donderdag 2 januari 2020

No Hura-hura: New Year celebration Islamic style


Last Christmas I have not noticed a further debate about Muslims and Christmas greetings. In 2018 there was some upheaval about big shops asking their personnel to wear hats like Santa Claus. But there are other topics to be discussed. Perhaps in line with Muslim protests against the rising popularity of Valentine's Day and Halloween, there was a criticism of celebration of New Year, a global festivity. Najamuddin Ramli, General Secretary of MUI, Majelis Ulama Indonesia, the National Muslim Clerics Council, gave a suggestion that the noisy celebration should be calmer and Muslims should prepare for the New Year with pious recitations and prayers, lessons and speeches, muhasabah (introspection), with a special salat istighora (prayer for some specific needs), Islamic art performances, a sale of basic needs, blood donation, joint cleansing of the neighbourhoods and more such things..
 Ilustrasi pesta kembang api Tahun Baru. Dok Tempo/Pius EThe accompanying picture in Tempo had firework as palm trees!
The words of MUI the secretary were like a pious sermong with Arabi terminology, not found in the great dictionaries. Is this the same man as Dr. H. Nadjamuddin Ramly, director at the Directorate of Cultural Heritage and Diplomacy? The one who organised the Anugerah Budaya  last October?
I looked also for the proper wording of what I knew as hura-hara: both hura-hura, as well as hara-hara have as meaning a combination of loud expressions of incertainty and joy. Below the quote from Tempo:
"Hura-hura akan mendatangkan lebih banyak kemudharatan dibandingkan kemanfaatan," ujar Wakil Sekretaris Jenderal MUI Najamudin Ramli di kantornya, di Jakarta, Selasa, 31 Desember 2019.
MUI mendorong agar umat Islam menyambut datangnya tahun baru 2020 dengan dzikir atau pengajian, ceramah, muhasabah, istighosah, pentas seni budaya Islam, bazar kebutuhan pokok, donor darah, gotong rotong membersihkan lingkungan, dan lain sebagainya.

Geen opmerkingen:

Een reactie posten