strawberry field

It was a perfect day,
perfect weather,
perfect view,
perfect shopping,
perfect crowd from many different nationalities
and colors (including many nice dogs),
perfect song,
but without perfect persons...,

I was in the Central Park, Manhattan, New York, walking by myself, tried to enjoy everything: nice puppies and dogs, cute looking children, runners, cyclists, tourists with their cameras and funny actions, sellers like kaki lima found in most streets in Jakarta, and small bicycle-carts, I don't know the name, but it really like becak, which went by and made Manhattan more crowded.

I walked along the West part of the park, from Colombus circle to the place called Strawberry field. If you are a fan of John Lennon, you must know this place. John Lennon was used to hang out there and was shot dead there too (If people gave me correct stories...). Its a shady circle area, surrounded by trees, where it has three paths from West, North and South. I sat in one of benches surrounded this small area, looking to the middle of the circle, on the ceramic tile where “imagine“ was written and became focus of attention of all people there. I was about to cry, not remembering how Lenon died, but moved by many roses set there. It is how wonderful the way people show their love and affection. About ten meters from that circle to the West, another crowd singing happily. They sang together with the street musicians who were about 12 persons bringing guitars, bass, and small drums, Beatles songs! The place is only ten meters from Lenon's (well, Yoko Ono's) apartment, its just separated by a road.

I joined the crowd and enjoyed few songs. I watched the surrounding. People of different color, gender, age, ideologies, nationalities, sang together with passion. The atmosphere was wonderful. One song that most crowd sang loudly (not included dogs... for sure!) was “all I need is love..., all I need is love..., all I need is love, love. Love is all you need.“ Passion and love united peoples no matter they have differences.

Well, its almost a prefect song, if my beloved ones were with me there.
I miss you, Amir, Elka and Farhan.

a tribute and prayers for my beloved brother

It has been so long since the last time I wrote in this blog. What made me write again is my admiration of my brother, mas Oce, for the way he fights his leukemia and his love to family, and also his nice writings/stories. I like his writing. He should publish his writings, I believe, not only because they are beautiful, but also because they are important lessons and knowledge about life and leukemia. I cried many times when I read his stories.

Telling you the truth, I just knew him well recently. Even though we went to the same Islamic boarding school in Jakarta in 80s. I knew he was such a rebellious person, but has very good heart. At the school I was not shame to the fact that my brother was notorious person, haha. I remember the moment he lent his arm to my shoulder when I was afraid of his friends who yelled to him and me. I knew he complained many times to my parents as he knew that I should have more clothes, etc. It seems that each of us in the family did not know each other. I began to know him well since he married to mbak Harni, and specifically when he was diagnosed with leukemia. I heard that in 2004 when I was in Melbourne.

I like his dedication and attentions to his wife and children. I think his small family is very strong one. Harun and Zahra know well what happened to his father. Mbak Harni is very strong woman. May this family are blessed.

Well, shortly, I would like to pay a tribute to him. He is a hero to me. I hope he keeps strong to fight the leukemia in his body, and gives his love to his family and friends, and keep writing!

See his writing entitles *Ruang* in his blog: http://ocekojiro.wordpress.com/

With love from New York.

Mother's day My day

My favourite day is mother day.
Last May I got these two sweet cards from Elkana and Farhan.
And a bunch of flowers! from... Amir!
I love flowers! I mean,
I love you guys...

Jehan, our new hero from India...

Yippieee...! We have a new family member. His name is Jehan Shahdar Raushanara. Hmm its really Indian taste. I like Jehan. Its the name of one of famous sultans of India in the history. But I don't know the rest. BTW, congratulations Tante Elina and Om Ryan. I am sure Jehan will bring your life more colorful. (Or its the other way around? that both of you will bring Jehan's life more colorful). It depends on what Islamic schools of thought are you, Jabariyah or Qadariyah; it does not matter.

Tante Lina looks beautiful and more happy. What a joyful of being mum! Where's Om Ryan? Don't you have someone there in Delhi hospital to take the picture of three of you? Anyway, I could not complain more when I see the picture of Jehan below. Speechless!

Pahlawan Tanpa Tanda Jasa

The main song for the Indonesian Choir will be Pahlawan Tanpa Tanda Jasa. This is a perfect song for a choir. Its melody is beautiful and its theme is awesome for both teachers and students. I think Australian students can also learn it easily. I learned this song when I joined a choir at my primary school, SDN Situgintung II pagi. Here is the lyrics.

Terpujilah wahai engkau, ibu bapak guru
Namamu akan selalu hidup, dalam sanubariku
Semua baktimu, akan kuukir di dalam hatiku
S'bagai prasasti trimakasihku tuk pengabdianmu

Engkau sebagai pelita dalam kegelapan
Engkau laksana embun penyejuk dalam kehausan
Engkau patriot pahlawan bangsa
Tanpa tanda jasa

I dedicated this song for my teachers at SDN Situgintung II Pagi...

Indonesian Choir at Moreland Primary School

Elkana and Farhan are exited that we will start an Indonesian Choir at Moreland Primary School next week. I will volunteer to teach Indonesian song and culture to a group of students.

Teaching a choir every week?! Well, I did not expect to have this chance. It is totally different from my PhD research. Last year I taught Elkana, Farhan and their close friends to perform at their school at the farewell program of Sue. She is one of my favourite teacher at Moreland Primary School. After performance, we received excellent response and comments from students and teachers. So they asked me to do that at school this year.

Well, I know I only have four months before submitting my thesis. I am in a tense writing situation right now. I could easily say no and sorry to the school principal. But, I don't want to see Elkana's and Farhan's sad faces. The most important inspiration behind my yes decision is Amir. Without his never-ending support I could not manage my time to do this activity.

Who knows this activity will give me a good Thursday. This is the art of volunteering. In fact, I will teach my own kids and Australian students about Indonesia, which is culturally marginal here.

This is exiting!

Ayat-Ayat Cinta: Sebuah Dekonstruksi yang Cerdas dan Menawan

Brilliant! Film Ayat-Ayat Cinta ini sungguh sarat pesan moral, yang disuguhkan dengan paduan gambar dan suara yang ciamik, dan puisi yang indah dan filosofis.

Pesan moralnya berkisar pada agama dan sosial, dan menyentuh hampir semua ranah: dari persoalan pacaran dalam Islam, studi Islam, ketidakadilan, cinta dan patah hati, kekerasan dalam rumah tangga, hubungan Islam and the West, konsep perempuan dalam Islam, purdah, hubungan Islam-Kristen, sampai poligami dalam Islam! Sulit untuk mengungkapkan dalam satu kata mengenai pesan2 ini. Tapi yang saya kira sangat kuat adalah dekonstruksi.

Dekonstruksi dalam banyak hal: misalnya tentang perempuan yang berhijab, tentang ta'aruf, poligami (whether you are pro or con), sakralitas orang Arab dan bahasa Arab. Nulis surat cinta dan diari juga pake bahasa arab.. hehe. Duh, jadi ingat masa2 di pesantren dan kuliah dulu.

Tentang hijab, yang didekontruksi adalah pandangan bahwa orang yang memakai hijab itu berpikiran fundamentalis dan anti barat. Nah di film ini digambarkan sebaliknya. Ta'aruf (perkenalan) yang bagi sebagian kalangan dikesankan sangat Islami, di film ini justru dipertanyakan dengan memperlihatkan masalah2 yang timbul akibat pasangan yang menikah hanya dengan taaruf yang dengan cara hanya melihat muka saja. Mitos sakralitas orang Arab dihilangkan dengan penggambaran kekerasan dalam rumah tangga. Poligami --walaupun digambarkan dilakukan karena alasan 'darurat' dan sangat masuk akal-- diperlihatkan bahwa sulit sekali untuk memberi keadilan. Dan film juga akhirnya diakhiri dengan 'hilangnya' satu istri dan menjadi pernikahan monogami tentunya.

Sebagai sebuah film, tentu banyak juga kekurangannya. Setidaknya film ini membuat suasana bioskop hingar bingar dan sangat multi kultur, berbeda dari biasanya. Karena ibu-ibu pengajian tidak mau ketinggalan untuk ikut nonton. Bravo untuk Habiburrahman El-Syirazi, penulis novel, dan Hanung Bramantyo, sutradara Ayat-ayat Cinta.

Dibawah ini link untuk nonton filmnya bagi yang kesulitan untuk nonton di bioskop dan nyari DVD nya. (Minta perpustakaan supaya beli novel dan DVD nya ya). Tapi sebelumnya saya ingatkan. Beware: its addictive!

ham must not separate our friendship

Memang, kayaknya lucu ya. Tapi ini serius sekali, tanpa saya perlu refer ke cerita2 dari milis tetangga tentang anak2 Indonesia di Melbourne yang beda agama dan bertemu di satu sekolah, terus 'selek' gara2 ham ini, sampai2 orang tua dipanggil ke sekolah...

Nah, lagi-lagi ini kelihatannya akibat tidak tuntasnya pengajaran agama bagi anak-anak. Dan kelihatannya bukan hanya fenomena dari masyarakat Muslim Indonesia, tapi dari komunitas Muslim lain di Melbourne. Setelah saya korek2, Elka dan Farhan cerita kalau ada beberapa teman2 mereka (kelihatannya imigran dari Timur Tengah dan Afrika) yang suka 'kampanye' bahwa "Muslim tidak makan pork, cuma orang Kristen yang makan ham..." dst. Itu memang realitas, tapi kemudian anak2 ini mengarah ke pembedaan identitas agama untuk melihat seseorang itu baik atau tidak, atau bisa dijadikan teman. Misalnya, "si C makan ham, si D enggak, jadi saya main sama si D aja." Sampai2 mereka bingung kok yang mengajar bahasa Arab (bahasa Qur'an) di sekolah itu orang Kristen, mereka pikir semua orang Arab itu Muslim.

Dengan pertanyaan sederhana saya bilang "so what? memangnya kenapa kalau si C makan ham," "memangnya kenapa kalau si D itu agamanya Kristen?" Kita Muslim memang tidak makan ham, tapi bukan berarti kita memusuhi orang yang makan ham atau orang yang berbeda keyakinan dengan kita. Kita sangat yakin dengan Islam, dan begitu pula orang lain yakin dengan agama mereka. Ya sudah, itulah realitas sosial. Toh dulu beberapa kerabat Nabi Muhammad (termasuk ayahnya) tidak menjadi Muslim. Jadilah kami sekitar dua mingguan selalu berdiskusi tentang pork, ham, dan realitas agama2 di dunia.

Isu ham ini berawal dari wacana halal haram yang ditangkap anak-anak secara praktikal. Well, anak2 yang kritis itu sulit menerima begitu saja penjelasan bahwa katanya daging babi itu mengandung cacing pita atau babi itu jorok; jawaban yang tidak kontekstual yang dengan mudah disanggah. Jangankan kita, para fuqaha (ahli hukum), mufassir (ahli tafsir) dan filosuf juga belum bisa memberi jawaban rasional memuaskan terhadap larangan makan daging babi ini. Toh persoalan kepercayaan kan tidak semua bisa atau perlu dirasionalkan.

Uniknya isu babi dan halal haram santer pada zaman modern. Dan tentu saja santer di tempat2 Muslim menjadi minoritas. Dulu, Nabi Muhammad sering datang ke undangan makan komunitas non-Muslim. Artinya, beliau setidaknya menikmati makanan disana. Hadis riwayat Muslim dari Abu Hurairah mengatakan bahwa Nabi tidak pernah komen tentang makanan kalau dia diundang; beliau makan makanan yang disukainya, dan membiarkan makanan yang tidak disukainya. "Mu'amalah ma'a nas" nya luar biasa baiknya! [Gak ada clash of civilization!]

Dalam kitab-kitab fiqih klasik, tidak ada satu chapter atau topik tersendiri mengenai halal-haram. Dalam usul fiqh, para fuqaha membagi hukum suatu perkerjaan itu ada lima: fardhu/wajib, sunnah (dianjurkan), mubah (diperbolehkan), makruh (tidak dianjurkan/tidak disukai), dan haram (dilarang). Wacana halal-haram itu dibahas dalam fiqh mu'amalah (masalah sosial), diantaranya kitab at'imah (bab makanan). Nah sekarang fiqh halal-haram ini jadi komoditi, diantaranya ekonomi, sampai menjadi identitas sosial. Seorang teman yang tinggal di Singapura bertutur, kalau sekarang banyak pertemanan yang berakhir di depan pintu restoran. Atau acara makan2 di kantor urung gara2 tidak ada kesepakatan di restoran mana...

Setidaknya kata2 Farhan cukup menentramkan hati: "mummy, a friend of mine eats ham, but I dont care, I still play with him because he is a nice person."