Next Stop: Malaysia

INCEIF ISLAMIC BANKING AND FINANCE EDUCATIONAL COLLOQUIUM 2006

We refer to the above.

We wish to inform you that your research proposal entitled ‘The Market for Islamic Lemon: Adverse Selection and Market Mechanism in a Mix Banking System'’ has been accepted by INCEIF to be presented during the colloquium. Please confirm your attendance.



My very first international conference! Cool.. yet a bit frightening.

Say what you mean and mean what you say

If there is one think that can make me angry, it is hypocrisy.

Flemming Rose, the editor of culture section of Jyllands-Posten that published those cartoons, explained the reason behind the publication in an editorial at Washington Post.

The eloquence and seemingly logical line (an editor indeed) of the article almost taken me to think the whole affair as incidental and unintended experiment, even if a reckless one, of free speech. Until I read a translation of the real meaning of the article by a Danish Moslem living in America.

Further more, an article in International Herald Tribune question how can Europe exalted the cartoon publication as free speech while putting someone to prison due to speaking his belief that Holocaust did not occurred. [disclaimer: I know it happened].

Thankfully, two thoughtful articles by President Yudhoyono and Emha Ainun Najid uplift my mood for future cooperation and mutual learning between east and west as well as between Christianity and Islam. Why there are so few of this kind?

True Lover

Love only yourself and you are a capitalist.

Love also your fellow countrymen and you are a nationalist.

Love also your neighbours plus the needy around the world and you are a humanist.

Love also the natural surrounding and you are an environmentalist.

but only by loving the source of all love you can be a true lover.

An Alternative Strategy

Imagine a country far away with significantly different civilization from West.

That country is united under a strong leader, though not democratically elected, and starting to recovered after past conflict.

That country attacked its neighbour to obtain natural resources and for a short period gained the upper hand in the war. However, after a while West created a coalition of many countries and attacked that country ferociously. The ancient cities on the countries are hardly recognizable after the bombs hit them.

The West won the war easily, much faster than many analysts predict.

(sound familiar…? Keep reading)

The leader of the beaten country gave out the following solemn speech


“The hardships and sufferings to which Our nation is to be subjected hereafter will certainly be great. We are keenly aware of the inmost feelings of all ye, Our subjects. However, it is according to the dictate of time and fate that We have resolved to pave the way for a grand peace for all the generations to come by enduring the unendurable and suffering what is insufferable

…. Let the entire nation continue as one family from generation to generation, ever firm in its faith of the imperishableness of its divine land, and mindful of its heavy responsibilities, and the long road before it. Unite your total strength to be devoted to the construction for the future…”


The population of that country is committed to build a glorious future. They keep their head down on international diplomacy and conflicts. They built a democratic political system to ensure check and balance. They educate their young seriously, some say too seriously, and sending them best university in the West to return as researcher and professor. After few decades they country emerge as leading country in the world in term of economy and technology. In addition, all was done without loosing much of their distinct identity and unique character.

Fiction?

The leader is Emperor Hirohito and the name of country is Japan.


(Disclaimer: I am not defending Japan’s war atrocity, only stating that other country can learn from its post war experience)

Cui Bono?

No, this is not a plea to knighted Bono from U2 as a Cui (which is not a title of nobility).

The literal translation from Latin is “who benefit?” but it is also an old adage that used as a principal of criminal investigation.

Who will benefit if the The Clash of Cartons continue?

Wouldn’t the neo-con would be happy to be able to point out that Moslems have no respect for western values? Wouldn’t the extreme hardliner in Islam would be happy to point out the West has nothing but disdain for Islam?

Both need constant intake of hate and anger to strengthen their position. Beware!

If dishonor is brought to a messenger that the Beloved has told us to emulate, should we be upset? Yes.

Will our care for the Beloved and the messenger be reduced in any way?
No. Remember that patience and humbleness under humiliation is his signature.

Will we continue to overlook the message and task set by the Beloved couse we are too busy defending our un-reduced love?
Hopefully not.

The magazine has issued an apology and the Prime Minister of Denmark has condemn all expressions that attempts to demonise people on the basis of their religion or ethnic background . That is a strongest statement a political leader can make to apologize while still defending free speech.

I wonder why the above two news has not known widely. Cui Bono?

P.S.

Sven Akram provide a good background while Ramzy Baroud remind us about the big unsolved problems. Amin's short story is an interesting description of what discussion the prophets might have about it.

Message and Messenger

What is the difference between a prophet and a journalist/reporter?
Ontologically speaking, not much. Both are supposed to convey truth messages to the population and masses.

The word journalist is taken from making journal and reporter is surely someone who report. Prophet is simply someone who is chosen to deliver a God’s prophecy. Knowingly spreading an untruth message is making one a false prophet as much as a lousy reporter.

What is Gabriel (in Christian), Jibril (in Islam), Narada (in Hindu) and Hermes (in Greek mythology) if not journalist/reporter par excellence that convey message from God to prophets/heroes.

So what are all the fuss about?

One of the causes is globalization

This image from sixteen century that depict the prophet in Mi’raj never circulate much. Surely not to the point of today’s media where one click in internet could get almost anything. Put it simply, more people could see something mean more people could be offended.

The second one is intentional harm

The wide array if diversity in reader lead to much more difficult environment for the message. It should lead an editor of any news establishment to be more politically correct (long excerpt from Wikipedia) and sensitive. If they can screen the word not to offend the feminist, ethnic minority and disable, surely they can do it for religion.

However, it is one thing to be unaware and make mistake than to conduct intentional harm. I assume the knowledgeable newspaper editor at Europe knows that depicting the Prophet is forbidden in Islam. But even if they not, I doubt whether they think it is not offensive to print an image of Jesus ordering The North Ireland people to bomb the British away or Moses instructing the Jews to kill innocent Palestinian (disclaimer: I don’t want to see them and think of this them as wrong and very offensive). Bad follower is not equal to bad teaching, equating the two is either weak logic, lousy humor, or intentional.

Remember that the freedom of speech on the west is not absolute. It is illegal to deny holocaust in Austria, to promote Nazism in Germany and Fascism in Italy.

The third is past misdeeds

Let say the cartoon was made and first publish in India or China. Will the outcry be at similar level? I think not.

Even if both also a different civilization, but India and China did not attack any Islamic country recently. Nor does it support financially and politically undemocratic countries that repress its majority Islamic population(such as Egypt) or neighbors' population (such as Israel).

Ask any Freudian about the phenomena, they will say it is similar to a repressed anger. The uproar is a form of picking a battle where winning is possible (we know what is the effect to those demonstrations against Iraq invasion… nothing). After the anger ventilated, it is important to deal with the source of anger.

Lets hope the journalist and newspaper will soon make a U-turn to their main task, spreading the message of peace and love.

One Whisper of the Beloved

Lovers share a sacred decree –
to seek the Beloved.
They roll head over heels,
rushing toward the Beautiful One
like a torrent of water.

In truth, everyone is a shadow of the Beloved –
Our seeking is His seeking,
Our words are His words.

At times we flow toward the Beloved
like a dancing stream.
At times we are still water
held in His pitcher.
At times we boil in a pot
turning to vapor –
that is the job of the Beloved.

He breathes into my ear
until my soul
takes on His fragrance.
He is the soul of my soul –
How can I escape?
But why would any soul in this world
want to escape from the Beloved?

He will melt your pride
making you thin as a strand of hair,
Yet do not trade, even for both worlds,
One strand of His hair.

We search for Him here and there
while looking right at Him.
Sitting by His side we ask,
"O Beloved, where is the Beloved?"

Enough with such questions! –
Let silence take you to the core of life.

All your talk is worthless
When compared to one whisper
of the Beloved.

Ode 442
A Garden Beyond Paradise: The Mystical Poetry of Rumi
translation by Jonathan Star and Shahram Shiva

Deus Caritas Est

I just read an analysis on New York Time of Pope’s first encyclical with the above title. It is Latin for “God is Love”.

The title just struck me as very parallel to my core belief about God and religion. Since I never wrote it down and just happened to be in reflective mood, let me start writing the first draft.

1. Lover Chooseth

There is no love without free will. A slave’s love as ordered by its master is not a true love.
Love could be very fragile and fluctuating, but those are things that make love so precious and valuable. One that chooseth to love the Beloved despite all odds & trouble is a true lover indeed.

2. Lover Giveth

A true lover seeks to give and not to take.
What could be bigger joy for a lover than doing things that please the Beloved?
What kind of lover would refuse to meet the Beloved?

3. Loveth Directly

Trust no one to be the intermediaries and be the go between. It meant giving them the power to take the Beloved away from you or you from the Beloved. Love may need a liaison to bond lovers initially, but a love that could not survive without liaison is not a true love.

4. Loveth and Let Loveth

Those that had known true love would not be jealous when others love another Beloved. There is no meaning in comparing love. On the other side, degrading others love for their Beloved will not make your love for your beloved more precious.

5. All You Needth is Love

Love is where we cometh and love is the road to the Beloved.