis di situs Rumah Film (2011), dahulu setidaknya ada dua pendekatan utama pembuat film menceritakan keragaman di Indonesia ini. Pendekatan pertama humoristis, dengan bercerita tentang tokoh-tokoh komikal dan stereotip etnis sebagai bahan lawakan atau ejekan. Tujuan pendekatan ini untuk mengajak penonton menertawakan diri sendiri. Humor yang semacam mendamaikan diri sendiri ini (morbid humor) dianggap efektif untuk menerima kenyataan ketimbang dipendam dan dibiarkan hingga jadi bisul kronis.

Pendekatan kedua adalah pendekatan yang menceritakan keragaman itu sebagai bagian komentar—atau kritik sosial budaya. Pendekatan ini melihat bahwa keragaman itu merupakan sebuah hal kompleks yang harus dijalani oleh manusia Indonesia. Pendekatan kedua ini menceritakan orang-orang yang harus bersiasat dengan beragam identitas yang berkumpul dalam diri mereka.

Untuk pendekatan pertama, Eric memberi contoh film-film komedi Nya’ Abbas Akup, sedang contoh pendekatan kedua di antaranya dilakukan Sjumandjaja lewat, misalnya, Si Doel Anak Modern.

Salah satu ciri yang menonjol di sinema Indonesia pasca Soeharto adalah sifat individualistis. Para pembuat film pasca Soeharto tak terlalu memusingkan keragaman latar belakang etnis, kebudayaan atau agama. Yang dikejar melulu capaian individual si tokoh. Keadaan sekitar tak kelewat dipedulikan, dan film Indonesia sekarang lebih senang membuat cerita yang berpusat pada aspirasi (capaian psikologis dan material) orang per orang yang khas kelas menengah.

Maka, kita melihat kisah-kisah from zero to hero tentang orang miskin jadi orang sukses, orang saleh mencari jodoh, dan sebagainya.

***

Namun, tentu, selalu ada yang menyempal bergeser dari titik mainstream. Kondisi pasca Soeharto yang relatif bebas juga memungkinkan mengangkat hal yang dianggap tabu menjadi wacana di layar lebar. Dari sini menyempal film yang membincangkan cinta beda agama.

Film tentang cinta beda agama di sinema Indonesia pasca Soeharto dimulai oleh Cin(T)a karya Sammaria Simanjuntak yang rilis tahun 2009. Judulnya memberi simbol yang kira-kira bisa diartikan—saya meminjamnya dari tulisan Ifan Adriansyah Ismail di majalah Madina—di antara sepasang kekasih yang sedang jatuh cinta ada “T” yang menghalangi. “T” itu adalah perbedaan dalam menyebut Tuhan. (O ya, sebetulnya, setahun sebelumnya, 2008, rilis Ayat-Ayat Cinta [sutradara Hanung Bramantyo] yang di dalamnya ada kisah cinta beda agama antara Fahri [Fedi Nuril], penganut Islam, dengan Maria yang menganut Kristen Koptik. Tapi persolan cinta beda agama itu tak menjadi soal berarti karena Maria kemudian masuk Islam.)

Kembali ke Cin(T)a, film itu tampak samar-samar mengisahkan cinta beda agama dengan membalutnya sebagai film esai. Tokoh-tokohnya dipinjam sineasnya untuk mengutarakan gagasan ataupun pertanyaan seputar cinta, Tuhan, dan agama. “Kenapa Allah nyiaptain kita beda-beda. Kalau Allah ingin disembah dengan satu cara?” “Makanya Allah ciptain cinta. Biar yang beda-beda bisa nyatu.”

Film berikutnya, 3 Hati, 2 Dunia, 1 Cinta (2010). Kita bertemu Rosid (Reza rahadian) telah menetapkan hatinya pada Delia (Laura Basuki). Rosid, Islam. Delia, Katolik. Film arahan Benni Setiawan yang kisahnya diambil dari dua novel (Da Peci Code dan Rosid Delia) ini mengambil jalan ke inti persoalan: seperti apa problema yang akan ditemukan bila dua sejoli beda agama memadu kasih?

Film ini tak mencoba memberi putusan bahwa hal itu dilarang (atau juga dibolehkan). Sebaliknya, film ini menyajikan serangkaian hal untuk direnungkan penonton usai menonton. Misalnya, ada dialog soal persoalan nikah beda agama akan meninggalkan beban psikologis pada pelaku, keluarga, bahkan anak yang mereka lahirkan kelak. Ditanya bagaimana sebaiknya, malah dijawab dengan tawa. Kemudian, ada dialog, dari sudut Islam, ada pendapat ulama yang mengatakan nikah beda agama boleh asal prianya Islam. Tapi, dengan bijak, film ini tak menganjurkan mengikuti pendapat ulama yang membolehkan hal itu, melainkan taati agama dengan baik dulu, baru pahami betul-betul sebelum akhirnya ikut pendapat yang mana. SPOILER ALERT pada akhirnya Rosid dan Delia tak melanjutkan hubungan cinta mereka.

Kemudian juga ada sedikit cerita cinta beda agama yang terselip di film ? (Tanda Tanya) rilis tahun 2011 karya Hanung Bramantyo. Yang sudah nonton pasti ingat sub plot tentang Ping Hen (Rio Dewanto) yang memendam cinta pada Menuk (Revalina S. Temat). Di ujung film, SPOILER ALERT lagi, setelah Menuk menjanda, Ping Hen masuk Islam dan mendapatkan cinta lamanya.

Nah, yang terakhir kisah cinta beda agama hadir lewat Cinta Tapi Beda. Saya belum nonton, jadi tak berhak mengulasnya. Namun, kawan yang menulis resensi filmnya di tabloid ini mengatakan di ulasannya, “… tidak mudah melaksanakan pernikahan beda agama. Sistem di Indonesia tidak memberi dukungan pada cinta yang didasari dua Mahacinta. Ini pesan Cinta Tapi Beda. Untuk kita renungkan.”

Yang jelas, filmnya rilis di penghujung 2012, ini artinya setiap tahun sejak 2009 lahir film yang mengangkat tema itu.

Kenyataan ini lebih menarik ditelisik. Kenapa sekarang saban tahun muncul film tentang cinta beda agama?

***

Sesungguhnya, cinta beda agama terbilang sebuah keniscayaan di tengah masyarakat Indonesia yang majemuk, terdiri atas beragam agama. Kita hidup berdampingan dengan orang beragama lain, tak mungkin rasanya jika sampai tidak terjadi kisah cinta berlatar agama berbeda. Anda mungkin pernah mengalaminya, atau pastilah kenal orang-orang yang mengalaminya.

Sesungguhnya pula, cinta beda agama bisa terjadi di belahan mana saja di dunia ini. Namun, rasanya, di Barat sana hal semacam ini tak menjadi masalah. Beda dengan di Indonesia. Nilai religiusitas dan kekeluargaan yang erat dianut masyarakat kita membuat persoalan cinta beda agama jadi pelik.

Di Barat sana yang individualis boleh saja orangtua membiarkan anaknya berkasih-kasihan dengan yang lain agama karena menganggap itu sebagai hak asasi. Tapi tak demikian halnya di Indonesia. Apalagi bila hubungan beda agama itu hendak berlanjut jadi serius ke pernikahan. Percintaan, apalagi pernikahan di masyarakat kita, bukan semata urusan dua pribadi yang jatuh cinta, tapi urusan dua keluarga.

Pertama niatan sineas melahirkan kisah ini karena sudah saatnya hal tabu itu diangkat ke permukaan, dibicarakan secara terbuka. Yang saya ingat, baik Cin(T)a dan 3 Hati, 2 Dunia, 1 Cinta tak mendatangkan kontroversi lantaran mengangkat konfliknya dengan halus: Cin(T)a lewat penuturan bergaya esai, sedang 3 Hati lewat penyelesaian harmonis. ? (Tanda Tanya) mengundang kontroversi lebih kepada tema pluralisme religius yang diangkatnya.

Pun kontroversi terbaru ini, di Cinta Tapi Beda lebih berupa protes pada tokohnya yang digambarkan sebagai orang Minang.

Ini menandakan, meski di luar sana masih ada pro-kontra atas hubungan cinta beda agama, sebetulnya sebagian besar masyarakat relatif memberi kebebasan pada sineas untuk mengangkat tema ini.

Yang tidak setuju, misalnya, pada akhirnya memilih tidak menontonnya. Mereka lebih memilih kisah cinta sejati Habibe dengan Ainun atau semangat nasionalismenya dibakar di puncak Mahameru lewat 5 cm..

Pertanyaannya kemudian, apa kontroversi Cinta Tapi Beda ini akan menghentikan sineas membuat lagi film tentang cinta beda agama?

Saya kok ragu, ya. Sebab, hubungan cinta beda agama adalah bahan baku cemerlang untuk sebuah kisah dramatis khas Indonesia. Dalam hubungan cinta beda agama ada konflik yang menggigit penuh dilema. Di situ, cinta seakan dipertentangkan dengan agama. Ada pula tradisi dan nilai keluarga yang mungkin menentang.

Siapa yang untung? Oh, tentu produser film. Orang-orang yang penasaran jadi kepingin nonton. Apalagi sampai filmnya jadi kontroversi segala. Yuk, ke bioskop sebelum filmnya betulan berhenti tayang….

(ade/ade)

 

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Article source: http://www.tribunnews.com/2012/12/11/peringatan-hari-anti-korupsi-di-makassar-berujung-bentrok

Film Tentang Cinta Beda Agama, Kenapa Terus Dibuat?