Bellow is my opinion published in the Jakarta Post, Saturday 23, 2010. It discusses current religious movie in Indonesia and moral lesson behind it.
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By Ahmad Muttaqin
Recently Indonesian people just enjoyed the Sang Pencerah (The Englightener) film, directed by Hanung Bramantyo. The story was about the founder of Muslim organization Muhammadiyah, Ahmad Dahlan (1868-1923). The plot is based on the dynamic of Dahlan’s efforts to establish the country’ second largest religious organization.
The film described the spirit, passion and persistence of Ahmad Dahlan to make better understanding of and beautiful practices of Islam. He got strong resistances from many Muslims, who even described him as infidel.
Other lessons from the story are Dahlan’s moderation, his wide range of interaction, and his willingness to learn from others that are considered as “un-Islamic”. For Dahlan, differences are not some thing to be shunned. He did not reluctant to take something better than his own from others. He, for example, created classroom with tables, chairs and blackboard as that did in Dutch and Christian schools for his Madrasah where public considered it as the alien and infidel system. Read More
