Dust of Memory

let your past pass
and make it into dust
although it's haunting you is a must
it makes you learn how to be a good cast
till you find your path at last

The Main Aspects in My Forbidden Face

Actually, this was my essay writing while I studied the Politics of Narrative Methods in my university, I just wanna share what I've read and analyzed. The novel is titled "My Forbidden Face" and was written by Latifa (actually this was her pseudonym). The story's setting is in Afghanistan. This tells about a girl who lives with her family under Taliban regime.

Just read my analysis then :)

here's the book cover

I. Introduction

    My Forbidden Face is the true story of an Afghanistan girl who faces life under Taliban rule.  Latifa, the narrator also the writer, is a teenager who enjoys much of the same luxuries as American teens until the Taliban takes over Kabul, Afghanistan.  Under Taliban rule, Latifa and the rest of her family and friends are forced under the Taliban's ruthless regime.  Beatings, rapes and executions become frequent occurrences in the streets of Kabul as the terrorist group dictates over the people of Afghanistan. (http://www.teenreads.com/reviews/my-forbidden-face-growing-up-under-the-taliban-a-young-womans-story)

   This novel consists of seven chapters. In the first chapter, the narrator tells about when the Taliban come to the city and start to take over the city of Afghan, with the sign of the white flag over the mosque. Then the Taliban regime changes all the rules of the country with Islamic rule of their version. In the story, the Taliban take over the city after the civil wars happen. The Taliban has changed all the rules of the country; the most influenced is women which are actually restricted, like the bird in a cage, for the author gives the chapter’s title. The plot increases in the next chapters, the conflict becomes more serious and horrible.

   This novel is actually kind of diary book by the author. The story is based on true story of the author. Around 1996-2001, the Taliban had power to control Afghanistan, after they took  Jalalabad and Kabul 1996, previously civil wars happened for four years before the periods of Taliban. The story is held along the periods of Taliban, when women became passive victims awaiting liberation. This novel represented the voice of women in Afghanistan at that period.

   In Povey’s (2007) journal book Afghan Women, to understand the plight of Afghan women under the Taliban, it is important to understand why and how the Taliban came to power. Afghanistan was under the power of Soviet. Afghanistan was also given support by Saudia Arabia, Pakistan, Europian countries and other countries in the region. Mujaheddin was under the power of USA. US National Security Adviser, under President Jimmy Carter, admitted that the CIA has been instructed to give secret aid to the Mujaheddin. And this   led to a brutal civil war by Mujaheddin until the country was devastated. After that, the Soviet collapsed and Afghanistan society saw it as their victory because their liberation from Soviet. Indeed, the war against the Soviet invasion had a devastating impact on the rural population and the economy. Cities were also destroyed. With the collapse of the state, the aid community increasingly performed the role of a surrogate state, providing food, healthcare and education. A number of women worked for the aid agencies and also continued carpet weaving and handicraft production. (Rostami-Povey, 2007: p. 22)

   From their devastated country, women started to build their economic lives. There were many people who had died in civil war, included their husbands, and it made them to build their lives from the beginning. However, no long since that, the Taliban came, and they grew out the young generation of Mujaheddin. They ‘educate’ the young Mujaheddin at their madrassas (religious school). Since that, Taliban took over the city and made their own rule of Islamic rules.

   The Taliban actually didn’t use Shari’a law all out, they adopted the norms and values of Pashtunwali to treat the women, so it became restricted and poor of liberation for women. The women became victim of liberation at their own country. Since Taliban came, women couldn’t work to help their economic lives.



II. Women Representation

   We may find some topics to be discussed from this story. I will discuss some main topics from this novel. The most interesting topic that I want to discuss is the representation of the women. Since this novel is based on true story, I want to analyze how are the women represented in this novel from the point of view of the narrator itself? But besides that, I will not focus on how women are represented; I also want to try to analyze the Islamic rules which are used by Taliban.
 
   Afghan women discuss gender in the context of social relations, Islamic religion,culture, domination, subordination and masculinity. Afghan women or other Middle East countries always relate to ethnic, gender, Islam, and culture. And it’s related with Afghanistan’s history, it demonstrates how gender relation have been affected by ethnic conflict, state formation, state-society relation, and imperial domination. Women’s life and freedom are always depended on them who have authority in their country or it means who rules the country.

   Women were successful only if they quoted from the Qur’an in praise of the value of education and showed that the Qur’an does not advocate a hierarchy in which men are placed above women. They found this approach effective, and some men allowed their wives and daughters to be educated. (Rostami-Povey, 2007)

   As what I know from the Islamic rule for women, Islam guards very protectively the women and children. Islam rule the social intercourse between men and women, and it is also to protect women. The use of jilbab and himar for adult women are written in Qur’an distinctively, it is also to protect the women. (Al-Quran, Al-Ahzab:59; An-Nur: 31)

    As what I’ve written in my summary before, Afghan women’s life has been changed since Taliban take over the city. Women is described could live happy and normal, although it was civil war “Just yesterday, despite the civil war, life was ‘normal’ in Kabul, even though the city is in ruins.”  (Latifa, 2001)

    It means, although the city is in ruins but the narrator’s life is called “normal” before the Taliban comes to the city. I assume the ‘normal’ life in what narrator’s mean is the life with freedom, where they can live without any rules that restrict them especially the women. In the story, the authority of the Taliban is signed with the white flag over the mosque. The white flag is the sign of the Taliban, and this means that Taliban has taken over the city.

    In the story, women’s lives are closer with the sorrow and pain. In page 33, the narrator also tells that their family has the proverb that their family kept reciting to reassure ourselves “Joy and sorrow are sisters”, although they are in ruins, actually they are in happy situation in family, and it’s normal for them. We may see from the words that are used by the narrator how their lives are actually fully with joy, but they are actually they live behind the shadow of sorrow.

    In chapter 2, I’m interested with the use of the title, A Canary in a Cage. Actually, the family of the narrator has the canary in a cage, but this is also a metaphor when Taliban restricts the women. It is clearly showed in page 79, when the Narguesse try to take off the chadri of the women
   
   “You’re nothing but woman! You have no right to speak, no right to raise your voice. You have no right to take off your chadri. The days when you could travel and walk around without a chadri are over!” (p. 79)

    These statements indicate the restriction for the women with chadri and also for the women’s right. Women are like the canary in a cage, it can’t fly freely. The women do not have the right like the men should be. I assume in this novel, the narrator wants to focus to gender issue or feminist issue, because it’s talked about the women’s right. How they should the chadri when they go somewhere which is like the canary in a cage.

    Women’s life is told like the canary in the cage, they’re restricted by the new rules. Maybe the author wants readers are more sympathy to the women in this novel. She wants to tell us how women live at that time. It tells that “But fear has become second nature to women now. It’s always with us.” (p. 86), it means that women in Afghan have been accustomed to have fear. It is the same with the words “Joy and sorrows are sisters”

    The women career have changed since Taliban come, they who have a job become unemployment, because the rules say so. Although it has, the women still try to do another job in their house, “Other women bake bread or traditional pastries that their sons sell in the street. Some women do embroidery, or make necklace” (p.96) It is actually the same what Povey has explained in her journal book,“A number of women worked for the aid agencies and also continued carpet weaving and handicraft production” (Rostami- Povey, 2007: p. 21)

   The different treatment for women including when the checkpoint:
“For the women, the Taliban use little boys not much older than eight- these are the only males who may approach us. Since women may not work, there can be no policewomen” (p. 102)
 
    Since there are no women who may not work, they use boys to check the women. The Taliban also will not search the women’s baggage, because they will not touch the women’s clothes (p. 103) It means, the Taliban still have regards to the women not to touch the women’s clothes. They use the little boys to do that since they’re not yet baligh.

    From the story, some parents wants their children get exiled from their own country. Many seriously considered leaving Kabul. Some married their daughters to boys who lived in the West, planning to join their daughters later and lead the entire family into exile. Others tried to sell their possessions to finance an often secret trip abroad (p. 179-180). Those things happen because the Taliban restrict them especially the women.

    There are some parts of the story which the narrator compares the situation of their country when Soviet still in the state like the narrator was reminiscing how the television offered them a lots of entertainment programs. There were open radio stations poured out floods of music. (p. 180)

    “The day before the mujaheddin arrived, at the end of April 1992, we were attending a marriage in the Hotel Kabul in the center of the town…. The festivities got under way at around four o’clock. Girls and boys were dancing in Western dress, and we dined before the religious ceremony was scheduled to begin.” (p. 182)

    Those passages happened before the Taliban came to the country, or at that passage the mujaheddin also didn’t arrive yet. From those passages, the Afghan were still in influence of Western culture, the Soviet was still there.

    There are terrified cases when the narrator tells the condition in Taimani, where there was a clandestine school for little girls, but they had to walk half an hour to get there, which was tremendously dangerous for them. One day, the bodies of several girls, seven or eight years old, were discovered in a garbage dump. They had been kidnapped, raped, and strangled with their own clothing. (p. 167)

Still in Rostami-Povey journal, quoted from Najia,
   “Even a small minority of educated women and middle-class women were forced to marry the Taliban. I know of an educated woman who was the head of the school of medicine at the university and was forced to marry the Taliban. They were either forced or did it out of poverty or fear. Sometimes a woman who was married to one Taliban was raped by ten other Taliban. Sometimes they were taken to outside of Afghanistan, especially to the Gulf region and were sold as sex workers.” (Rostami-Povey, 2007)

    From the fact that written in Povey’s journal, I consider this case with the case that happen in the novel. There were actually relevant, although the narrator in the novel told about the girls and Najia told about the women, but there were actually in same condition. Women got raped and killed.

    In the story, Latifa and her sister and her friends made an underground school because many parents don’t want their children indoctrinated by the Taliban, then a lots of boys in the neighborhood don’t go to school anymore. From this case, I assume there are many underground movements, associations, organizations, that are made by the society because of Taliban restriction. For example, as what Shafiqa told in Povey’s journal about her activity as the director of Women’s Vacational Training Centre

    “We had 6,000 students from seven to thirty-five years of age. When the Taliban came to power, they closed down our institution. But we continued our underground activities in our homes. Many times we were threatened with imprisonment and torture, but we continued. It was very difficult for men as well. Men also had problems if they wanted to work. They had to grow beard and hair to a particular length, and there were no jobs for them to do. In some ways, it was easier for women. Wearing chaddari allowed us to do some work.” (Rostami- Povey, 2007 : p. 29-30)

    They move underground without the knowledge of Taliban, they try to protect their organization to survive for the society. Women and men have the same difficulties to live. Women are very restricted, men should grow beard to have job. And this makes men hard to give life to their family. However, Islam obliges the men to seek income to fulfill their needs. But Taliban make it complicated.

III.Islamic Law

  In this novel, is also showed the Islamic law that is used by the Taliban to ruleAfghanistan. However, the Islamic law that they used is kind of their version. Still in Povey’s  journal, especially for the treatment to the women “ Their treatment of women was based on the conservative norms and values of Pashtunwali that they had absorbed in the madrassas rather than on the Shari’a law.” (ibid, p. 23)

   However, in the story the narrator tells us that the country will be ruled by a completely Islamic system. If we see from the Islamic rule, there are some rules that are not according to Shari’a. For example,

“All non-Muslims, Hindus, and Jews must wear yellow clothing or a piece of yellow cloth. They must remark their homes with a yellow flag so that they may be recognizable.” (p. 49)

  For I know, in Islamic law, Islam doesn’t differentiate between the Muslims and non-Muslims. Other page shows when Taliban have massacred hundreds of civilians in the holy city and kidnapped Iranian diplomats in the name of religion that would never condone such barbarism. (p. 129) Then still in the same page,

  “They preach jihad” observes my father, “but a Muslim does not kill another Muslim. Nowhere does it say in the Koran that one should take another life. This is the proof that they make up their own Shari’a, trying to persuade us that everything they decided is written in the Koran. Their laws aren’t written, they’re connected by a few mullahs who ought to keep themselves.”(p. 129)
 
   From the passage above, I assume, the Taliban use Shari’a to legalize their own will and as what narrator’s father told above, they make up their own Shari’a. Jihad is in the Koran, but not for killing other Muslims, Jihad is done for release and save other Muslim who is under the evilness of kafir. So, I assume, the Taliban do not use all Shari’a law totally.

    The most significant topic in the chapter 2 is the country which is ruled by the completely Islamic system. It is actually interesting to discuss, whether the Taliban rules the country using the Islamic rules, on the other hand, there are many rules are in contrary with the Koran, for example in case,

    “The Koran specifically states that a woman may show her nakedness to a man if he is either her husband or her physician.” (p. 69) In contrast, the Taliban government rules that “No male physician may touch the body of a woman under the pretext of a medical examination” (p. 48)

    I think it is weird that they use Islamic rules but there is racialism especially for the women, whereas there is no racialism in Islam. Islam has ruled the relation between the men and women specifically in 5 rules, there are justice, trade, health, education, and marriage. Physician is including in health, so it is allowed in the Koran.

IV. Massacres and Regime

   We may find in the novel, the chapter that tells us about the massacres. The Massacres, of course, are much related to the government authority. In the story, we may find some massacred which is done by Afghanistan regime whether the Taliban, Mujaheddin, or Communist.

   “The Taliban have massacred hundreds of civilians in the holy city and kidnapped Iranian diplomats in the name of religion that would never condone such barbarism.”
    The Taliban use religion as their reason to do massacres with the name of jihad. It has been explained in the third part of this essay.
    Besides the Taliban, massacre was also done by Communist regime.

“A week later, there was a television report on the crimes committed by the Communists. Group of prisoners were shown; executed en masse at Pol-i-Sharkhi: hundreds of pairs of shoes lying scattered about; and mass graves. When the Communists were in power thousands of people accused of anti-Communism had been arrested, executed, and thrown into common graves.” (p. 187)

    This shows that massacre is not only done by the Taliban but also Communist regime. They killed everyone who becomes their opposite. During the civil war, massacre happen brutally in Afghanistan. Mass graves are founds in many places as what narrator said below

    “Much later, after Massoud’s mujaheddin arrived in Kabul, they showed us a terrifying report on television. When they dug up this greasy dirt, they uncovered the corpses of prisoners who had been summarily executed. So we had been walking, without realizing it, on a mass grave.”(p. 145)

    The regime is very influenced on the society life. The policy will influence the feature of the country. For example, Afghanistan under Soviet, become the communist nation, with the typical ideology and life-style. The Taliban take over the country, then they use Islamic law as the nation law, the ideology of the nation also change and also the life-style of the society.

      After the Communist regime fell, they tried to take the city back. The Afghan claimed this was their victory against the Soviet.

   “After the victory against the Soviets, the Afghan resistance controlled almost all the countryside, and the Communist government in Kabul tried principally to defend the large cities, the main roads, and the airports.” (p. 137)

V.Territory

   In this novel, the territory of Afghanistan is still questioned because, the area ofMiddle East is adjacent. While the narrator tells her journey to Jalalabad, she finds Pakistanis take Afghan’s land, and make their own rule and policy.

   “It’s obvious that Pakistan is using our devastated country ruined by years of civil war, as a convenient washing machine to ‘launder’ merchandise. That’s also why Pakistan speedily recognized the Taliban regime – many of whose fighters came from Pakistan, with the blessing of the United States.”(p. 112) 

    The Pakistanis exploit Afghanistan land because the country is in ruin. Moreover, Afghanistan in the civil war was supported by Pakistan. I assume that Pakistanis feel that they reserve to own the land.

    “This territory really belongs to us, and the Pakistanis stole it. It’s not their land, and they’re so conscious of this that before they killed Najibullah, they tried to make him sign a document officially recognizing this illegal border.” (p. 108)   

     So I assume, maybe there is a conspiracy between the Afghanistan government which means the Taliban, with the Pakistanis, so they can take the land and make their own rule on it. During the civil war, Afghanistan was supported by Pakistan, and they give the contribution to Afghan with sending their army to help in civil war.

VI.Conclusion

     My Forbidden Face is a novel based on true story written by Latifa, a pseudonym of the writer. The stories of the novel are not really different with her own experiences as an Afghan woman who lived in Taliban regime. If  we compare My Forbidden Face with the journal book Afghan Women written by Elaheh Rostami-Povey as a non-fictional book, we may find the same cases happen in Afghanistan, especially in women representation. This novel actually talks about gender, ethnic, and nation. From this novel, I find four main topics; there are women representation, Islamic law, the massacres and the regime, and also the territory.

References:

Latifa. (2001). My Forbidden Face (L. Coverdale, Trans.). New York: Hyperion.

Rostami-Povey, E. (2007). Afghan Woman: Identity and Invasion. London: Zed Books.

http://www.teenreads.com/reviews/my-forbidden-face-growing-up-under-the-taliban-a-young-womans-story (retrieved on Friday, Dec 9th 2011)

Indonesia Harus Kuasai Migas 100%!

Ketika hampir semua perhatian rakyat tertuju pada isu terorisme dan korupsi, ternyata ada satu bahaya dan masalah penting yang luput dari perhatian masyarakat Indonesia. Apakah itu? Penentuan pengelolaan migas terbesar di Indonesia, yaitu Blok Mahakam Kalimantan Timur. Pengelolaan Blok Mahakam ini dikuasai oleh Total E&P Indonesie (Perancis) dan juga Inpex Corporation Jepang yang berbagi saham 50% untuk masing-masing. Kontrak Kerja Sama (KKS) Blok Mahakam telah ditandatangani oleh pemerintah dan juga Total E&P sejak tahun 1967 lalu, dan berlaku hingga 31 Maret 1997, yang kemudian diperpanjang selama 20 tahun, hingga 31 Maret 2017. Diperkirakan, perusahaan ini akan kembali memperpanjang kontraknya yang akan berakhir lima tahun lagi.

Blok Mahakam merupakan SDA Migas dengan cadangan terbesar di Indonesia

            

Blok Mahakam sendiri memiliki cadangan migas sebanyak 27 trilliun kaki kubik (TFC), dan sekitar 50% telah dieksploitasi dan menghasilkan pendapatan kotor sebanyak sekitar US$ 100 miliar. Cadangan yang dimiliki Blok Mahakam masih dapat terbilang besar, dan akan menghasilkan nilai yang sangat besar pula. Akan tetapi, lihatlah! Siapa yang mengelola Blok Mahakam ini? Bukan Pertamina, yang notabene milik pemerintah kita, tetapi Total E&P dan Inpex co. yang jelas-jelas miliki asing. Padahal jika saja pemerintah kita dapat mengelola mandiri Blok Mahakam ini, sudah pasti Negara akan mendapatkan keuntungan yang sangat besar yang dapat didistrubusikan kepada seluruh rakyat Indonesia. Sayangnya, pemerintah malah lebih memilih menyerahkannya kepada perusahaan asing, dan pemerintah sendiri mendapat keuntungan sedikit dari mereka. Diperkirakan juga bahwa pemerintah masih pasti akan memperpanjang kontrak Total E&P.

             

Jika pemerintah masih berpegang teguh pada sistem kapitalisme ini, pengerukan SDA di Indonesia akan terus terjadi, dan Negara ini tetap akan dirugikan, karena pihak-pihak asing terus saja bercokol di atas tanah negeri ini. Sistem ini telah merusak SDA negeri ini yang kaya, yang seharusnya dinikmati oleh rakyat. Akan tetapi yang terjadi justru sebaliknya. Rakyat menderita, pemerintah senang, dan perusahaan asing puas. Sistem kapitalisme bersifat merusak dan tidak akan pernah mensejahterakan rakyat kembali.

             

Dalam Islam, pengelolaan SDA sudah seharusnya diambil alih oleh Negara. Dalam hadist riwayat Abu Dawud dan Ahmad, Rasul bersabda “Kaum Muslim berserikat dalam tiga hal: padang rumput, air, dan api”, yang dimaksud kata api dalam hadist ini adalah mencakup semua barang dan energi tambang, termasuk migas. Migas adalah milik public, milik seluruh rakyat. SDA tidak boleh dikuasai oleh pihak swasta maupun asing, karena hasil SDA ini digunakan untuk kepentingan rakyat, sehingga Negara wajib mengelolanya sendiri tanpa campur tangan asing. Jadi, 100% harus dikuasai oleh Negara, dan bukan sebagiannya saja.

           

Maka, yang dibutuhkan sekarang oleh masyarakat adalah terwujudnya penerapan sistem Islam secara total, yaitu sistem yang berasal dari Sang Pencipta, Allah swt. Oleh karena itu, kesejahteraan akan terwujud ketika Islam diterapkan dalam bingkai Khilafah Islamiyah, dimana semua aturan yang telah Allah turunkan harus kita jalankan sebagai konsekuensi keimanan kita kepada Allah swt.


*reposting from my other blog
at http://thesoulfortress.wordpress.com/

Rapuh

detik waktu terus berjalan
berhias gelap dan terang
suka dan duka tangis dan tawa
tergores bagai lukisan

seribu mimpi berjuta sepi
hadir bagai teman sejati
di antara lelahnya jiwa
dalam resah dan air mata
kupersembahkan kepadaMu
yang terindah dalam hidup

meski ku rapuh dalam langkah
kadang tak setia kepadaMu
namun cinta dalam jiwa
hanyalah padaMu

maafkanlah bila hati
tak sempurna mencintaiMu
dalam dadaku harap hanya
diriMu yang bertahta

detik waktu terus berlalu
semua berakhir padaMu

Rapuh  by Opick

  "A little thing crosses my mind

        just like a butterfly"

Guide My Way

Please....
make my way straight to You
although there are many stones head off
Please....
make my heart straight to You
although there are many feelings crossed
and please....
make my eyes only cry for You
shed the tears down
soften the hard feelings
and break the stone of heart
lighten the dark shadow
strengthen the weak soul
and burn the dried spirit
Let You guide my way
in every step I make
in every breath I take
in every time I pass
till someday I'll fell down on my step
I'll stop to breath
and the time then will take me to another life
please....
don't ever let me go from Your side

Meaningless Writing

I know that every person have their own way 

to look, speak, write, read

And so do I

I have my own style to write 

just like what I’ve been writing in this blog

Different from others?

Yes…

Maybe, I’m still not a good writer 

Especially for something amazing like ISLAM

But I will always try and try

sometimes,

I write for something useless

However, I still learn

yes, I’m just a human

Weak and limited

I still keep standing for this, 

to make me better and better

I’ll never give up

I promise this to myself

Yes, I'm a dreamer....

What would you answer if I ask you, "are you a dreamer?"

Is there anything wrong with that question? no, of course not...
Dreamer can be anything, postive or negative. I think I have both, well, to be honest. Although I know we should all take the positive thing for our life. Well, that's just the other side of me. If I should answer that question, my answer would be "Yes, I'm a dreamer"!
However, we should see the context and what the effect will be from the word 'dreamer'. I have said that dreamer may has two side, positive and negative. I have my own opinion about this, that every person must be a dreamer, why? do they have own their dreams they want to take? of course yes. That's the positive thing, that dreamers might have their own ways to get their dreams. I've learned some ways how we create our future to reach our dreams. Maybe I should try it to get my dreams. With this, our life would be changed.
But I'm another dreamer. This is different, because this couldn't enter our real life. Sometimes in life, we try not to be a dreamer, but it comes and comes again. I try to let it go but I can't. So, maybe this will become another accessories of my life, for the dreams I can't take. But I won't trap into it too long, although I know I like it. I won't make it last forever, never!
For that reason, I may say that every person is a dreamer, whether for real or unreal.  But I don't wanna take it for granted. With dream, it can change our life. And for the dream has been promised, why don't we try to take it in our life? What are you waiting for? It's just the matter of time, and what we need is just do our best! :)

The Guillotine: Fastest Way to the Death

The battled starts adversaries 

We bathe in our blood 

The worst is yet to come 

We've reached the covenant 

To kill what we have started 

Kill the machines 

We've spawned to fight in the darkest hour 

(escape the faith - the guillotine)

Heyho, what's up?! I dunno why suddenly I'm interested in this great and scary thing. It's not suddenly, actually, I've been interested in 3 years ago with this deathly device. Why do I want to post this? I actually want to write a story which tells about this. I'd ever write the short story one when I've been in 2nd semester.  It will be the long long story actually, but I made it shorter, to be my assignment.
Well, that's only my introduction.

The guillotine is actually a device used for carrying out executions by decapitation (wikipedia.com). It consists of a tall upright frame from which an angled blade is suspended. This blade is raised with a rope, and the condemned's neck is positioned beneath it. The blade then falls rapidly, severing the head from the body. It was created by Doctor Joseph-Ignace Guillotine, a French Phsycian, who proposed the capital punishment in that period. t's used during the period of France Revolution to punish to all whom should be in death penalty. It is a humane punishment because it can kill human very fast and painless.

Yucckss!!! Bloody hell!

You can imagine this punishment when it is applicable in this country. I think the corruptors will not rise and even they who have a plan to do corruption will be sooo scary if they know this bloody punishment. But nowadays, there's no country used this device in their punishment, because it is regarded to be too cruel punishment.

Yeah, that's very cruel punishment in that period. But why do I want to tell the story about it? Well, I'm just interested in the French histories, about the war, revolution, and all, including this deathly device.

Well, that's only my posting. To know more, find it by yourself, LOL :P

Watch out for the headless ghost behind youuuuu!!!!!

Feelings

Mixed feelings now are in me. My feeling shows everything. 
Happy, sad, bored, love, confuse, annoyed, funny, angry, and other which are too much to be said.
Feels that it will have no end. But this is life, living in the moment to be like this, living my life.
Not like the straight road, but just like passing through the mountain.
Wherever I'm going, I will always have all these feelings.
But I'm trying to enjoy as the world is on my hand.
I just want to say that I'm lucky.
Because this life is remarkable and  the after is more remarkable.
And the world as I see it is remarkable.
Because the world is Yours, and so I'm.
But I won't give up. Whether all these feelings appear.
And even the skies get rough.
I'm giving all my life and my love.
I won't give up.
Because I'm lucky and I'm Yours.

My 4th Song ;)

And this is my fourth song, yeah! Finally I made it finished, fyuuhh….!
This song actually is made for make human realized that this world is now damaged by the hand of human itself. Not only aby the hand of human itself, but also by the rule of theirs. Yes, now, every country in this world are ruled by the hand of human, made by human thought which are limited and very weak. Who knows actually about us, this world and the universe? Of course God! But what have they made? They do not stand on the God’s rule! Yup, that is the reality. And with this song, I made the answer that we should find the way which will bring us to God’s rule! Ya, many people forget about God’s rule, although they always read it, but actually they don’t understand at all. So, with this way, we will be guided. Just check my new song with the genre of pop-rock (maybe:p) ;) 
So what “The Way” is?! Think it by yourself ;)

The Way
By Arsvicesca

The world is now falling
Like the crashing down of mountain
The human races are breaking
Like the collapsed building
They don’t have any chance to make another better world
Till find the way…………..

The earth is now shaking
By the wickedness of fellow
The wind is now roughing
By the cunning reality
What can make us to keep stay in this world
We always should find the way……………

Reff:
The clouds were dense in the darkness
With the great sound of the high fury
Did you hear this amazing voice 
Of the suffering world

But the sun is still shining
And the sky is bright sometimes
And the rain is still falling
To make cool this heated ground
It is a beautiful sign that we will soon
Find to follow the way…………

Reff 2: 

And we will get the right impression 
How to live in this limited world
After finding the true way
That we should walk away…………

Breaking part:

We still have a chance to make this world
Better with this way and we will survive
And don’t try to free from we believe
we have the way…………


We should walk on in this path
No matter what we will face
Cause the promise has been made
We should believe our faith
Just don’t doubt of what have been made
Cause we have the way……….

End:
The sun is still shining
And still spreading its light
We still have many chances
If we keep to find the way

Ketika Fanatisme Menjadi Sebuah Ikatan, Cinta Kita untuk Siapa?!

Tragedi berdarah terjadi di stadion Gelora Bung Karno minggu yang lalu. Tiga orang tewas dikeroyok ketika pertandingan Persija vs Persib berlangsung. Pengeroyokan karena adanya fanatisme supporter diduga menjadi penyebabnya.

Salah satu dari korban tewas tersebut adalah teman saya, Rangga Cipta Nugraha. Ia adalah teman SMA saya. Saya masih ingat ketika masih sekelas dengannya. Dia memang penggemar sejati Persib. Berbeda dengan saya yang sangat menyukai Arsenal pada saat itu. Dan saya tidak terlalu menyukai liga Indonesia. Ya, kami memang sama-sama menyukai sepak bola. Tanpa pernah saya duga, dia pergi meninggalkan dunia ini dengan kematian yang tragis. Semoga Allah menempatkanmu di tempat yang terbaik, kawan!

Atas kejadian itu, akhirnya saya memutuskan untuk sekedar share di blog saya ini mengenai masyarakat Indonesia yang dibutakan oleh fanatisme dunia sesaat. Tanpa memandang apapun, tanpa memihak siapapun, kebanyakan dari mereka dibutakan oleh fanatisme. Bagaimana Islam memandang ikatan yang tidak shahih itu?

kerusuhan menjadi ciri khas suporter fanatik

Biasanya rasa fanatik muncul ketika dikumpulkan bersama orang-orang yang memang memiliki sesuatu yang sama, contohnya seorang supporter sebuah tim sepak bola akan terbangun jiwa fanatiknya ketika ia dikumpulkan bersama orang yang memang bersama-sama mendukung tim yang sama. Tetapi memang tidak selalu fanatic. Rasa fanatic muncul ketika rasa cinta terhadap sesuatu itu berlebihan, sehingga ia bisa melakukan apa saja demi yang dicintainya itu. Ketika orang-orang yang fanatic ini dikumpulkan karena kecintaan mereka yang sama, maka hal itu akan menciptakan sebuah ikatan antar mereka.

Ada satu ikatan yang memenuhi kriteria diatas (yang terjadi diantara para supporter sepak bola). Ikatan itu dinamakan ikatan kebangsaan. Ikatan ini terjadi ketika manusia mulai hidup bersama dalam suatu wilayah tertentu dan tidak beranjak dari situ. Saat itu, naluri mempertahankan diri sangat berperan dan mendorong mereka untuk mempertahankan negerinya, tempat dimana ia hidup dan menggantungkan diri. Ikatan inilah yang menjadi cikal bakal tumbuhnya ikatan Nasionalisme, yang merupakan ikatan yang paling lemah dan rendah nilainya. Ikatan ini dipenuhi dengan sifat yang emosional dan akan muncul ketika serangan atau ancaman terhadap negeri-negeri mereka berdatangan. Maka ikatan ini bernilai rendah sekali. (An-Nabhani, 1953: 39)

Ikatan assabiyah (nasionalisme, termasuk didalamnya ikatan yang ada dalam diri supporter fanatik) terjadi ketika taraf berfikir manusia itu lemah dan rendah. Ikatan ini bersifat emosional yang selalu didasarkan pada perasaan yang muncul secara spontan dari naluri mempertahankan diri, yaitu untuk membela diri. Ikatan ini juga sifatnya sementara (temporal) yaitu muncul saat membela diri ketika datangnya ancaman tadi. Sedangkan jika dalam keadaan normal, ikatan ini tidak akan muncul. Oleh karena itu, ikatan ini tidak bisa dijadikan pengikat antar sesama manusia. (An-Nabhani, 1953:41)

Dari paparan Ustadz Taqiyyudin An-Nabhani tersebut bisa disimpulkan, bahwa ikatan yang terdapat dalam diri supporter fanatic termasuk ke dalam ikatan assabiyah. Hal ini dikarenakan terdapat ciri-ciri yang telah disebutkan diatas. Ikatan yang terdapat di dalam diri supporter fanatic untuk membela tim yang sama ini bersifat emosional, karena perasaannya muncul ketika ancaman itu datang. Misalnya, ketika Persib bertemu dengan lawan yang menjadi musuh bebuyutannya (mis. Persija), para supporter selalu terlibat dengan aksi kekerasan, yang tidak jarang, menyebabkan supporternya meregang nyawa. Karena mereka berpikir bahwa supporter lawan sama dengan musuh, musuh berarti harus dilawan. Hal ini menandakan tingkat berfikir mereka yang sudah lemah dan merosot. Berbeda halnya ketika Persib bertanding melawan klub lainnya yang tidak dicap sebagai musuh bebuyutan. Para supporter bersikap biasa saja. Hal ini menunjukkan ikatan ini bersifat temporal atau sesaat.

Selain itu, dengan adanya tragedy ini dan tragedy-tragedi kekerasan lainnya, menandakan bahwa mereka mengalami krisis identitas. Masyrakat Indonesia yang mayoritasnya Muslim, sudah sepatutnya memoles diri mereka dengan keimanan dan ketakwaan kepada Sang Pencipta, Allah swt. Ketika diri seorang Muslim berhias diri dengan bekal keimanan yang kokoh, sudah pasti tragedy tersebut tidak akan terjadi, karena seorang Muslim yang taat pada Tuhannya, sudah pasti akan takut ketika ia melakukan kemasiyatan. Hal ini menunjukkan bahwa kebanyakan masyarakat Muslim Indonesia sekarang lepas dari identitas mereka sebagai seorang Muslim. Bukankah ummat Muslim itu ibarat satu tubuh? Ketika ada bagian tubuh yang terluka, maka anggota tubuh lainnya pun ikut merasakan sakitnya? Bahkan, nyawa seorang Muslim itu lebih berharga daripada runtuhnya Ka’bah! Ketika mereka memahami hal itu, sudah pasti hal tersebut tidak akan pernah terjadi, karena sesama muslim adalah saudara.

Sungguh ironis! Kecintaan manusia diberikan kepada bukan yang selayaknya. Cinta mereka menjadi buta dan silau oleh dunia yang sesaat ini. Cinta mereka dibesar-besarkan tapi tidak ditempatkan pada tempat yang layak. Sudah sewajibnyalah untuk seorang Muslim, cinta itu diberikan kepada yang menciptakan rasa itu, Allah swt. Tidaklah rugi memberikan cinta kita sepenuhnya untuk Allah semata, justru cinta itu bersambut dengan kebaikan yang akan diberikan oleh sang Pemilik Cinta. Sudah seharusnya, cinta kita itu kita buktikan dengan menjalankan segala yang diperintahkan-Nya, menjauhi segala larangan-Nya, menerapkan aturan-aturan yang dibuat-Nya. Hingga cinta itu akan berbalas kebaikan baik di dunia, maupun di akhirat nanti.

Wallahualambisshawab

Referensi:

An-Nabhani, Taqiyyudin. 2010. Peraturan Hidup dalam Islam (Penerjemah, Abu Amin, dkk). Jakarta: HTI Press.