Friday, April 15, 2011

Stay Human. RIP Vittorio Arrigoni.

Hi, there.

How's life? It's been one hell of a ride, isn't it?

A dear friend of mine once said, tidak ada yang namanya hari baik dan buruk. Everything's a state of mind. Semua hal tergantung bagaimana kita melihatnya.

Today is just one of those days.

Saya sudah berhenti menonton berita di tipi entah sejak kapan, tapi kita memang tidak bisa selamanya lari dari kenyataan hidup. Tidak bisa selamanya bersembunyi di antara rutinitas harian dan berdiam diri dalam riuhnya lalu lintas informasi. Yep. Saya bisa mematikan kompi dan tv. Tapi tidak mengubah hal-hal yang terjadi di luar. Dan sebaliknya, ketika saya membaca hal-hal yang terjadi hari ini dan menulis saat ini, hal-hal itu juga tidak berubah. Things happen, whether we want it or not.

Dan itu terjadi, terus-menerus. Berulang-ulang. Sampai kita mati rasa.

Fakta bahwa yang namanya kekerasan setua makhluk bernama manusia ini juga tidak menolong. Kekerasan ada sejak manusia ada. Bagi yang percaya kitab-kitab suci, ada Habil dan Qabil, Abel dan Cain. Bagi penyuka sejarah...tak terhitung statistiknya. Bagi saya pribadi, seorang teman sekolah yang menyatakan tidak apa-apa membunuh atas nama tuhan. Tuhan siapa? Entahlah...

Rumah ibadah yang ditutup selalu bukan milik 'kaum' kita. Mereka yang ditakut-takuti dan dihina selalu 'berbeda', mereka bukan 'kita'.

Bom yang terjadi di luar sana selalu mengenai orang lain. Bukan kita. Bukan anak-anak kita. Bukan orangtua kita. Dan kita berani dengan sombongnya bicara, menyakiti orang lain itu tidak apa-apa, 'for a greater good', 'for heavenly cause'?

Selama bukan kita. Begitu? Dan akan selalu ada yang bisa disalahkan. Fingers of blame always pointed outward and never inward.

Kapan giliran kita?

Apa yang didengar dan dilihat anak-anak setiap hari? Apa yang ditanamkan dan dicontohkan?

Dogma. Pengkotak-kotakkan. Labelisasi. Generalisasi.

Sejarah selalu berulang. Dan akan selalu berulang.

Should we stop humanity, destroy the human beings, to stop violence?

Saya mengenal seorang Vik, Vittorio Arrigoni, lewat blognya Guerilla Radio sekitar tahun 2008. Saat itu saya masih rajin menulis tentang Palestina di blog saya. Saya telah berhenti menulis, tulisan terakhir saya di blog itu adalah juni tahun lalu. Vik, yang selalu mengakhiri tulisannya dengan "Restiamo Umani" atau "Stay Human" masih terus menulis dari Gaza. Vik sendiri berasal dari Italia dan bergabung dalam ISM (International Solidarity Movement) Palestina, sebuah lembaga yang juga didirikan oleh Huwaida Arraf, seorang Palestina-Amerika beragama Kristen. Selama di Gaza, Vik seriing menemani petani dan nelayan Gaza dalam melakukan pekerjaan mereka. Di lengan kanannya, sebuah tato bertuliskan "Resistance" dalam bahasa arab. Senin besok ia seharusnya pulang ke Italia untuk menjenguk ayahnya yang sakit.

Vik, 36 tahun, diculik Kamis lalu, dan ditemukan tewas Jumat pagi tadi. Informasi sementara, penculiknya adalah kelompok Salafi, yang menganggap Hamas terlalu moderat.

Based on histories, it could be just life as we know it. The senseless violence.

Makes us wonder, why God creates us on the first place...

Dan saya diingatkan lagi oleh dua kata itu.

Restiamo Umani.

Rest in peace and love, dear brotha. May god bless you, insya Allah.

For the rest of us, stay human.

thought of the day

"A man does what he has to do, whatever the personal consequences, whatever the obstacles, the dangers or the pressure. This is the basis of all human morality". (Giovanni Falcone)

G'nite, good people. May peace be upon you.

Wednesday, June 9, 2010

Internet Killed The Hasbara Star

A great summary on Israel's propaganda.

It seems that Israeli hasbara is getting a bit tougher in the age of the internet. I mean, who's going to believe "a land without people, for a people without a land" when there are ten YouTube videos to prove you wrong?

Monday, June 7, 2010

We Shall Overcome

Dedicated to people of Palestine and Gaza Freedom March



Thank you, Roger Waters.

deep in my heart, I do believe,
We shall overcome someday

Saturday, May 22, 2010

Leila Abu-Saba

It's been a long time.

Sudah lama tidak menghabiskan waktu di blog ini. Sudah lama tidak berkunjung ke orang-orang istimewa yang saya kenal lewat nin's journey.

Salah satunya adalah Leila Abu-Saba. Seorang wanita Arab-Amerika dengan blognya Dove's Eye View. Dia menulis banyak hal mulai dari keluarga, resep-resep sampai masalah Palestina. Tulisan favorit saya adalah To Make Peace in The World, tentang nasihat putra Leila yang berumur 7 tahun untuk presidennya. Saya ingat meninggalkan komentar di blognya, tertanggal 21 Mei 2009, setahun yang lalu.

Tahun ini sangat sedikit saya mengunjungi nin's journey. Proses menulis di situ lebih berat dibanding di sini, yang hanya membutuhkan pikiran kusut untuk diurai...semacam mengeluarkan energi negatif. Hanya tiga tulisan yang bertanggal tahun 2010 disana. Dan tempat-tempat yang sering saya kunjungi dulu sekarang hampir tak pernah terlirik.

Sampai tadi pagi.

Saya melihat daftar blog-blog disitu dan, akhirnya, membaca tulisan "The Dove at Peace" di bawah nama blog Leila. Dan...she's gone. Pada 8 Oktober tahun lalu. Setelah perjuangan lima tahun melawan breast cancer.

Saya tidak percaya butuh lebih dari setengah tahun sampai saya menyadari hal ini...

“So please, friend, bless what you have and let go of fear for the future. Today is the only day you have got. You are breathing. Enjoy your breath. You are alive. Enjoy your life. You have a daughter and parents. Love them. Bless everybody who comes across your path. And the work? Whatever. Bless your work, too. Bless your town, your bills, your possessions. You are lucky to be here for all of it. If some of it gets taken away, well fine, something else will take its place. You are an amazing confluence of billions of variables and nobody else is having your life right this minute.

Enjoy! And don't worry about hope. Just breathe and appreciate your breath. Everything arises from that.”
~ Leila el-Saba, 1962-1009

Rest in peace, dear sister.

Thursday, April 22, 2010

Forget Saving The Planet



Save the planet.
Itu motto yang paling sering muncul di status facebook di Hari Bumi ini.

Dan saya dipaksa sedikit berpikir.
Bumi sudah ada sebelum kita, manusia. Dan sepertinya masih akan bertahan melalui semua global warming dan ice age seperti jutaan tahun sebelumnya. Bumi bisa menanggung hal-hal buruk yang kita lakukan padanya. Tapi KITA, baca : manusia-bodoh-serakah-tamak-hausdarah-sombong-arogan-seperti-saya, akan menghilang karena perbuatan kita sendiri.

Kita akan mati sebelum Bumi mati.
Mungkin kita harus bertanya pada dinosaurus apakah bumi perlu diselamatkan.

Mother Earth will outlive every single homo sapien.

Saya termasuk orang yang percaya semua punya jiwa. Bunga-bunga rumput mungil di pojok halaman, cacing tanah di sela-sela akar tanaman, lebah dan serangga yang keluar masuk rumah, pohon akasia dan rerumputan di bukit belakang, makanan yang kita makan, air hujan, awan, matahari, angin, batu-batu...

Jiwa-jiwa itu memancarkan energinya ke setiap mahkluk di sekelilingnya.
Makanan yang kita makan memberikan energinya sehingga kita bisa bernafas, berpikir dan bergerak.
Dan hidup ini adalah siklus.
Kita memancarkan energi ke jiwa-jiwa lain.

Sebagai seorang ibu, anak-anak merupakan indikator yang paling jelas tentang energi yang saya pancarkan, tentang suasana hati saya. Ketika saya gelisah mereka akan gelisah. Ketika saya sedih, mereka sepertinya tau. Ketika saya marah, mereka akan mengkerut menjauh. Dulu ketika mereka bayi, saya tidak akan bisa menenangkan tangis mereka jika saya sendiri ingin menangis kecapekan atau kesepian.
Semakin dewasa sepertinya kemampuan itu semakin memudar dan menghilang. Empati kita semakin tipis bahkan jika melihat a cry for help atau tangan menengadah. Kita terburu-buru, penuh perhitungan dan kecurigaan.

Kita bernafas tapi tidak merasakan jiwa-jiwa itu bergerak.
Kita mendaki gunung, berenang di lautan, dan berjalan di bumi tapi meninggalkan bekas-bekas kerusakan dan sampah dimana-mana.
Kita hidup dari merusak hutan dan tanah.
We're just growing old and dying.

Dan kita bertanya-tanya, "How to save the earth?"

Energi dan Jiwa tak pernah menghilang. Hanya bisa kembali kepada-Nya. Sang Jiwa Yang Maha Energi.

So, save yourself, love yourself.
By loving all beings.
By being one with earth.

"...When people pour or sprinkle on the Earth fragrant and pure substances like perfume and fragrant milk, the Earth does not feel proud. But when people pour upon the Earth unclean and bad-smelling substances...the Earth does not feel anger, hatred, or shame. The Earth has the capacity to receive, embrace, and transform everything." ~ Touching The Earth, Thich Nhat Hanh.

*terima kasih untuk semua yang mencoba menyelamatkan bumi. we'll die trying. keep up the good work, mates.

simple things to do to save yourself

Saturday, March 27, 2010

Earth Hour

Maaf, saya tidak akan menganjurkan mematikan lampu malam ini. Tidak sebelum saya menyelesaikan tulisan ini.
Tahukah kamu sisi lain dari Earth Hour?
  • sebagian besar lilin dibuat dari parafin, yang juga berasal dari hidrokarbon dan menghasilkan emisi karbondioksida. Berapa juta lilin yang dinyalakan malam ini?
  • kita menghabiskan satu jam dalam gelap yang nyaman, dengan tombol lampu hanya sejauh jangkauan tangan. Bagaimana jika menghabiskan satu bulan tanpa pendingin, kulkas dan penerangan?
  • The carbon sense coalition menginginkan 'earth hour' diganti dengan 'blackout night' dan dilakukan di hari terpendek dan terdingin dalam setahun.
  • Bjorn Lomborg, penulis The Skeptical Environmentalist menulis, "It is vital to make solar and other new technology cheaper than fossil fuels quickly so we can turn off carbon energy sources for a lot longer than one hour and keep the planet running...Fossil fuels literally gave us an enlightenment, by lighting our world and giving us protection from the fury of the elements. It is ironic that today's pure symbolism should hark back to a darker age."
  • berkumpulnya orang-orang untuk berpartisipasi dalam acara Earth Hour di kota masing-masing, akan menghasilkan keramaian dan kemacetan yang mungkin akan menambah emisi karbon.
Jadi, mematikan lampu sejam.
Apa gunanya?

Well, sebenarnya mirip berpuasa, kalau saya bilang.
Apa gunanya berpuasa, toh setelah maghrib kita kembali makan minum dan have sex, err make love. >.<
Tapi ada yang bilang dengan berpuasa kita tau apa yang dirasakan sodara-sodara kita yang kesulitan dan kekurangan.
Atau dengan berpuasa kita melatih kontrol diri ketika sangat menginginkan sesuatu yang tidak boleh diinginkan .
Atau dengan berpuasa kita lebih humble dan simple.
Atau dengan berpuasa kita semakin kurus dan pengeluaran belanja bisa dihemat, asal buka puasanya ngga neko-neko.

Hmm...jadi kangen bulan puasa...
Heheh ^^

Jadi, apakah sejam mematikan lampu terlalu dirasa bull@#$^ sampai menghalangi kita melakukannya? Atau kita termasuk yang ngga suka ikut-ikut dan lebih suka 'melawan arus'? Kalo ingin melawan arus, lawanlah arus penggunaan bahan bakar fosil dengan tidak menggunakan kendaraan bermotor dan, well, kejutan, tidak menggunakan listrik selama lebih dari sejam.
Bagaimana dengan earth month? Satu bulan? Bisa? Saya sih ngga. Kalo mati lebih dari 6 jam disini sih sering. Apalagi daerah-daerah terpencil yang belum tersentuh PLN.
Lakukan dengan tidak bekerja di perusahaan pertambangan yang meratakan hutan-hutan di Kalimantan (termasuk suami saya berarti...).
Lakukan itu dan kita sangat boleh berbangga hati tidak ikut mematikan lampu malam dari jam 20.30-21.30 waktu lokal malam ini.

Satu jam yang simbolik memang. Tapi satu jam lebih baik dari tidak sama sekali. Dan satu jam yang sebaiknya diikuti dengan pemikiran-pemikiran baru untuk ke depan.
Pengolahan sampah. *Dimas aja tau mbuang sampah sembarangan itu ngga boleh, "Joyokk!!"
Penyerapan air tanah.
Penanaman pohon dan lahan hijau.
bla bla bla...




When you try your best but you don't succeed
When you get what you want but not what you need
When you feel so tired but you can't sleep
Stuck in reverse.

And the tears come streaming down your face
When you lose something you can't replace
When you love someone but it goes to waste
Could it be worse?

Lights will guide you home
And ignite your bones
And I will try to fix you

And high up above earth or down below
When you're too in love to let it go
But if you never try you'll never know
Just what you're worth

Lights will guide you home
And ignite your bones
And I will try to fix you

Tears stream, down your face
When you lose something you cannot replace
Tears stream down your face and I...

Tears stream, down your face
I promise you I will learn from my mistakes
Tears stream down your face and I...

Lights will guide you home
And ignite your bones
And I will try to fix you.


Dan siapa tau, mind over matter berlaku malam ini.
Ketika jutaan pikiran berfrekuensi sama untuk menyelamatkan Ibu Bumi dan Ibu Alam, siapa tau, we will fix Her.

So, lets be positive. Think about earth healing and world peace tonight.

Monday, March 1, 2010

Who Will Save Your Soul?

Chilling and horrible thoughts.

Harvard fellow's modest proposal: starve the Gazans and their babies.

Barbara Brown wrote of Apartheid South Africa:

' [White] South Africans who express a [concern with Black population growth] perceive a close relationship between population growth rates and political instability. There are two variants of this approach. The first holds that a growing black and unemployed population will mean increased poverty which will in turn lead to a black revolt. . .

In an opening address to a major private sector conference on 'population dynamics' in South Africa, the president of the 1820 Foundation argued that 'Rapid population growth translates into a steadily worsening employment future, massive city growth . . . and an increase in the number of poor and disadvantaged. All are rightly viewed as threats to social stability and orderly change.'

A second, but smaller, group believes the black threat arises simply out of the changing ratio of white to black. This group sees that 'THE WHITES ARE A DWINDLING MINORITY IN THE COUNTRY' and argues that this situation will lead to a 'similar reduction of white political authority'.

Some argue for birth control on even more overtly racist grounds, but few people in leadership positions do so, at least publicly. Debates in the House of Assembly have included remarks to the effect that blacks are unable to make a contribution to South African society and so should be encouraged to limit their numbers. The organiser of a 'Population Explosion' conference, a medical doctor who is deputy director of the Verwoerd Hospital, argued that whites must organise a family planning programme for blacks because the latter group is biologically incapable of exercising foresight.'

- Barbara B. Brown, "Facing the 'Black Peril': The Politics of Population Control in South Africa," Journal of Southern African Studies, Vol. 13, No. 2(Jan., 1987), pp. 256-273, this quote pp. 263-64.


A brillian piece from Leila.

The ghastliness of it all was best summed up by an exchange between the mock Dan Halutz and Doron Almog to the real Martin Kramer on Twitter:

danhalutz RT @doronalmog: @DanHalutz Remember that time u, me, & @Martin_Kramer debated @Harvard over drinks on how to get rid of those superfluous Gazans? Good times

danhalutz @DoronAlmog Of course! @Martin_Kramer was all about the “pro-natal subsidies” and you just wanted to bulldoze those Gazans. Me, I like F16s

danhalutz @Martin_Kramer Dear Sir: I admire your brilliant ideas but fear ending pronatal subsidies will not eliminate superfluous Arabs fast enough.

danhalutz @Martin_Kramer: I say replace ‘pronatal’ subsidies with ‘pro-morbid’ ones: cluster bombs, white phosphorus, napalm. Let’s co-author a paper!

Thursday, December 31, 2009

Till We Meet Again, Gus


Artikel dibawah ini ditulis oleh Duncan Graham, seorang jurnalis Selandia Baru di blognya Indonesia Now.

FAREWELL GUS DUR: President RI 20 October 1999 - 23 July 2001

I interviewed Gus Dur for a book on Indonesia and spent most of the time laughing at his jokes. There's one below. He was an extraordinary man, a true democrat, liberal, learned and impossible to dislike. History should treat him kindly - just as he treated others. His impact on Indonesia endures leaving it a far better country after the ravages of Soeharto.

THE BIG DEBATE
By Abdurrahman Wahid (Gus Dur)


Back 10 centuries ago, just before the Crusade was launched, the Pope decided all Muslims had to leave Jerusalem peacefully or there’d be bloodshed. Naturally there is a big uproar from the Muslim community. So the Pope strikes a deal. He proposes a debate with a member of the Muslim community. If the Muslim wins the debate, all the Muslims can stay. If the Pope wins, all the Muslims will have to leave.

The Muslims realise they have no choice. They look around for a champion who can defend their faith. No one wants to volunteer, it's too risky. But they finally pick their representative, an old Mullah who unknowingly agrees without understanding what he’s getting himself into. He agrees on the condition that neither side is allowed to talk but communicate by miming, as he’s almost deaf. The Pope agrees.
The day of the great debate comes. The Mullah and the Pope sit opposite each other for a full minute before the Pope raises his hand and shows three fingers. The Mullah raises his middle finger. The Pope waves his fingers in a circle around his head. The Mullah points to the ground and stamps his right foot. The Pope pulls out a wafer and a glass of wine. The Mullah pulls out an apple. The Pope stands up and says: ‘I give up. This man is too good. The Muslims can stay.’

An hour later the cardinals are all around the Pope asking what happened. The Pope says: ‘First I held up three fingers to represent the Trinity. He responded by holding up one finger to remind me that there is still one God common to both our religions. Then I waved my finger around me to show him that God was all about us. He responded by pointing to the ground and stamping his feet, telling me that God was also right here with us. I pulled out the wine and the wafer to show that God absolves us from our sins. He pulled out an apple reminding me of the first sin. He had an answer for everything. What could I do?’

Meanwhile, the Muslim community has crowded around the old Mullah in total astonishment. ‘What happened?’ they ask. ‘Well’ says the Mullah, ‘first, he said we Muslims had three days to leave Jerusalem. I told him - up yours! Then he said this whole city would be cleared of Muslims. I told him none would leave this land!’

‘And then?' asks a woman. ‘He took out his lunch and I took out mine,’ says the Mullah.


The power of the mind lies in perceiving differences; the power of the heart lies in perceiving similarities
Kekuatan pikiran terletak dalam menerima perbedaan; kekuatan hati terletak dalam menerima persamaan.

Inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji'un
انّا للہ و انّا الیہ راجعون
We indeed belong to God, and we indeed toward him are returning.

Tuesday, December 29, 2009

Hedy Epstein

From Mondoweiss.



The sweetest and bravest grandmother ever.

You're Not Done Yet, Neither Are We.

A Message to World Leaders from Global Youth.



In daily life, buy local and reduce our domestic waste.
My kids know now that they can start helping our world by recycling kardus susu and burying the kitchen scraps.
Small actions. Big changes.