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Ramadan No Time For Radical Rancor
August 10, 2010

Ramadan is an ideal time to further strengthen this message. Moderate Muslims must make their voices heard over those who wish to impose their narrow-minded views on society. (AP Photo/Achmad Ibrahim) Ramadan is an ideal time to further strengthen this message. Moderate Muslims must make their voices heard over those who wish to impose their narrow-minded views on society. (AP Photo/Achmad Ibrahim)
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mamik
9:07am Sep 1, 2010

Bravo mauriceg ! That is what we need ! Some plain straight talking.

mauriceg
12:49pm Aug 28, 2010

It's all just sanctimonious talk. Ramadam has become a frantic social event for families convincing themselves and each other that going through the motions is all it takes to be a good Muslim

However, as long as the emphasis is on being a good Muslim, and not a good human being then Muslims feel that is good enough.

Unless and until the mental barrier of Muslim and Kaffir is broken, that this apparent one true path denies others of different faiths, however sincere or saintly, then the smug Muslim 'saved' mentality will persist.

That sanctions any sort of behaviour, and as we see, Muslims tend to be extremely accommodating to other Muslims who have committed horrendous crimes.

The floods in Pakistan are a timely reminder of the need to deliver food, medicine, clothing, shelter and other necessities to those in distress. Witness the fact that Muslims seem to be particularly interested in the religion of others (As a rule I won't divulge that, here in Indonesia, even to a court). So now there is Muslim Charity.

Apparently over 700 million dollars has been donated to the Pakistan disaster fund. (Of course the Pakistani Taliban have recently issued a threat to murder aid workers who are helping millions of the victims there, a seriously frightening prospect, and putting them at risk). Where is the outcry against this from Muslims? Stop the twaddle and get real.

AntiBuleNyet
8:10am Aug 13, 2010

So.. What is your points?

TGIF
6:07am Aug 11, 2010

"Muslims are called upon to use this month to re-evaluate their lives."

"Ramadan is an ideal time to further strengthen this message. Moderate Muslims must make their voices heard over those who wish to impose their narrow-minded views on society."

Ok...Well let's hope so. I am not counting the chickens before they hatch.


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Islam first established itself in Indonesia more than seven centuries ago, arriving on the northern shores of Sumatra by way of Muslim traders from India and the Middle East. Today, nearly 90 percent of the country’s 237 million citizens are Muslims, making Indonesia the world’s most-populous Muslim-majority nation.

Starting today, Indonesian Muslims will join an estimated 1.3 billion fellow believers in observing the holy month of Ramadan, where they will fast from sunrise to sunset, forgoing food, water and other physical needs.

Muslims are called upon to use this month to re-evaluate their lives.

Muslims should make peace with those who have wronged them, strengthen ties with family and friends and do away with bad habits.

Essentially, it is a time in which they should cleanse their lives, thoughts and feelings.

Therefore, fasting is not merely physical, but is rather the total commitment of the person’s body and soul to the spirit of the fast.

Ramadan is a time to practice self-restraint; a time to purify the body and soul from sin and re-focus one’s self on the worship of God.

During Ramadan, Muslims contemplate their lives, seeking forgiveness from God and striving to attain a state of humility, acknowledging their human weaknesses and sins committed.

It is also a time to increase their consciousness of the Almighty and bow before him. In this sense, fasting is a deeply religious and spiritual undertaking.

It cannot be denied, however, that Islam has also been used for political purposes by individuals who have sought to harness the religion for their own selfish needs.

However, to their credit, the nation’s Muslims have not fallen into their trap and have rejected any overt attempts to politicize the religion.

Indonesian Muslims have thus played a pivotal role in projecting Islam as a moderate, tolerant religion at a time when Muslim radicals and terrorists have sought to wreak destruction and hatred.

And even though the country has experienced a number of deadly terrorists attacks, Muslims here have not wavered from their philosophy of promoting pluralism and tolerating other faiths.

Ramadan is an ideal time to further strengthen this message. Moderate Muslims must make their voices heard over those who wish to impose their narrow-minded views on society.

As they fast and pray over the next 30 days, Muslims must make it clear that they do not in any way support the violent and destructive theology of the radicals.

Geography, trade and history have come together to create a unique brand of Islam in Indonesia, acknowledging the tradition of religious belief from which all great religions in the world emerged as well as the constitutional right of all Indonesians to practice their respective faiths in both peace and security.