Islamic information

I come from a religious family currently living in Kano, a city in northern Nigeria where the population is almost 100 percent Moslem. I once attended and studied at an International Islamic university. My congenital interest in Islamic reading therefore originates from the above facts. This is why I always salute The Jakarta Post for its vigorous attempts to provide better Islamic information.

For example, in the second week of June 1997, I found a lot of Islamic materials that provided happiness even though I was suffering from the flu at the same time.

First, I read a marvelous Islamic story titled "God's message in a tomato" (June 13) in which a girl sliced a tomato in half and found a message in Arabic which said: "There is only one God, Muhammad is the Messenger." This was reported by British newspapers.

God always provides signs of his existence, through messages as well as his supreme authority. I was once an eyewitness to a similar event in Kano. As far as Moslems are concerned, it's a reminder of the divine messenger Muhammad, peace be upon him; a kind of reminder that helps establish peace and progress worldwide.

Unfortunately, just a day after the above report (June 14) another Islamic report appeared. According to the report, Malaysian suppliers of pornographic materials had resorted to putting Islamic wordings on CD-ROM and laser discs for sale to Middle Eastern countries. The illegal porn suppliers were marketing the discs as religious items to deceive customs authorities in the Moslem countries, the report said.

This is amazing and also disappointing. It directly affects the collective image of all Moslems. Malaysian authorities have a lot to do to clarify this or else their good Islamic image might be disrespected by the Moslem world.

The report on Fatahillah, an Islamic film, (June 14) was very enlightening as far as Islamic history in this country is concerned. For example, through this report I learned of a heroic Islamic figure of the 16th century who recaptured Batavia (former name of Jakarta) during a bloody war against Portuguese colonial troops. In fact, I even learned of some historical Islamic sultanates like Demak in Central Java.

I was particularly pleased with the Post's reports on the newly established Islamic grouping known as "D-8" initiated by Turkey's ruling Islamic Party of Prime Minister Necmettin Erbakan. It's a group of the world's most populous Islamic nations, including Nigeria. I am particularly happy that the world, despite international media bias, has come to know of Islamic glories of Africa. The second week of June was really full of reports on Islam. For this reason, I say bravo!

BUHARI ABDU

Jakarta