Category Archives: Indonesiana

Fatwa on Ahmadiyyah by Indonesian Ulama Council

General, Islam, religion


Pictured in this post is Gus Dur (GD) / Abdurrahman Wahid (right) and Ulil Abshar Abdalla (UAA) (left), on a conference to oppose / reject a fatwa released by MUI (Majelis Ulama Indonesia / Indonesian Ulama Council). The fatwa is about the Ahmadiyyah, stating that they are kafir / non-muslim.

These people usually said that you should not judge somebody like that. However, they missed a huge point in this particular case.

Ahmadiyyah like to show themselves as the True Muslims, saying that their religion is the true Islam.
However, when you have your own prophet, then it’s a different religion. Especially when it’s a religion based on so many deceptions, and based on British imperialists’ agenda.

It’s like you’re buying apple (read: Islam), and getting grape (read: Ahmadiyya) instead. The buyer, naturally, would be angered due to this.

Or another example, if I create my own religion, which looks like Christianity – but based on Monotheism (instead of Trinity).
Would the Christians be happy if I call this religion as the true Christianity ?

That fatwa by MUI is basically that, telling that apple is apple, and orange is orange.
It helps to avoid the confusion spread by the Ahmadiyyah missionarists.

This is where GD & UAA got confused. On the website, it’s said that the Ahmadiyyah has the rights to practice their own beliefs.
Indeed, but when you’re saying orange when it’s really apple – then somebody has to notify everyone which may suffer because of this.

Saying that Ahmadiyyah is kafir doesn’t mean that we can’t coexist with them. Quran itself said that the Christians & Jews are kafirs, but Muslims – under the guidance of wise rulers and ulama – have been able to live peacefully together with them.
This is another subtle FUD (Fear, Uncertainty, Doubt) that’s currently being spread – that when a kafir fatwa was released, that means the muslims will start attacking them.

The attack on Ahmadiyyah’s base on Parung, Indonesia is something that we all should regret. However, we should not just blindly comment on the event, but try to look a bit further. Why it happened ?
From history, such attacks usually happened because formal complaints were ignored by the authorities. After years with nothing being done, people (who felt cheated/misled) usually have ran out of patience.
I haven’t found such investigation in this current event.

My Rp 2 on the subject.

Another victim of “War on Terror”

Islam, It sucks, religion

A few years ago, [ Isnet ] bought a brand new server to replace it’s old one that’s already dead. Quite decent for its time, the server was then moved to its location, where it’ll be connected to the Internet and started providing various services (mailing list, websites, etc). However, soon after it was moved, nothing was heard from it again. I was confused, but the show must go on. Our friends started the services again with whatever available; old computer on slow links, etc. Over the time a few servers are added, and now Isnet provides its services from 3 servers all over the world.

A bit about Isnet – it’s probably the first organisation providing the most complete service for muslim community on the Internet. Granted most of the services are in Indonesian language, but I’m still yet to find others as complete as Isnet at the first time it began. It was started by Indonesian students on several countries. Thus began the Islamic Network (Isnet).

Yesterday I received an email from one of our friend. Among the content of the email is a story of the new server. Apparently, shortly after it was connected to the Internet – on a network on USA – the admin received a notification, asking him to unplug the server. The reason ? It contains “sensitive information”. But if you know what the contents on Isnet are, and realise what’s going on at the time (Bush’s crusade) – you’ll realise that it’s because it is Isnet – “Islamic Network”.

The admin has no choice but to shut down the new server. After 2 years, the “new” server has finally arrived in Indonesia, no longer new. But at least we can plug it in without worrying of getting censored again.

Bush’s war causes way too much collateral damage, and way too little on its actual target (hi Osama). He sucks, big time.

Problems with Tsunami Aid for Aceh

General, social, Sosial

While your average John/Jane Doe donates generously and with no strings attached whatsoever – the big institutions are giving their donations reluctantly, and many came with so many strings attached, even a spider can be trapped in it.

I’ll document them in this post for your information :

  • Published as aid – but in reality, just another loan : USA was especially stingy about its aid to the tsunami victims, and only after being whipped by [ Mr. Egeland ] did they start increasing their “aid”. However, then it turned out that aid from them and several other countries are, in fact, loans. While Japan and other countries donated US$ 500 million straight away and with no strings attached.
    Another loan is actually harmful, since Indonesia is already very deep in debt, most of its budget is allocated for debt / interest payment – not for its own people.
  • Published as aid – but in reality, still unrealised / just a pledge: Another trick is to boast about one’s aid to the tsunami victim, while haven’t actually giving it out. If we looked into the Bam earthquake disaster in Iran, where US$ 1 billion was pledged but only a miniscule US$ 17.5 millions was realised, I think the victims would be better to forget about it now.
  • Published as aid – in reality; hidden conversion and/or kidnapping : Wahington Post already published that 300 orphans were taken from Aceh by WorldHelp, to be raised as Christians. This is SO wrong because (a) This is kidnapping, since Indonesian government has already forbid taking Acehnese children to outside Aceh, and (b) I don’t care about people preaching their religion to others, but when you have NO CHOICE (ie: you became a victim, taken away, then WILL be raised as Christians) then this is plain disgusting and an insult to their dead parents (which wouldn’t want to see their kids raised as non-Muslim).

If you have any more info about other disgusting acts at the time of this crisis, please let me know by commenting in this post. Help stop dishonest institutions/people from taking credit for what really is a crime, or something that they didn’t do.

Thank you.

The Real US Gov’t

social, Sosial

US gov’t likes to be seen as the generous and caring Uncle Sam. However, they true self was revealed momentarily, when the tsunami disaster hit Asia a few days ago.

When nations are donating vast amount of aid and money, US gov’t donated less than even Sweden.

Only after Jan Egeland, Norwegian UN undersecretary, criticised them severely, then US gov’t suddenly increased their donation and moved their troops into the disaster area.

Now US troops are among the most efficient helper in the area, but that won’t happen without the smack from Egeland. For that, Mr Jan Egeland, please accept my thanks on behalf of Aceh people and other victims – and we sincerely hope that Mr Bush’s wrath on your statement won’t cost you anything too dearly 🙁

The sky is falling !!

social, Sosial

Just saw a news on BBC saying that UK economy is falling, blah blah… however, the main reason shocked me – the falling of house prices.

IMF and other “economy experts” are saying that because house price is falling rather significantly (for the first time in several years’ time, if I may add), the economy suffers.
With little people already having serious problem securing a home for their families, I’m seriously wondering whose economy is falling here !!

If increasing house price = good economy according to the “experts” — then I’ll say that if those experts undergoes lobotomy, it’ll be actually better for everyone concerned.

🙁 some seriously f*cked up thinking is going on here. I sincerely hope that I won’t be the only one noticing this.

US gov’t screwed Iraqis again – poor farmers forced to enrich US food cartels

social, Sosial

USA gov’t has done it again – they’ve screwed the people of another country (Iraq) so hard, and now they’ve put a law that will enable them to continue doing so for decades in the future:
Iraqis forced to buy GM seeds

And people are wondering why the rest of the world hates America.
Americans seriously need to get together and do something to stop their gov’t from keep on terrorizing the rest of the world like this.

The article is posted below as well for your convenience.
(I hope the source doesn’t mind)

Iraqis forced to buy GM seed

Saturday, 30 October 2004
by Focus on the Global South and GRAIN
http://www.grain.org/articles/?id=6

When former Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA) administrator L. Paul Bremer III left Baghdad after the so-called “transfer of sovereignty” in June 2004, he left behind the 100 orders he enacted as chief of the occupation authority in Iraq. Among them is Order 81 on “Patent, Industrial Design, Undisclosed Information, Integrated Circuits and Plant Variety.” [1] This order amends Iraq’s original patent law of 1970 and unless and until it is revised or repealed by a new Iraqi government, it now has the status and force of a binding law. [2] With important implications for farmers and the future of agriculture in Iraq, this order is yet another important component in the United States’ attempts to radically transform Iraq’s economy.
Continue reading US gov’t screwed Iraqis again – poor farmers forced to enrich US food cartels →

A gov’t doing the right thing

social, Sosial

When Peru decided to pass a law ensuring the freedom from IT lock-in, Microsoft responded by spreading a FUD campaign to force them to reconsider the bill. In reply, a Peru congressman wrote this letter to Microsoft:
Peruvian opensource nightmare for Microsoft

I must say that piece of law is quite englightened, and a good example to follow for other governments. They’re not extreme on things, not even sided blindly to open-source. Instead, the law ensure freedom from IT lock-in, and that’s all.
So actually if Microsoft can fulfill that requirements, then they’d be free to join in as well.

Shame on Microsoft again.

100,000 homeless families in UK

social, Sosial

United Kingdom, 4th richest country in the world, now confirmed to have 100,000 families without a home:
BBC – Homeless families total 100,000

The government is legally obliged to provide housing to its people by a law that has been in effect since 2002. So really, heads should start to roll.

The government tried to side-step the issue by saying things like most of the families are not on the street, that they’re already in shelters / hostels / cheap accommodation.
That’s not the issue as some of you may have spotted already – housing is a basic human need, even more so in places with extreme climates like UK. Therefore it should be considered a right to own a house, not a privilege.

However, as I’ve noted before, the basics of the system are already flawed. I feel so sorry to the people who is in this mess, and wish them the best.