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I was shocked when learned religion studies in Humanistic Studies class. Before the time to learn religion studies came, I predicted it would be like the other religion studies as what I have experienced. In fact, I found it very different than before. The topic forced me to reflect on myself whether I recognize well my God or just follow people before me. In this reflective paper, I try to define God whom I believe control my life and afterlife.

I am religious person. I feel that had been created by “something” which has great power that is Allah. I believe in Him through my study along my ages. As what class ever discussed, studying in a school is not a culture. On the contrary, the school can remove culture in such area. So, I do not agree if there is someone assumes that I live my religion life (include belief in God) culturally.

I know the role of God on His creatures that I represent into my belief. I do whatever my God asks to do. For example, He asks me to pray five times a day to show one of ways that how to remember in him. The remembering itself has big impact on me. If in a period of time I forget Him, I feel there is something missing from my mind. Just the opposite, if I bring Him in my mind in such period of time, I feel a great sobriety.

Before I state what kind of God I believe, I want to briefly analyze God from other religions. A God for Hindu people is uncertain. They have different God based on the area. For example in Bali they have “Ida Sang Hyang Widhi Wasa” or Brahman. They also have “Sang Hyang Widhi” or famous as “Timurti” yaitu Brahma, Wisnu dan Siwa. For Budha, God is has no name. Yet, they believe God is has power to control them. In Jews, a God is undefined yet. There is difference in calling their God between ancient and modern people. And for Christian, they have God that has different name and concept based on tradition and culture in such area. My opinion –guessing- toward those phenomena is how I believe in a God if the God itself undefined.

Well, God that I believe is still one, Allah. From the basic reason, all of Muslims in the world call Him with the same pronounce. Then, I recognize Him through His twenty compulsory and impossible natures. Furthermore, Allah is impersonal for me. We cannot assume Him like a person. For example, many of us ask why people let His creature misery if He is the true lover. To me, people who ask this question to Allah, has already thought Allah is same as ordinary people. I mean like this, if there is a person who helps someone. Absolutely the person has choice to forget his kindness or beg retain. Yet, is Allah like that? I cannot answer it because He has His right to do everything He wants.

This is true if the existence of Allah is not in a real form. Maybe it is the prior cause that caused many people do not believe in His existence. Although like that, I feel His existence in my thought and my heart. I cannot just think about Him by my head, or just by my heart. If I just think Him by my head, I will not find in Him in some areas of thought. Meanwhile, if I just use my heart to feel Him, I feel how weak I am. The weak is caused by I have a brain to think. So, I will feel know Him perfectly when I see Him both from head and heart.

In the end of this reflective paper, I want to conclude what I have explained above. First, as religious people, I do not accept Islam culturally because I have learned it since I was kid. Second, my God is still one-God, Allah and His perfect. And the last is I feel the presence of Allah through my “perfect” way, based on my head and heart.

Reference:

Imam Nawawi. (2010). Mengkaji Konsep Tuhan dalam Berbagai Agama. Retrieved on December 2^nd, 2011, from http://syababhidayatullah.or.id/artikel/opini/703-mengkaji-konsep-tuhan-dalam-berbagai-agama

To start your live without prejudice, stereotype, and discrimination, we have to know what the meanings of those terminologies are. In this chance, I want to share the definition of the terminologies. Moreover, I will give the examples that closely relate with us.

Picture: stereotype in job

First, prejudice is a bias idea which comes from our mind without any enough control. For example when we see a person who wears ordinary cloth, we might think if he/she is poor person. Is it? The answer is definitely no! Let’s look at Bob Sadino (one of entrepreneurship figure) who almost in his time wearing shorts and t-shirts. Yet, the fact he is not kind of a poor man because he is one of successful businessman in Indonesia.

Second, stereotype is a result from prejudice. Usually, it is attributed with such community or ethnic for example, Java, Sunda, or Batak. Sometime we hear a person says, “Ah...Orang Jawa, pasti presentasinya lama deh! Mereka kan kalau bicara suka muter-muter”. If we reflect into our live, we will find how often we experienced or even did it before. So, the question is how come it grows strongly in the process of our live?

Based on writer experience, we did it because the influence of our environment. When you were child, have you ever asked by your parents to keep the distance with some of your friends? If the answer is yes, had they explained you the reason? Well, from that moment the culture to do stereotype was started. We are trained to generalized people around without definite answer. The more we grow the wider society we are mixed up with. Unfortunately, we are influenced insensibly. Hence, if we were agree if stereotype is bad behavior, we have to filter everything comes to my head.

The last one, discrimination is the accumulation of too much doing prejudice and stereotype. Probably, when we are do stereotype, it is still considered as common expression though false. Yet, if we are in discrimination stages, it must be better to remove discrimination characteristics from ourselves. Why it should be like that? Just imagine when the person who does discrimination to you is your father. The writer assumes you will not stand beside him in long time. You are like to be ignored by him, and it must be hurt. Actually, that was just a little example. Could you imagine if the person who does discrimination is our president? As the result is this country will not achieve a real freedom in various aspects, like nowadays (it doesn’t mean our real president does discrimination).

After read this short essay, hopefully we can start our new live. It is a living without any prejudice, stereotype, and discrimination. Because without those characteristics we can live together happily, everywhere and whenever we are.

Because We Are Different

Do not ever try to look for the sameness, because we have been already different...

Indonesia is built by many elements. The differences between ethnic group, race, and religion are mixed up in this country. For this, Indonesia is well-known as rich country by its culture. But ironically, the wealth that others countries see in us often becomes a boomerang which force his master. So, what should we do if the condition had been like that?

Picture 1

First of all, we must know what is actually something made us feel comfortable to live in such community. Well, we call it culture. One of culture observer in Indonesia, Budiman said that culture is like a cocoon. This cocoon will make us feel safe and comfortable if we follow what culture want. On the contrary, we will feel different if we do not do what culture want. For instance, as Javanesse people I believe I have to be calm person. If there were someone asked me to change my behavior become coarse person, I will feel I am not Javanesse anymore, because I am different from Javanesse.

Second, we have to know the type/ characteristic of people in Indonesia. Actually, in another countries (especially Europe) are also consist of differences people. But, why they do not experience harshness like Indonesia? The answer is because they are multiculturalism and we are plural. In multiculturalism, although their cultures are different one another, they can pack it becomes 1 package. Meanwhile, the Indonesian people will find difficulties to interact with person from another identity, it’s called plural society. In plural society, people in it tend to feel if they are different group by group, for instance feel as Javanesse and Sundanesse people. If this feeling is possessed too serious, as we know the consequence there will be ‘war’ between us.

Picture 2 : Although different, but one.

The third one, based on my opinion is we have to understand about the terminology minority and majority deeper. The minority and majority cannot be sawn just from one side, means subjective. If we have this thought in our head now, I think it will make the other disturbances happen. For example, Javanesse people tend to speak smoothly. One day, one of the Bataknesse people which have stronger character comes to one of Javanesse house. There, the Bataknesse use his/ her own way to speak, seems strong and loud when speak. Because of this, the Javanesse feel offended. He/ she think if the Bataknesse cannot use appropriate manner in Javanesse’s area. What will be happen? Maybe, the Javanesse will tell the neighbors if there is someone in his/ her house that makes a trouble. From earlier illustration, the Javanesse feels not afraid instead of call the neighbors. So, it is better to understand people not just from one side, but we must understand them as the whole person.

It is undeniable if in Indonesia consist of many differences. Because of that, sometime we become majority or minority. We will not be a majority forever or vice versa because our domain changes over time. Yes, I am majority as Javanesse people when I lived in central Java. But, since I have come to Jakarta the situation has changed, I am minority that surrounded by multi types people. So, what we can conclude from this essay is we have to know ourselves as Indonesian people which surrounded by differences.

Source: Personal Collection

Muhammad Mufarrikhin: The History Behind It

20th years ago, my father gave me name ‘Muhammad Mufarrikhin’. Some years ago I do not know why my father gave me that name. But now, I know what the message of that name is. My father wanted me to make sister and brothers of mine feel happy by caring them and bring them to the prosperous live, later. What does it mean?

My name is constructed by 2 words that are Muhammad and Mufarrikhin. Muhammad means the prophet Muhammad. As you know, in Islam Muhammad is a well-known person as the most influential people in its story. He took us from the darkness world into brightness era. He is like perfect person in his period and maybe until nowadays. From that brief explanation, I conclude why my father gave me that name since my father wanted me ‘act’ like the prophet in his daily. Meanwhile, Mufarrikhin was taken from Arabic language ‘Farikha’ which is mean happy. So, if you ask me what the meaning of Mufarrikhin is, I will answer ‘the people who gives happiness for others’.

The name of ourselves always has correlation with our behavior or something that describe us, at least that’s my opinion. For instance, there is a girl whose name is ‘Juni Harum’. At a glance we can assume if the person who has that name is a girl, born in June, and the parents want her to have good behaviour (Harum). Return to my name, Muhammad Mufarrikhin. I think this name is appropriate for me, since I feel that I often want to gratify people around me. Even, sometime I forget myself just to give a happiness or satisfied feeling for others. Although it seems burdensome title, I am proud to be Muhammad Mufarrikhin.

I ever thought to change my name, that was three years ago. Honestly, that was the lowest period of my life. Unfortunately, I cannot share it because of some considerations. What I can share to you is I thought my name was too heavy for me (Javanese people term). By then, I felt tired of making people around me happy, because just the opposite I did not feel happy at all. At that time, everything appeared balled up. Because of that in such case actually I hated my name.

Now, everything has changed since I realized my name is not that heavy for me. My view toward my name has become different after I contemplated it. I know my name is do’a. It does not like what I was imagine, that it is like a compulsion that I have to fulfill. It is useful for me to think that although I give happinessfor others, I must feel happy too. I become more independent at this moment because I know the giving happiness process itself is happiness for me.

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God of Mine

Start living without Prejudice, Stereotype, and Discrimination

3rd Essay of Humanistic Studies:

2nd Individual Essay: