Are Muslims underrepresented?<\/p>\n
Harry Bhaskara, The Jakarta Post, Semarang<\/p>\n
Now that the one-week of Zheng He celebrations here is over, some
\nintrospection is called for. Among the topics discussed
\ninformally among some participants was the perceived lack of
\nrepresentation of Muslims during the celebration.<\/p>\n
In the city proper, signs that a big celebration was going on
\nwere mute. Some big billboards were placed along main
\nthoroughfares and some Chinese lanterns at the airport and some
\nhotels but nothing more. There was almost a totally absence of
\nany kind of Muslim symbols.<\/p>\n
Otherwise, life went on as usual. The Sam Poo Kong and the Tay
\nKak Sie temples were the only places where the festive mood was
\nreally present.<\/p>\n
Economist Bob Widyahartono who came from Jakarta resented this
\nfact and thought that Muslims' involvement in the celebration was
\nonly superficial.<\/p>\n
\"This is sad because Zheng He was a Muslim,\" he said referring
\nto the Chinese admiral whose first voyage in 1405 to Asia and
\nAfrica was the center of the celebration.<\/p>\n
Adhy Trisnanto from the Chinese-Indonesian Association echoed
\nBob's view when he said in a discussion at a book launching here
\non Saturday that the Muslim identity of Zheng He was underplayed.<\/p>\n
But some did not agree. Agus Rahardjo, head of tourism
\npromotion at Semarang Tourism Office, said that every element in
\nthe community was well-represented.<\/p>\n
\"The very opening of the celebration was conducted by the UIN
\nSyarif Hidayatullah State Islamic University. It was beautifully
\ndone, everybody took part in the celebration,\" he says.
\nNuhin, a student at UIN agreed with Agus.<\/p>\n
\"It depends on what group of Islam you are talking about,\"
\nsays Nuhin, \"as far as my group is concerned, we are taking part
\nin a lot of events in the celebration\"<\/p>\n
He cited the opening of the celebration, a play performed by
\nUIN students and poetry readings. An Islamic a Capella (nasyid)
\nand Islamic dance competition was also on the program.<\/p>\n
\"Maybe it is true that other Islamic groups think they were
\nnot involved,\" Nuhin says when asked if he knew of other groups
\nwho thought they were left out.<\/p>\n
In fact, the organizer had offered traditional art
\nperformances like Balinese dances, Javanese shadow puppet and
\nPetruk Gareng traditional comedy.<\/p>\n
Historian Gan Kok Hwie who is a long-term resident of
\nSemarang, said that it was natural that there were some
\nshortcomings in the event.<\/p>\n
\"That the event itself could be held, is something
\nextraordinary. It is only possible after the reform era,\" he
\nsaid, referring to the popular movement that toppled former
\npresident Soeharto in 1998.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/are-muslims-underrepresented-1447893297",
"image": ""
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