Cempaka Culture and Tourism: Minister’s Call for Mutual Respect During Ramadan Elicits Conservative Backlash

"The Recalibration of Awareness – Apr 20/21, 2012 (Kryon channeled by Lee Carroll) (Subjects: Old Energy, Recalibration Lectures, God / Creator, Religions/Spiritual systems (Catholic Church, Priests/Nun’s, Worship, John Paul Pope, Women in the Church otherwise church will go, Current Pope won’t do it), Middle East, Jews, Governments will change (Internet, Media, Democracies, Dictators, North Korea, Nations voted at once), Integrity (Businesses, Tobacco Companies, Bankers/ Financial Institutes, Pharmaceutical company to collapse), Illuminati (Started in Greece, with Shipping, Financial markets, Stock markets, Pharmaceutical money (fund to build Africa, to develop)), Shift of Human Consciousness, (Old) Souls, Women, Masters to/already come back, Global Unity.... etc.) - (Text version)

“… The Shift in Human Nature

You're starting to see integrity change. Awareness recalibrates integrity, and the Human Being who would sit there and take advantage of another Human Being in an old energy would never do it in a new energy. The reason? It will become intuitive, so this is a shift in Human Nature as well, for in the past you have assumed that people take advantage of people first and integrity comes later. That's just ordinary Human nature.

In the past, Human nature expressed within governments worked like this: If you were stronger than the other one, you simply conquered them. If you were strong, it was an invitation to conquer. If you were weak, it was an invitation to be conquered. No one even thought about it. It was the way of things. The bigger you could have your armies, the better they would do when you sent them out to conquer. That's not how you think today. Did you notice?

Any country that thinks this way today will not survive, for humanity has discovered that the world goes far better by putting things together instead of tearing them apart. The new energy puts the weak and strong together in ways that make sense and that have integrity. Take a look at what happened to some of the businesses in this great land (USA). Up to 30 years ago, when you started realizing some of them didn't have integrity, you eliminated them. What happened to the tobacco companies when you realized they were knowingly addicting your children? Today, they still sell their products to less-aware countries, but that will also change.

What did you do a few years ago when you realized that your bankers were actually selling you homes that they knew you couldn't pay for later? They were walking away, smiling greedily, not thinking about the heartbreak that was to follow when a life's dream would be lost. Dear American, you are in a recession. However, this is like when you prune a tree and cut back the branches. When the tree grows back, you've got control and the branches will grow bigger and stronger than they were before, without the greed factor. Then, if you don't like the way it grows back, you'll prune it again! I tell you this because awareness is now in control of big money. It's right before your eyes, what you're doing. But fear often rules. …”

Tuesday, June 16, 2015

Minister’s Call for Mutual Respect During Ramadan Elicits Conservative Backlash

Jakarta Globe, Jun 16, 2015

Minister Lukman Hakim Saifuddin’s call for Muslims who plan to fast
during Ramadan to respect those not fasting has come under attack from
Islamic conservatives. (Antara Photo/ Fabianus Riyan Adhitama)

Jakarta. Conservative politicians and clerics have lashed out at Religious Affairs Minister Lukman Hakim Saifuddin over his seemingly benign call for mutual respect and understanding between Muslims and non-Muslims during the holy month of Ramadan.

Fernita Darwis, a senior member of a splinter faction of Lukman’s own party, the United Development Party (PPP), said the minister’s appeal to Muslims not to force food vendors to close during Ramadan, which starts this week, had “hurt the faithful and had a [negative] impact on the PPP.”

“We’ve had a lot of messages from clerics asking us to address this issue,” she said. “The minister must immediately cease taking positions that hurt the Muslim faithful and cause negative stigma in the community.”

Lukman, in a Twitter message on June 5, urged followers not to compel streetside food stalls, or warung, to close during Ramadan, when Muslims are obliged to fast during daylight hours.

“We have to respect the rights of those who are not required to or are not fasting,” he wrote.

In a series of follow-up tweets three days later, the minister sought to clarify his earlier remark.

“There were two things that I wanted to get across with that tweet. First, there is no need to force any warung to close during the fasting month,” he wrote.

“If there are those who close their warung voluntarily, we of course respect that. But good Muslims don’t force others to give up their source of livelihood.”

The second point, Lukman went on, was the need for mutual respect and understanding for those who were not fasting.

“We are obliged to respect the right (to access to food/drink) of those who are not fasting because they are not Muslim,” he wrote.

“We must also respect the right of Muslims who are not fasting because of [certain] conditions (traveling, illness, menstruating, pregnant, nursing).”

8/12. kita juga dituntut hormati hak mereka (dalam mendapatkan makanan/minuman) yg tak wajib berpuasa karena bukan muslim. #ubahtwit
— Lukman H. Saifuddin (@lukmansaifuddin) 8 juni 2015

Lukman, who took office in June last year, has earned a reputation as being far more progressive and inclusive than his predecessors – a distinction that has drawn criticism from conservatives.

Khatibul Umam Wiranu, a member of the Democratic Party, accused Lukman of trying to curry popular support through the media through statements like his call for mutual respect.

“The way I see it, Lukman is frightened of being replaced in a reshuffle. And the only thing he can do is use the media to build up his popularity,” Khatibul said. “His performance, meanwhile, has been very unsatisfactory.”

Jazuli Jawani, a legislator from the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS), said Lukman’s call for those who were fasting to respect those who were not was highly regrettable.

“His statement is just going to cause problems. He shouldn’t be stirring up a row in the community,” he said.

Jazuli argued that it was only natural for those “carrying out the faith” to be granted greater respect than those who were not.

“The minister’s logic is backward and he’s giving the impression that he doesn’t understand how to promote tolerance,” he said.

“When Muslims are fasting, it’s customary for followers of other religions or for Muslims who are not fasting to pay them their due respect.”

Clerics have also piled in on the issue, with one writing off the minister’s statement as “nonsense.”

“Why should the majority respect the minority?” Ali Badri Zaini, the head of the East Java chapter of the Islamic Dakwah Forum, said in Surabaya as quoted by Metrotvnews.com.

“The minority should respect the majority. The minister is [talking] nonsense. The Islamic faithful in East Java will never do as he instructs.”

He said it was considered customary for all warung to at least close off their façade with a tarp so as not to tempt those who were fasting.

“If this rule is overturned by the minister, then it underlines that the minister is taking sides,” Zaini said.

Related Articles:

"The Recalibration of Awareness – Apr 20/21, 2012 (Kryon channeled by Lee Carroll) (Subjects: Old Energy, Recalibration Lectures, God / Creator, Religions/Spiritual systems (Catholic Church, Priests/Nun’s, Worship, John Paul Pope, Women in the Church otherwise church will go, Current Pope won’t do it), Middle East, Jews, Governments will change (Internet, Media, Democracies, Dictators, North Korea, Nations voted at once), Integrity (Businesses, Tobacco Companies, Bankers/ Financial Institutes, Pharmaceutical company to collapse), Illuminati (Started in Greece, with Shipping, Financial markets, Stock markets, Pharmaceutical money (fund to build Africa, to develop)), Shift of Human Consciousness, (Old) Souls, Women, Masters to/already come back, Global Unity.... etc.) - (Text version)

“. New Tolerance

Look for a softening of finger pointing and an awakening of new tolerance. There will remain many systems for different cultures, as traditions and history are important to sustaining the integrity of culture. So there are many in the Middle East who would follow the prophet and they will continue, but with an increase of awareness. It will be the increase of awareness of what the prophet really wanted all along - unity and tolerance. The angel in the cave instructed him to "unify the tribes and give them the God of Israel." You're going to start seeing a softening of intolerance and the beginning of a new way of being.

Eventually, this will create an acknowledgement that says, "You may not believe the way we believe, but we honor you and your God. We honor our prophet and we will love you according to his teachings. We don't have to agree in order to love." How would you like that? The earth is not going to turn into one belief system. It never will, for Humans don't do that. There must be variety, and there must be the beauty of cultural differences. But the systems will slowly update themselves with increased awareness of the truth of a new kind of balance. So that's the first thing. Watch for these changes, dear ones. ...."