My Identity; me and world
I grew up in a Muslim culture and tradition of Java, the largest and dominant politically ethnic group in Indonesia. My parents and all family are Muslim and Javanese. My parents brought me with strong Islam and Java culture. I didn’t see any problem with this identity. I saw my father was cooperating business with Christian Chinese who lived near my house. They both respect and trust each other, even the Chinese trust my Father like a family. So this story is really giving me strength how to live together with other people who are different from me.
My point of view of seeing the diversity of my country are up and down, in one said I believed it is a strengths to build the better of Indonesia as what my founding fathers did to fight for freedom from three and half centuries of Dutch colonization but another side there were still some sectarian tension, separatism and recently the tension between Muslim-Muslim and Muslim – Christian conflict.
Then what makes me proud to be Indonesian? I never think these question seriously, it was in the first year of my University when the team of Action For Life 1, a leadership development program to engage young people to bring a message that everyone can make a different starting from their own life and had a seminar, I was told to mention about the positive things about my country, I had said that “it is reach of natural resources but poor people, largest Muslim population but we had conflict and social tension as well as the corruption. So I found it’s hard to be proud and positive to be Indonesian. Even I realized that being a Muslim by birth I was taught that I need to care to my country as its part of Islamic faith, but what I could do, as a just young student. Then at the seminar I remembered the song “It’s Better to light one candle than to curse the darkness”. I start thinking what I could do for my country. I thought that I need to reflect what mean to be Muslim and Indonesian? How I could be a good Muslim as well as a good citizen, I found that Quran said that Allah creates all human kind of man and woman, different ethnic, tribe and nation are to understand each other and the best people of us are who are mindful of Allah. This verse gives me point of view that we are all different to look at the same direction to build a good nation of Indonesia, then I found that I should take responsibility to take action and thinking of not what you can get but what you can give to your country. Trough Initiatives of Change I learn to see change in myself as well as in the world. In the Quran it said that Allah will not change the fate of nation until they commit to changing their own.
Living as Muslim and Indonesian as the largest Muslim population in the world (90% of 230 million population) and with the fact that my country has religious pluralism, my country Indonesia can offer a HOPE and PEACE for the world through friendly Muslim and good cooperation with other religion and culture. Islam and Muslim now becomes big issue around the world, in some part there are still conflict, bombings, Islam phobia, mistrust, misunderstanding and poverty. For me Islam means a peace. The Muslim greeting in all part of the world is:”Peace be upon you, and the mercy of Allah and His blessings. And Islam has the norm and teaching about the universal values that can be applied in this modern era; peace (salam), Justice, freedom, moderation, tolerance, balance, consultation, equity, as a fundamental of human dignity. These norm and Islamic teachings are the values and followed by majority Indonesian Muslim of Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) and Muhamadiyah, the 2 big Largest Muslim Organization in the world, as we are best known as a moderate one. Indonesia has important role to play to create a culture of peace and conflict resolution as well as to respond social issues within the country, and in South East Asia as well as to the world. It can only happen through better me and how I can take continues efforts to bring real Islam as a blessings for all the universe and to reform and transform the physiological barriers and dilemma from ethical doubts to ethical faith through revisionary action (amal salih).
Miftahul Huda (Indonesia, participant of Action For Life4, graduated student from State Islamic University Jakarta, working with Initiatives of Change Indonesia to build trust among young people to live in peace and harmony and bring positive energy and be part of culture of peace. He is also associated with Nahdlatul Ulama Students Association Jakarta, and very passionate about how young people can make a different and really committed to be the change makers, equipped with faith and integrity. He is also a team member of International Youth Forum and Asia Pacific Youth Conference).
www.iofc.org
miftahulh@gmail.com
