Fatwa against terrorist

Dear readers, I create this post because I heard many terrorism issues that tend to be associated with Islam as religion. But through this post I want to say that it is NOT TRUE. If you say that it is personal responsibility, then I'll say yes. I know some of you may be asking within the heart "Why you say that?"

Well, here is my explanation:
1) I'm strongly believe that there are still a lot of good Muslim, even far more than you imagine. I live in Indonesia, the country with the largest Muslim population in the world, and I have many Muslim friends here. They (my Muslim friends) are also condemns terrorism action.

2) Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, President of the country with the largest Muslim population in the world, namely Indonesia, also condemns terrorism action and has been gave his command to the police and law enforcement to investigate, arrest, and judge all the perpetrators who were involved in the bombing cases at Hotel JW Marriott and Ritz Carlton, with firmly and without hesitation.

3) I have been looking for the reaction of Muslim scholars in the two countries which has the largest Muslim population namely Indonesia and India, where the terrorist attacks also happened in both countries. What I want to looking for is whether the Fatwa against terrorist was existed. To know more about "Fatwa" please click here and here. This is the interesting things for me and perhaps also for you who still doubt. Below is what I has found:

=== IN INDONESIA ===
Through searching on internet, I have found a Fatwa decision against terrorism at the website of Majelis Ulama Indonesia (Indonesian Ulama Council), namely: KEPUTUSAN FATWA MAJELIS ULAMA INDONEISA Nomor 3 Tahun 2004 Tentang TERORISME (Fatwa decision of the Indonesian Ulama Council Number 3 Year 2004 about terrorism). As we know that Majelis Ulama Indonesia (MUI) is the highest Muslim authority in Indonesia who have the rights of issuing Fatwa.

This Fatwa has explain the differences between terrorism and Jihad, that is:

<----------------- original text ----------------->

"Terorisme adalah tindakan kejahatan terhadap kemanusiaan dan peradaban yang menimbulkan ancaman serius terhadap kedaulatan negara, bahaya terhadap keamanan, perdamaian dunia serta merugikan kesejahteraan masyarakat. Terorisme adalah salah satu bentuk kejahatan yang diorganisasi dengan baik (well organized), bersifat trans-nasional dan digolongkan sebagai kejahatan luar biasa (extra-ordinary crime) yang tidak membeda-bedakan sasaran (indiskrimatif)."

<----- Translated by me (correction please) ----->

"Terrorism is the criminal act against humanity and civilization that cause serious threat to the sovereignty of the country, the danger to security, world peace and harm the welfare of the society. Terrorism is one of the forms of crime which it well organized, a trans-national crime and is classified as extraordinary crime that does not differentiate the target."

And the law if do the terror is:

<------------------ original text ------------------>

"Hukum melakukan teror adalah haram, baik dilakukan oleh per-orangan, kelompok, maupun negara."

<----- Translated by me (correction please) ----->

"The law if do the terror is forbidden / Haraam, whether is done by individual, group, and the country."

If refers to this Fatwa, it is clear that the terrorists did not carry out the improvement, also did not uphold Allah's religion, and the victims are people who do not know anything, and the deeds of terror is forbidden.

=== IN INDIA ===
The Times of India wrote: "For the first time ever, Islamic seminary Darul-Uloom Deoband issued a fatwa against terrorism on Saturday, stating Islam had come to wipe out all kinds of terrorism and to spread the message of global peace". And according to Reuters India, Darool-Uloom Deoband is a 150-year-old institute, controlling thousands of smaller Islamic seminaries in India.

The Fatwa signed by Darul-Uloom's grand mufti Habibur Rehman, asserts that: "Islam rejects all kinds of unjust violence, breach of peace, bloodshed, murder and plunder and does not allow it in any form". The Fatwa, still according to The Times Of India, went on to say: "It is proved from clear guidelines provided in the Holy Quran that allegations of terrorism against a religion which preaches and guarantees world peace is nothing but a lie. The religion of Islam has come to wipe out all kinds of terrorism and to spread the message of global peace. Allah knows the best".

Mahmood Asad Madani, leader of Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind, has stated that: "Killing of innocent people is not compatible with Islam. The biggest challenge faced by us today is terrorism (which) threatens to strike at the very root of the secular structure of our society besides causing irreparable loss."

=== OTHER REACTION ===
As additional, in Saudi Arabia The Kingdom's highest Islamic authority also denounce the terror attacks in the Kingdom and describing them as "serious criminal acts" (Source: Arab News).
And the Tibetan spiritual leader, Dalai Lama also said "It was wrong to tag all Muslims as terrorists". His statement comes a day after the leading Muslims anti-terrorism organization issuing "Fatwa against terrorism" (please read more at MeriNews website).

Therefore, it's clear that terrorist is the problem of terrorist itself, the responsibility of personal or their organization itself, and has NO relevance with religion. Among you may want to say "Why not using national legal system?" For this one I agree with you, but at least all the good Muslim people has sending the message for world peace through the Fatwa against terrorist. Always remember! outside there are still many good Muslim people, even more than that which you imagine. Will you generalize them also? Hopefully NO.

Although I'm not Muslim, I want to defend my Muslim friends (my best friends here) who understood their religion properly. Finally, I'm confused why I rarely heard the publication or discussion for this Fatwa on media like TV, newspaper or internet? Oh... I can understand! But... if you have a blog, hopefully you want to help me to spread this news.

** Postscript **
I had ask Jim Belshaw, a blogger from Australia, about the question at the last paragraph, that is, why this important Fatwa rarely get attention from the media? And you may find his interesting answer within his post titled: For Tikno - selection, perception, bias and the MUI Fatwa.
And again from Neil, also a blogger from Australia said: "It is as well - again - to remind ourselves that it is not all of Islam we are looking at here, but a perversion".

It is interesting to see the opinion from the western people towards the Islamic world, and at this time I refers to Jim and Neil.

Bombing victims at JW Marriot and Ritz Carlton

This post is a continuation of previous post about the bomb explosion at Hotel JW Marriott and Ritz Carlton namely about the victims. From some newspapers that I read here, then the following is the update data of the victim names.

Injured victims = 55 people (18 foreign citizens), treated at four hospitals in Jakarta, namely RS Medistra, RS MMC (Metropolitan Medical Center), RS Pusat Pertamina, and RS Jakarta.

Victims died = 9 peoples, namely:
1. Timothy D. Mackay, New Zealand (President Director PT Holchim Indonesia).
2. Verity Nathan John, Australia.
3. Mcevoy Garth Rupert John, Australia.
4. Arnold, Singapore.
5. Darmanto, Indonesia.
6. Evert Mocodompis, Indonesia, employee of JW Marriott.
7. Senger Craig Andrew, Australia.
8 & 9. A Dutch couple, identified as Peter Burer and EJC Keaning.

In this opportunity I want to say my condolence to all family of the victim. Really, I cannot say anything more except for this sentence: "Terrorist, whatever its reason, is more cruel than all devils. Even devil not kills human"

Update post 26 July 2009: Names of the victims died above has been updated based on the data that I found at Communication and Informatics Department of the Republic of Indonesia website. Thanks to Seno and Colson for let me know in the comment-box.

Bomb explosions at Hotel Ritz-Carlton and JW Marriott

Today, Friday 17 July 2009, bomb explosion occurred at two luxury hotel Ritz-Carlton and JW Marriott in Jakarta, Indonesia, at approximately 07:40 o'clock (Jakarta time) with the interval time is about 15 minutes. Both bombing was killed nine people and wound 52 others including foreign people (whilst report). At the same day also occurred an explosion from a car along the toll road in Jakarta, but I cannot find further details because the breaking news on all TV more focuses to Ritz-Carlton and JW Marriott.

Indonesian stock price index fell down 0.7 percent after these case. Meanwhile, the Manchester United football team which has the plan ahead to visit Jakarta and stay at Ritz-Carlton hotel for an exhibition game with local team was threatened canceled. Security officials has move quickly making investigations in the two hotels. Strict inspection is also done at the airport especially against the box-car.

Right at 14:00 o'clock today (Jakarta time), President of Indonesia, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono met the press and provide his statements in relation to this bombardment. I'm watching it on TV and noted the important points of his statements as follows:
1) Curse with hard to the terrorist who do bombardment.
2) President give command to the police and law enforcement to investigate, arrest, and judge all terrorist who do the bombardment with firmly and without hesitation.
3) Expressed deep sorrow to all the victims.
4) President said that he got some input that this bombardment have relations to the election, but he does not want to speculate before the evidence has been reveal.
5) President said that based on intelligence reports, there are terrorist groups that are doing the shoot exercise with the target to shoot himself. He said this statement with showing intelligence photographs as evidence. One photo shows the target in the shoot exercise has using his photograph as the object with a hole right on his cheek. "This is not rumor or issues, this was intelligence reports" he said with firmly.

== post update ==
The two video below I get from TV One website :

This is only the part when showing the photographs.


Video from a CCTV device shortly before the explosion occurred.

As I read through the ANTARA News website, Hasyim Muzadi, chairman of Nahdlatul Ulama (largest Islamic organization in Indonesia) said "Terrorism is not a religion and so it is not correct to say Moslems were the mastermind of the bombings". Yes, I agree with him that this is NOT related to particular religion. This is the responsibility of individual actors who has done these terror. Some people said that applying the death sentence is the best solution for reducing terrorist act. But I think they are not afraid for death. Right?

Baduy tribe and Presidential Election

I'm glad that the presidential election in Indonesia on 8 July 2009 has run well, not like the presidential election in Iran. Although there were some protests from some party, but I think that was the dynamics of the life of democracy itself, like the small ripple in the wide ocean. Perhaps cyclone storm in the middle of ocean can be analogized with what has happened in Iran. So, regardless the winners or losers, the most important is Viva Democracy!

Because I'm not interested in political matters, then this post is more to the interesting story that I read on Jawa Pos newspaper edition dated 9 July 2009 (written in 2 series), that is, all Baduy tribe who was part of Inner Baduy community (sub-groups of Baduy tribe) was not gave their vote in the presidential election in order to their tradition / custom. In the Ciboleger village, there is provided a place to vote for the 6,325 eligible voters from the total of 11,170 Baduy people. But, until 13:00 o'clock no one from Inner Baduy gave their vote although the representatives of the election committee has spread the invitation to them. Jero Sami, a figure of indigenous Baduy said "Abdi mah ngiring karu kenging bae" (we follow the winner). Puun Jahadi, supreme leader of indigenous Baduy said "We entrust to all Outer Baduy who more close to the outside world".

Such as Aboriginal tribe in Australia and Indian tribe in America, there were Baduy tribe in Indonesia. Baduy tribe (who call themselves as Kanekes people) is one of the indigenous peoples who living exclusively at Kendeng mountain foothills, Kanekes village, Leuwidamar subdistrict, Lebak district, Banten province. Why I say exclusive is because of their community and original lifestyle was protected by the regulations of the Perda Kabupaten Lebak No.32 Tahun 2001 (Lebak districts regulations Number 32 Year 2001) concerning protection of the custom rights of indigenous Baduy. Baduy tribe were divided into two sub-groups, that is the Baduy Dalam (Inner Baduy) and the Baduy Luar (Outer Baduy). Outer Baduy is more modern and open to the outside world. Inner Baduy tend to close themselves and have a lot of restrictions. They (Inner Baduy) are forbidden to kill, steal, lie, commit adultery, get drunk, smoking, go to school, using modern tools or goods, must walk for go anywhere, always dressed in white, etc.

Below is the life philosophy of indigenous Baduy that has been inherited from generations to generations, that is:
"The mountains may not be destroyed, the valleys may not be damaged. What is long may not be cut short, what is short may not be lengthened. The ancestral injunctions may not be changed. We must remain faithful to the ways of our ancestors"

I think that verse was articulated beautifully. I do not know how long they can maintain their traditions from the influence of globalization. Can you predict it?

For more information about Baduy tribe, here are some good resource for you:
http://www.time.com/time/asia/features/ontheroad/indonesia.badui.html
http://www.reuters.com/article/environmentNews/idUSTRE4AR02I20081128
http://www.wayang.net/html/the_baduy__guardians_of_the_sa.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baduy
http://id.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suku_Baduy

New Paper Currency Rp 2.000

Temporarily Officials (Pejabat sementara/Pjs.) of the Governor of Bank Indonesia, Miranda S. Goeltom, accompanied by Deputy Governor of Bank Indonesia, S. Budi Rochadi, Governor of South Kalimantan province, Rudy Ariffin, and the Governor of Central Kalimantan province, Agustin Teras Narang, was officially launched the new paper currency for Rp 2.000 emissions year 2009 as a means of legitimate payment in Indonesia on Thursday 9 July 2009, in Banjarmasin city. These new paper currency valid as means of payment starting from 10 July 2009.

In her speech Miranda S. Goeltom said (translated in English by me):
"Publishing the new paper currency is the implementation of Bank Indonesia policy in the field of money circulation that is to satisfy the requirement for rupiah money in the community within enough nominal number, kinds of currency which it appropriate, on time and in feasible conditions for circulate."

At the front side there is the image Pangeran Antasari (a national heroes origin from Banjarmasin, South Kalimantan province) and at the back side there is the image of Tarian Adat Dayak (traditional dance origin Kalimantan). Using national heroes as the themes for currency design also applied for previously currencies that has been published.


Front side image (click its image to enlarge).






Back side image.




Hmm... I confused why the design of United States dollar rarely changed. Just my question! (Source: http://www.bi.go.id/web/id/)

The Three Malady Of A Man

On Saturday ago, when I accompany and entertaining best customers at a night club, I met my two best friends there. Then we gathered together at the bar, ordering beers and then... Cheers! Ha..ha... very enjoyable to drink together with friends, especially with the atmosphere full of music, lots of beautiful night worker ladies. Maybe just theatrical smile from the sadness heart, I think. My wife knows it so I don't have to worry ha..ha...(Psst... I said this is bussines interests).

While chat together, one of friends asking me an interesting question, and our chat are as below (translated in English):
Friend: "Tikno, did you know the three malady of a man? For no.1 & 2 I will pay it for you but for no.3 I will resign."
Me: "Ha..ha... another temptations. Why you are ready paying for no.1 & 2 but not to no.3? what's that?", I shouted.
Friend: "No.1 is drunkard. Money still safe until sprawl". Immediately other friend shouted "Agree! Let us drunk, we get a sponsor now", ha..ha...
Me: "What is no.2, hope sponsorship again"
Friend: (shouted with loud) "No.2 is playboy! The rest of money still safe because certainly you'll tired". Then we appoint to one another and shouted "You are playboy!" and everyone laugh with loud ha..ha...
Me: "and what is no.3, which it makes you resign?"
Friend: "No.3 is gambler! All money finished until grass root and the rest only a pants". Then all roar with laughter.

Hmm... just a light story of the madness male group for the night. After midnight we went home and all illusion was ended. Just temporary pleasure, because the real pleasure was when I arrived at home I saw my wife waiting for me.

Hi readers, what is the next malady from a man? Surely from you there is amazing replies especially from ladies. So, be careful man! Ha..ha....