Rhoma Irama
Sep 24th, 2007, in News, by PatungRhoma Irama advises Indonesian Muslims to stop fighting each other.
The “King of Dangdut” Rhoma Irama said on 22nd September to a gathering at a mosque in Jakarta attended by preacher-politician Zainuddin MZ, Muhamad Nur Iskandar of the United Development Party (PPP), and parliament chairman Hidayat Nurwahid that Muslims had to accept the differences between them and stop fighting.
There were a lot of disturbances in society today, he said, because people who had particular understandings of Islam were intolerant of others whose opinions were not the same. Sometimes the differences involved one group trying to take over mosques belonging to other groups, or even physically attacking or vandalising mosques and mushollas, perhaps like in Jember.
Rhoma Irama.
Rhoma said he hoped the Department of Religion, and people generally, could help calm things down and encourage people to accept difference. But there were limits: antara
Believe whatever you like, so long as it is based on the Quran and hadiths.
Rhoma, who is from Tasikmalaya, West Java, a place where in recent times clerics and politicians have used Islam to bully voters in elections, where converts to Christianity have been imprisoned, and where Islamic sects have been terrorised, became famous in the seventies as a singer of Malay ditties with Indian tunes, but as he has aged has devoted himself to Islam, or dakwah.
22 Comments on “Rhoma Irama”
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Korrill says:
Then again, he does have a point. Some of the things that people need to develop with regards to religion are:
1. UNDERSTANDING that others have different beliefs.
2. TOLERANCE of others who have different beliefs.
3. ACCEPTANCE of others regardless of their beliefs.
4. RESPECT for the right of people to believe in what they wish to believe. *
* Of course, that would be as long as what others believe do not cause harm to others. (Example, if another believes that cooking and eating your baby is good, or that killing an entire village is righteous, then you have cause to be alarmend and notify the authorities.)
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Odinius says:
Right on the money, Korrill. Amazing people can’t grasp four such simple concepts…
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Ihaknt says:
They interpret the Koran and hadith to suit their needs…and that’s what they believe, Mr. Roma. D’oh!
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Sylvester says:
Why should we listen to someone so hypocrite like rhoma?
I prefer listening to Inul, hai hai ^_^. She is a lot more trustworthy. -
Dimp says:
They interpret the Koran and hadith to suit their needs”¦and that’s what they believe, Mr. Roma. D’oh!
This is why we need a more unified Islam, and there should be only one organisation who “rules” Islam. Of course this will not be an easy thing to do with so many branches of Islam and the animosity towards each other. Rhoma Irama’s intention is a good indication, unfortunately too many people do not have any respect for him (except for the ABRI – Anak Buah Rhoma Irama). He should start by cleaning up his act first then start making suggestion for others to follow him.
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pj_bali says:
Putu Alberto Lee
I was thinking the exact same thing. Rhomas’ final statement kind of makes his other points irrelevant dosen’t it?
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Janma says:
What so is Mr MyownAroma is over his differences with inul now? Laying down the hatchet?!!! the spirit of ramadhan… *sob*… it’s just beautiful…. next they’ll be holding hands in a circle.
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Chris says:
Rhoma Irama advises Indonesian Muslims to stop fighting each other.
Maybe (in the unlikely event that it happens) they could then concentrate on stopping fighting people from other religions like Abe: http://www.indonesiamatters.com/338/preaching-in-tasikmalaya/
OR
Is it so they can subsequently concentrate on fighting people of other religions???
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Bas says:
“Believe whatever you like, so long as it is based on the Quran and hadiths.”
A nice example of tolerance a la Indonesia.
By the way. If everybody is equal you don’t need tolerance. Tolerance is when you make an effort to accept people you think are different from (under) you (that often means you are right, they are wrong…). Tolerance is for people who don’t love diversity.
So for Indonesians, the next step is tolerance. And IF they succeed, which I personally doubt, they will have to learn not to only – tolerate – others but to see them as their pairs. Then no need of tolerance anymore – everybody is different but as the same rights (like in our modern democratic countries) and same value (like in the real Javanese culture). The rich need his pembantu. He cannot live without him.
You don’t have to tolerate others if you accept them the way they are. If you see them like normal human being, just like you. Just like all Indonesian children do until the age of 3 (before they are brainwashed).
Well I am afraid the real meaning of the fake harmony of the smelly tolerance versus the real meaning of Binekha Tunggal Eka will never been understood by guys like Irama or the fat asses of departemen agama.
All these guys have grown in a feudal culture. You know the Javanese culture wich has been instrumentalised by the Dutches then by Soeharto. When they talk about tolerance they are not aware they are on the contrary proning hate.
Poor Indonesia.
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Julita says:
Korrill:
1. UNDERSTANDING that others have different beliefs.2. TOLERANCE of others who have different beliefs.
3. ACCEPTANCE of others regardless of their beliefs.
4. RESPECT for the right of people to believe in what they wish to believe. *
Jlta: My, my is the above coming from Korrill? Wonderful!
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Islam is a funny religion, even for Lebaran day, they can’t have an agreement when it is. My mum and my aunties (even the neighbors!!!) always have different lebaran date. In the end my grandma decides when it is! Funny huh?!?!
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tomaculum says:
Indonesia is in a long time of transition with such a strong vacuum and still so many low educated citizen so that bigots, fanatics, fundamentalists etc are being flattered, idolized and chosen as leader or tolerated as a speaking tube for some groups. It seems basically doesn’t matter whether you are a pig, a tiger or a worm, more important is the “clothes” you’re wearing.
Then again, he does have a point.
(Korrill)
Then read this again:
Believe whatever you like, so long as it is based on the Quran and hadiths.
And he (may) think: force the Christians, the Chinese and such with other beliefs to eat pork until their stomachs are exploding.
Tolerance in Indonesia? There isn’t even a real word for it in Indonesian language, is there? -
Teta says:
Funny that many western have these higher then though attitude. Like a white man’s burden to make everything right in the world. Guess what whiteys, most problem and atrocities in the world was caused by your doing.
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Teta, on the subject of tolerance, what a shining example! Lets blame the whiteys, cause the poor lil brownies are just innocently huddling in the shadows being swept along in all that white water.
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Achmad Sudarsono says:
Teta- are you serious ?
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Andrew says:
Teta is just a little girl (or boy?) who can’t stand up and fight for her/himself, so she/he needs to have someone else to blame.
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Hey…so…if Roma says to stop fighting each other, does that mean it’s ok for him to fight THE OTHERS? Now it sounds a bit more like Lost.
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Tungkwato says:
Another lost cause, this man needs help.
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Idam H. says:
Then read this again:
Believe whatever you like, so long as it is based on the Quran and hadiths.
There is no way to have a free and tolerant society and to have a same basis on belief on the Quran and hadiths. Those are written in human language (prove me if they are otherwise) and subject to interpretations, even to the people who use the Arabic language daily.
Free and tolerant society result in multiple interpretations of anything. Only a country embracing a dictatorial rule would be able to force a single interpretation (and of course without any tolerance).
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Yudikelana says:
The King Of Dangdut ok!…..
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Barry Prima says:
According to the hadith Dangdut is haram, Mr Irama…and didn’t muhammed (pbuh) say musicans are always hypocrites, I have found this observation to be completely true, both in western and eastern culture.
But what I do respect about the elvis of dangdut is that he is a trier.
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He’s a very good student of Ford… you can have it in any color as long as it’s black.