these are not-quite-new issues but they are neither old issues to be left unnoticed. people are still outraged and angry over these issues but i think everything will die soon enough. as usual.
i found this interesting article discussing about both issues. about why we are so outraged as muslim and as malaysian with regards to this. but it rightly pointed out that by demonstrating and shouting alone, these issues will never resolve would they? by the end of the day, they would march back to their home and resume life the next morning. yeah, the government may took notice of the demonstration but really, will anything change?
similar with the demostration and all the anger, shouting and threats made by the muslim when our beloved prophet being carricatured as terrorist. by now, everything seems to die away and everyone resume to their daily routine. it has left a scar, a bleed. but then again, it has become a history. hopefully, it will make the muslim more aware of how muslims are being portrayed and be a better muslim but an argument to make is whether these demostration are really necessary? if we really feel insulted by the carricature, wouldn't we try to make right what is obviously wrong by showing what islam is really about? by being sensible and giving a better impression of who we are?
we felt insulted when our prophet is carricatured by the non-muslim but when our actions are not according to the teachings of islam, are we not insulting islam and the beloved prohet himself? why are we so angry about the carricature? is it really because we felt sad and ashamed of what has become of islam these days, because of our love FOR the beloved prophet and islam... or it is just because we find ourselves belittled by these people? being angry AT these people?
do we have to demonstrate and burn the flag of denmark to show how angry we are? i think not. even in the islamic teaching, we are told that anger is the friend of the devil and we are taught to control our anger. we have to look at a bigger picture here.
how much have we practiced the teachings of the prophet in our daily life? are the upcoming generations well-educated enough about who the prophet is and why he is the role-model for us, not just some artists? will they be able to practice the islamic teachings in the future? will they be as angry as we are today if in some 20 years, some other nation, some other people makes fun of our beloved prophet or our god for that matter?
most of the times, anger is just an illusion for those who are lost. for those whose feet are firmly planted on the grounds, the gush of wind will certainly not topple it down. instead, the root will keep on growing into the ground, making it even stronger.
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the following is another interesting article about the carricature:
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Marah Kerana Cinta... Bukan Kerana Benci...
by: Pahrol Mohamad Juoi @ www.fitrahperkasa.net
Saya masih ingat sikap 'unik' (aneh) sesetengah orang-orang tua kampung dulu-dulu. Ruang di bawah rumah mereka selalunya diperuntukkan untuk meletakkan barang usung yg 'kurang' atau tidak perlu. Selalaunya botol-botol, tin-tin atau papan-papan buruk. Entah kenapa semua itu tidak dibuang. Hanya diletakkan begitu sahaja. Diguna tidak, dibuang pun tidak. Peliknya apabila barang-barang 'antik' itu hendak diambil oleh orang lain, cepat-cepat pula mereka melarangnya. Tak boleh - nak guna, sayang, dan macam-macam alasan.
Itulah sebuah analogi yg terlintas di fikiran bila saya ditanya tentang kemarahan umat Islam terhadap penyiaran karikatur menghina Nabi Muhammad s.a.w. oleh akhbar-akhbar Eropah, khususnya Denmark.
"Encik tidak marah?" tanya seorang siswa sehabis sahaja majlis diskusi tentang topik berkenaan.
"Marah," akui saya perlahan.
"Tak cukup begitu sahaja. Esok kita berarak, bakar bendera Denmark!"
Saya senyum. "Kita ada cara yg lebih baik. Ada senjata lebih hebat. Doa," balas saya.
"Kita kena tunjuk kemarahan kepada mereka yg menghina Rasul"
"Menunjukkan kecintaan kepada Rasul lebih utama"
"Marah itulah tanda kecintaan kita..."
"Betul. Tapi membuktikan kecintaan dengan mengamalkan sunnahnya jauh lebih utama"
"Encik takut?"
Saya renung matanya. "Mengamalkan sunnah Rasul memerlukan lebih keberanian. Tentangannya lebih hebat. Bahkan daripada orang Islam sendiri," tusuk saya perlahan.
"Kita bakar bendera mereka!"
"Kita 'bakar' cara hidup mereka. Itu lebih relevan"
Giliran dia pula yang diam. Mungkin siswa yg 'terbakar' ini mula mengunyah maksud kiasan saya. Lalu saya ceritakan analogi awal tadi. Alhamdulillah, dia mendengar teliti.
"Kita dengan sunnah, seperti orang tua-tua dahulu dengan barang-barang usang bawah rumah. Nak digunakan tidak, nak dijunjung jauh sekali, tetapi bila ada orang lain nak mengambilnya, barulah heboh konon nak digunakan"
"Bagaimana kita hendak tunjukkan perasaan marah?"
"Demonstrasi depan manusia. Depan Allah, kita beroda. Kita muhasabah, sejauh mana kecintaan kita kepada Rasul-Nya. Mungkin provokasi Barat membawa pengajaran tersirat"
"Pengajaran tersirat?"
"Ya, tersirat dari Allah... agar kita menilai semula benar-benarkah kita mencintai sunnah Rasul-Nya selama ini"
"Kemarahan ummah inilah buktinya," ujarnya bersemangat
"Kemarahan cuma bermusim. Hanya luapan sentimen berkala. Namun kegigihan, kebijaksanaan, perancangan dan ketabahan jangka panjang amat perlu"
"Maksud encik?"
Jelas dia terpancing dengan kilasan dan kiasan kata-kata.
"Jangka panjang, sudahkah kita mendidik generasi muda mencintai Rasul dan keluarganya? Saya risau generasi muda yg mabuk hedonisme kini tidak akan punya kemarahan yg sama seperti yang saudara alami"
"Saya ada kawan-kawan sebaya yg hidupnya lintang pukang, tapi masih marah bila Rasulullah dipersendakan. Mereka akan turut berarak esok!"
"Hidup lintang pukang? Macam mana tu?" tanya saya mintak kepastian
"Rock habis. Sembahyang tidak. Bergaul bebas biasalah... tapi cinta mereka terhadap Rasul tak luntur"
"Ajak mereka sembahyang dulu. Tak berarak pun tak apa. Cinta dulu, marah kemudian. Bila ada cinta, pasti ada marah bila kecintaan dicela. Tapi kalau marah saja, belum tentu ada cinta..."
Dia diam lagi. Kali ini diammnya lebih panjang.
"Agaknya orang tua tu marah tak kalau kira ambil barang-barang berharga atas rumah?" tanyanya tiba tiba.
"Orang tua mana?" tanya saya semula. Hairan.
"Orang tua dalam analogi encik tadi itulah!"
"Soalan tu kurang umph," gurau saya.
"Habis soalan apa yg umph?"
"Agaknya orang berani tak hendak minta barang di atas rumah? Berbanding barang usang di bawah rumah?" balas saya.
Termenung lagi dia. Seronok rasanya 'membimbing' siswa ini berfikir. Terimbay luapan semangat saya sewaktu di kampus dulu. Beginilah pola pemikiran saya.
Tiba-tiba dia bersuara, "Tentu tak berani kerana barang di atas rumah tentu lebih berharga"
"Begitulah sunnah, jika dihayati, diamalkan dan diperjuangkan. Ia nampak sangat berharga di tangan pecintanya. Musuh takkan berani mengusiknya, apalagi nk menghinanya..."
"Encik ni, tak sangka ke situ pula kiasannya"
"Kita orang Islam mesti menghormati diri sendiri terlebih dahulu. Barulah orang lain akan menghargai kira. Justeru, jika kira marahkan musuh yg mengecam Rasul, marahkanlah juga diri kita yg tidak benar-benar mencintainya!"
"Dan bukti cinta amalkan sunnah Rasul. Itulah cara paling berkesan mempamerkan 'kemarahan' kepada musuh-musuh yang menghinanya"
Alhamdulillah, saya yakin kini marahnya kerana cinta bukan kerana benci. Dominasi cintakan Rasul bukan emosi bencikan musuhnya!
