blogjakarta

I don’t know where to start, but the report I read today about some Islam activitsts cutting down a hundred years old tree just to prove that the tree is not ‘angker’ (eerie), really really annoys me.

Detik.com on their report today (4/10/06) ‘Tebang Beringin, Persis ingin buktikan isu angker’ said that some santri (student at traditional Muslim School) from Persis (Persatuan Islam or Islam Association) decided to cut most of the branches and the verdant leaves of an old and luxuriant Banyan tree in Harmoni, Central Jakarta, because they want to prove to the people that the Banyan tree was not an ‘angker’ one as rumors said.

The rumors said that four people died from trying to cut the tree to make ways for the busway project, and people believe the tree is ‘angker’ therefore the Banyan tree was left alone. So, as a ‘dakwah’ (preaching) effort, to show that it’s ok to cut it, Persis cut the abundant tree, and left only a few leaves on it. Persis also think the location of the tree near the Istiqlal Grand Mosque and the Palace is humiliating. “How come that a tree could rule over human power. All of the trees (in that area) were cut down, why didn’t they cut this one. I think, it (cutting the tree) is part of dakwah (religious proselytizing),” Zainal Arifin the leader of Persis said.

Meanwhile, according to an official from Pemda, they keep the Banyan tree, because it has historical value, is very old and helping reduce pollution in the area.

Governor Sutiyoso files a complaint to the police.

Yada yada yada

Someone who committed a suicide bombing and killing innocent civilian is considered a terrorist attack. What about a country who launched air strikes and resulting in the deaths of innocent civilians, is it also considered terrorist attack?

I guess at the end of the day, term is no longer important. An attack killing innocent civilian is a grave attack, whoever did it.

my beloved off to london. miss him already. feels like washing my hair. why it seems i have to wash my hair everyday now, instead of once in two days.

Hello blog! Long time no write. No excuse. Just laziness to put all my thoughts and rants in writing rule over, er, strong will? Anyho, I’m well and realize how tough my last headlines was about small group of idiotic people. Well, i guess they deserved it. :-) No rants today, only because I do not want to read the newspaper lately, too many idiotic people and depressing events on the news. On the positive side: my blogjet worked again!

I have installed an interesting application - BlogJet. It's a cool Windows client for my blog tool (as well as for other tools). Get your copy here: http://blogjet.com

"Computers are incredibly fast, accurate and stupid; humans are incredibly slow, inaccurate and brilliant; together they are powerful beyond imagination." -- Albert Einstein

 

Oh so goblok these narrow-minded claiming themselves as member of Muslim organisations (shame for Islam!). I just can’t stand their statements and way of thinking. So, out of touch. So, narrow. So, stupid!!! (see below for an excerpt of the article in detik about them).

 

All problems, all differences, would be settled with violence. No different of opinion should exist. They never heard ‘agree to disagree’. They basically never use their brain. They are the ones who are cursed by Allah! (Not that I’m claiming to be God).

 

Allah creates people differently. There are man and woman. There are white, black, yellow, brown, pink skin color people. There are people with straight, curly, semi curly hair. There are people with black, blonde, white, red hair. There are people who are tall, short. That is a clear sign that Allah like differences. And we have to respect that!

 

Allah creates brain and mind to differentiate human from animal. And the function of the brain is to think. If Allah likes differences in appearance, for sure, Allah will like differences in opinion.

 

If these guys attack anybody who has different view or opinion from themselves (not from Islam, as they claimed. Who can guarantee that their opinion or view are that of Islam??), it means that they disrespect Allah likeliness of differences!

 

Think people! Think!!

 

Why don’t you use your brain once a while??? Pfft!!!

 

An excerpt from Detik.com: Forum Ulama Ummat Indonesia protested a dialogue in a local TV between Indonesian former President Gus Dur (a moderate Muslim), a communication expert (a moderate Muslim), a cultural observer Emha Ainun Najib (a moderate Muslim) and a band singer, about MUI (Indonesian Ulema Council). They said MUI is not a group of Ulema, but only a group of experts on study of laws pertaining to ritual obligations. “If we let it, it means we grow arrogance attitude in this country,” MUI responded to the dialogue. Meanwhile FUUI called upon Muslims to march and be ready to deal with any possibility as the consequence of the ‘harrasment’.

Two triangular-shape mountains side by side, and half of the sun in between
the mountains. That's what students from my generation (when Boney M and Duran-Duran
were the hottest band) and up until now, all over Indonesia, draw when asked
to draw 'gambar pemandangan' (a scenery). This morning I saw the same
drawing on yesterday's Jakarta Post, on their front page photo, done by
some Acehnese students as their token of gratitute to the foreign donors? Evidence of how unimaginative and uncreative students we are.

I still remember, during our 'art' lesson in the elementary school, our art
teacher who was also teaching other subjects including sports, math,
history, biology and language, since there were limited school teachers,
would ask us to get our drawing book, pencil and colored pencils ready,
while she draws 'the scenery' picture on the blackboard. "Ok children, this
is art lesson time. We are going to draw scenery. And this is what we would
draw. And, sret, sret, sret, two mountains up. Sret sret sret sret, half of
the sun emerged in the middle of the mountains, and two lines depicting the
road from the mountains were drawn." And we, the students, would draw
exactly the same picture, only bits on the number of birds in the sky would
be slightly different, or what to draw beside the road would be various.
But the two mountains and half sun would always be there, like a fixed
platform.

And our teacher would smile, I don't know whether he was happy to see us
being obidient or he thought it's funny to see cloning of his pictures.

What intrigued me now, it seems all teachers in Indonesia would draw that
platform when they teach their students. Clearly, in Aceh and Jakarta. Is
it that our teachers were also instructed to draw that scenery, when they
were trained in their teacher school? And if they saw students who draw
differently, they were instructed to punish him?

Well, to be fair, I don't remember that my teacher punished my friend who
draw differently from the fixed platform. But I remember that I looked at
my friend's drawing with admiration, while at the same time, envy, that he
could draw something so beautiful.

What happened to the rest of the class, why we did not draw something
different?

Is it because our class was plain and square, with no interesting or
creative decorations in the class (only the picture of Presiden Soeharto
and his VP), that could inspire us? Or because there were 45 rascals in one
class, meanwhile only 1 sleepy teacher, so that none of us received
personal encouragement from the teacher? (Well, there were few students who
received personal attention, and it's because they take private lesson from
the teacher outside the school, as a side-income for the teacher.) Or, the
fact that our teachers were always upset if we asked them too many
questions (Mrs. Badcrumble, whatcha doin? I'm teaching. Mrs.
Badcrumble, whatcha doin now? Dian, out, now!) ?

So, you see the product of the past and present education today. At the
parliament building busily debating on how much raise they should get or
which country they should visit for their 'comparative study'. Because
that's what's been done in the past by the MPs, and since they're not
creative nor imaginative nor smart nor good, and not at all sensitive, they
can not think of any other important issues that they should tackle. (I
know that this might not be the right example, but I just hate the MPs, and
this is my blog, so I can do whatever I want to write. :-))

Anyho, I feel like very creative now, and going to draw some 'scenery'
picture. Two suns up …