|
| ||||
|
|
|
||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
It was unforgettableWhile Titin was obliged to the supportive communities in the wake of Sept. 11, she regarded bombing Afghanistan as "another violence."Retno Suprihatin's memory of Sept. 11 began at 8 a.m. that day. That morning, she was lying in bed at an International Youth Hostel in Madison, Wis., exhausted from sightseeing.
She remembered the whole experience as "unforgettable." Shortly after the terrorist attacks, some people began to question who was to blame for the incidents. While some people suspected that the Palestinian Liberation Organization might be behind the attacks others blamed Iraq. Finally, Osama bin Laden was alleged to be the mastermind.
Suprihatin admitted that she was worried when the media began to play guessing games and pointing fingers at possible suspects because the suspects happened to be Muslims, and Suprihatin was a Muslim.
"I am not concerned with my personal safety, but with the whole Islamic community," she said.
Although Suprihatin said she was not threatened or attacked, she said some of her friends in Texas and Kansas were harassed because they wore veils.
"My friend in Kansas almost underwent a physical attack until the police came to her rescue. She was shocked and dared not to go to school for three days," she said.
She said as a result, her friends don't wear veils now. Instead, they put on caps and shawls to cover their heads and hair.
"They are Indonesian, not Arabic, yet they became the target of hatred," she said.
Suprihatin, whose nickname is Titin, came to the United States from Indonesia, the largest Muslim country in the world. She is a second-year graduate student at the University of Oregon, majoring in business.
She flew back to Eugene on Sept. 15, and to her surprise, she found herself surrounded by a very supportive community.
The president's office at the university invited Muslim students to a meeting by sending them a warm message: "You are welcome as a part of our community. We want to learn more about Islam."
In a gathering initiated by the Muslims in Eugene, leaders from Christian, Sikh and Jewish communities showed up to offer their help.
"I was so amazed by the generosity and the understanding of tolerance of this community. It's an overwhelming emotion for me," she said.
In a more broad overview, Suprihatin said, the Sept. 11 attacks were "something wrong."
"Taking 5,000 innocent lives is wrong," she said. "It's a sin by Islam. The attackers committed double sins because by Islam killing innocent people is a sin; committing suicide is also a sin."
Suprihatin questioned whether bin Laden is a true Muslim.
To be called a Muslim, she said, people need to meet certain criteria. First, they must believe in God, the Koran, Bible, Torah, Zabur, the day-after and judgment and in fate. Next they must acknowledge that Allah is the only God. They should pray five times a day, fast in the Ramadan and go on a pilgrimage to Mecca. Finally, a person should donate a certain amount of his or her income, or Zakat, to the religious cause.
Judged by these criteria, bin Laden is a true Muslim, she said.
But she said that if bin Laden organized the attacks, he was in conflict with his beliefs.
"True Muslims will not do that," she said. "As Koran says, you can fight your enemy who attacks you, you can fight in self-defense, as long as you don't transgress women, children, and elders. You should respect the trees and houses because they are symbol of nature and security. You should not destroy property."
Suprihatin said bin Laden should be put on trial and should come out of hiding to defend himself. But Suprihatin said she did not support the U.S. bombing of Afghanistan.
"I personally think the bombing is no way of solving the problem. Bombing Afghanistan is another violence. It kills innocent people," she said. "How can you justify yourself by killing innocent people? People in Afghanistan have been under oppression for years. They are the true victims."
In terms of the U.S. campaign against bin Laden, Suprihatin said even if bin Laden is killed, there is the possibility that another person similar to him may be born somewhere else.
Suprihatin said she was amazed by the resilience and vigor that the United States showed in the wake of Sept. 11. She said the nation was well managed, and everything came to normalcy quickly. People didn't allow sadness or hatred to destroy their lives, she said.
"Life goes on. There is a lot to be learned from this country." she said.
|
|
|
||
|
||||||
|
|
|
|
|
||
|
||||||
|
|
|
|
|||
