No quiet rules at Indonesia's flyover library

Yahoo – AFP, Harry PEARL, 25 March 2019

Despite its unlikely location, the Taman Baca Masyarakat Kolong open-air reading
 park has been a hit due to a shortage of public libraries where kids from this
area can read books outside school

Singing and laughter briefly drown out the roar of cars under a Jakarta flyover, where an unlikely library for kids is thriving despite choking fumes -- and opposition from menacing gangsters.

There's no quiet rule at this open-air reading park wedged between two lanes of traffic just outside Indonesia's capital, a city of some 30 million that is notorious for having some of the world's worst traffic jams.

Despite its unlikely location, the Taman Baca Masyarakat Kolong has been a hit. A shortage of public libraries means it's one of the few places where kids from this area can read books outside school.

"We wanted to bring books closer to the community," Devina Febrianti, a library coordinator, told AFP as car horns blared accompanied by choking exhaust fumes.

Several years ago, the flyover in suburb Ciputat, part of Jakarta's greater metropolitan area, was strewn with rubbish and roamed by intimidating street thugs, Febrianti said.

But armed with books and paint, local organisations set about transforming its down-and-out reputation.

Artists painted murals on the walls, installed planter boxes and a futsal pitch, and a library with several dozen books was built on site.

Still, it wasn't met with universal acclaim when it opened for business in 2016.

"In the beginning not everyone was supportive when we came with books because there were already other residents here," Febrianti said.

"We asked for forgiveness first from the gangsters who were here and then the 'angkot' drivers," she added, referring to cheap and ubiquitous minivans that provide public transport.

Winning over parents afraid that their children would be kidnapped or hit by a car was no mean feat, either.

'Smell, rubbish, loud noises'

But eventually, parents -- and even the street gangs -- warmed to the idea.

Today, it's not uncommon to see up to 70 kids attending after-school sessions, where they read stories with teachers, get help with homework, or sing and dance on concrete covered with green Astroturf.

Bookshelves are stuffed with hand-me-down kids books and some other less likely titles such as "Accounting" and "Glossary of Marketing Terms".

Emilia Clara, an 11-year-old student, said she liked reading stories, especially fairytales, with friends.

"It makes me happy and it's exciting," she told AFP in a brief interview, before rushing back to join the other kids.

And it has won over parents like Salmih Usia, a 41-year-old mother of two.

"This is a great place for learning, creating and playing," she said.

Free reading gardens, known as Taman Bacaan, have existed in various forms across Indonesia for several decades.

They're often run by NGOs or volunteer associations funded by public and private sector contributions.

Some 80 reading parks have been established this part of the sprawling capital, although there is only one located right below a flyover, Febrianti said.

In Hong Kong, a small outdoor library that doubled as a children's playground was set up under a flyover in the bustling city as part of research into how to better use community spaces, according to a report in the South China Morning Post last year.

Back in Indonesia, library volunteers admit the street-side location poses some potential health problems because of the fumes from traffic and the subsequent impact on air quality.

"But so far there haven't been any complaints about the smell, rubbish or loud noises," Febrianti said, adding: "We use a sound system, which is quite helpful for us to overcome the (noise) problem."

No quiet rules at Indonesia's flyover library.

AFP's @harry_pearl takes a look under a Jakarta flyover where an unlikely library for kids is thriving despite choking fumes -- and opposition from gangstershttps://t.co/JprTqgw1Sj pic.twitter.com/q9NeiPN19x

— AFP news agency (@AFP) 25 maart 2019

Dick Bruna, who created Miffy the rabbit, dies at the age of 89

DutchNews, February 17, 2017

Japanese Miffy fans pose by her statue in Utrecht. Foto: Erik van ‘t Woud /
Hollandse Hoogte 

Dick Bruna, the Utrecht artist behind the globally successful Miffy the rabbit children’s books, has died at the age of 89. 

Bruna died peacefully in his sleep, his publisher said on Friday. He had not been seen in public for several years and brought out the last book about Miffy in 2011. 

Bruna wrote and illustrated 124 books as well as designing posters and other book covers plus work for charities as diverse as Unicef and World Aids Day. 

Books about Miffy, known as Nijntije in Dutch, were translated into over 50 languages and Bruna sold some 85 million books during his life, news agency ANP said. The first was published in 1955.

The artist also had his own museum, the Dick Bruna Huis, in Utrecht. Marja Kerkhof, director of Bruna’s publisher Mercis, told broadcaster NOS: ‘I had such an enormous admiration for his work that representing his business interests was easy. It is an honour to introduce his work to adults and children all over the world.’

Horseback library serves Indonesia's remote readers

Yahoo – AFP, Nick Perry, July 15, 2016

Children sort through books on a shelf hanging from Luna the horse in Serang,
Indonesia's main island of Java (AFP Photo/Adek Berry)

Astride his white mare, a wide-brimmed hat shielding his eyes, Ridwan Sururi looks more cowboy than librarian as he winds towards the hilltop village, his horse Luna saddled with books.

Their arrival sends ripples of excitement through Serang, a quiet hamlet fringed by rice fields and a volcano on Indonesia's main island of Java.

"The horse library!" children shriek, sprinting towards the mosque where Luna is tethered. Slung over her saddle are two handmade wooden boxes filled with books.

Ridwan Sururi, who runs a mobile library

 on horseback, selects books for villagers

to read in Serang (AFP Photo/Adek Berry)

For many there, this unique mobile library is their only link to books. There is no traditional library nearby, and stores are miles away in big cities. It's a problem for villages across the sprawling Indonesian archipelago.

Sururi, a 43-year-old professional horse groomer, devised a unique way to encourage reading in his district.

Armed with Luna, one of several horses under his care, and about 100 books donated from a friend, Sururi began road-testing his novel mobile library in early 2015, unsure if it would succeed.

It was a huge hit. In no time, the father of four was fielding requests from schools and villages further afield, eager crowds greeting him on arrival.

"The kids are always waiting for my horse and I," Sururi told AFP.

"Sometimes they even form a queue, waiting a very long time just to borrow a book."

Broadening horizons

In Serang, enthusiastic youngsters flick through picture books, young adult titles and even some classics in English.

Some shyly pet Luna while waiting their turn to browse. Sururi believes the gentle nature of his six-year-old mare helps attract children, and pique an early interest in the books.

For many in Serang, this unique mobile library is their only link to books 

(AFP Photo/Adek Berry)

"The horse makes me happy," said 10-year-old Arif, who like many Indonesians goes by one name, before settling in to read a book titled "Wild Animals".

But it's not just children discovering a love for reading via this charitable community library.

Adults are almost just as enthusiastic, many pausing work and emerging from their homes as Sururi and Luna pass through the narrow lanes of one village.

Seventeen-year-old Warianti, perusing titles alongside her elderly mothers, said villagers of all ages benefited from Sururi's visits, as most did not have time to source books elsewhere.

"The horse library helps increase the knowledge of local women through reading," she told AFP.

Adult literacy rates in Indonesia have climbed steadily in recent years, reaching nearly 96 percent in 2013, according to data from the ministry of education.

But some provinces remain far behind others. Central Java, where Sururi makes his rounds, is lagging in the bottom third nationwide.

Nearly five percent -- or close to one million -- adults in this mainly rural province remain illiterate. Sururi is aware of this, growing up in Central Java without access to a great deal of books.

But the altruistic stable hand never underestimated the importance of reading, leading to his free-of-charge mobile book loaning service.

"That's the aim of the horse library, so that everyone can broaden their horizons, gain knowledge, become more intelligent," he said.

Sense of pride

Outside his simple home, Sururi has cleared an area where he dreams of building a permanent library, one stocked with many books and -- perhaps one day -- a computer.

Nearly 5% -- or close to one million -- adults in mainly rural Central Java

province remain illiterate (AFP Photo/Adek Berry)

But for now, everything is done by hand. The spines of all books are clearly labelled with a code for identification, and he keeps meticulous records so books are returned on time.

Like a conventional library, books can be borrowed free of charge but cannot be loaned forever.

In Serang, Sururi checks his notebook and tells one boy he needs to first return an outstanding title before loaning another. The young student sprints off home, returning a short while later clutching the forgotten item, relieved to see his pick of choice remains untouched on the shelf.

Once the flurry of borrowing is over, the children settle down in small circles, bearing their new books with pride as Sururi packs up for another week.

Soon the air is filled with the sound of dozens of children reading aloud, older pupils helping their younger friends with difficult words or phrases.

"When I see kids chasing my horse I feel so proud," Sururi said.

"I feel like I'm needed, and that's hugely satisfying."

Horseback library serves Indonesia's remote readers https://t.co/5jSB0FYAKg pic.twitter.com/4GgtkWZ05W

— AFP news agency (@AFP) July 15, 2016

High hopes for Indonesian author vying for Man Booker glory

Yahoo – AFP, Olivia Rondonuwu, April 13, 2016

Great expectations weigh on Eka Kurniawan, the first Indonesian ever
nominated for a Man Booker International Prize (AFP Photo/Goh Chai Hin)

Already compared to literary heavyweights Gabriel Garcia Marquez and Haruki Murakami, great expectations weigh on Eka Kurniawan, the first Indonesian ever nominated for a Man Booker International Prize.

The 40-year-old is up against revered writers like Orhan Pamuk and Kenzaburo Oe, both past recipients of the Nobel Prize in Literature, but there is a growing buzz about the works of this little known author.

At home, titles of Kurniawan's novels splashed across the back of trucks, while newspapers and magazines hail him Indonesia's most exciting writer for a generation.

Author Eka Kurniawan holds his 

book "Man Tiger" - the story of a 

young man who gnaws his elderly 

neighbour to death (AFP Photo/

Goh Chai Hin)

“My friends sent me pictures of the back of trucks bearing the titles of my books – these (trucks and the lives of the drivers) were an inspiration for one of my novels -- and the fact my books are emblazoned there brought me to a state of euphoria, I got goosebumps,” he tells AFP.

Internationally, demand is such that he's already attended the acclaimed Frankfurt and Melbourne Book Fairs.

Despite this, Kurniawan says his inclusion on the longlist for the prestigious award, for "Man Tiger" -- the story of a young man who gnaws his elderly neighbour to death -- came as a "surprise".

He will find out Thursday if he has made the final six. The winning author and translator will also share 50,000 pounds (USD$71,000) in prizemoney, while all the finalists receive 1,000 pounds.

A shortlist nomination -- or better still, a victory -- will likely provide a much-needed international profile boost not just for Kurniawan, but for the nation's literary scene.

"I hope this is the case that Indonesian literature is really on the rise, because in the past 10 years I can feel the excitement," he adds.

'Free from taboos'

Indonesian writers have long struggled for appreciation at home, let alone on the world stage. Many do not have the means to translate their books into other languages and attract publishers and readers abroad.

Yet there is a passionate desire to share their stories and the profession has flourished since Indonesia embraced democracy.

Kurniawan, who is now married with a young daughter, participated in the student protests that toppled the authoritarian regime in 1998. He says the wave of openness that followed the end of Suharto's three-decade rule had an "enormous" influence on Indonesia's literary evolution.

“I feel Indonesia is more open," Kurniawan explains. "We can speak practically about many things, including politics, religion and other taboos like sex."

Kurniawan's own work is no exception: "Man Tiger" is a grisly, murderous tale, while "Beauty is a Wound" revolves around the communist massacres across Indonesia in the 1960s, a politically-sensitive topic to this day.

The vein of magic realism throughout his work has earned Kurniawan comparisons to legendary Colombian novelist Marquez, while others tout him as successor to Pramoedya Ananta Toer.

Pramoedya, who died a decade ago this month, is considered Indonesia's greatest-ever writer. His legendary "Buru Quartet" -- which he wrote behind bars during the Suharto years -- earned him several nominations for a Nobel Prize for Literature, and acclaim overseas.

Fuel global interest

For all the high praise directed at Kurniawan, who is from West Java but now lives in Jakarta, it has been slow crawl from aspiring writer to Booker nominee.

He worked as a graphic designer and jobbing writer, but when "Man Tiger" was first published in Indonesian in 2004 -- he concedes the readership really only extended to his circle of close friends.

It took a decade before it was translated into English and on bookshelves overseas.

The respected Southeast Asian scholar, Benedict Anderson stumbled on Kurniawan's work and, impressed, urged him to translate his works and meet with a UK publisher later describing him as "Indonesia’s most original living writer of novels and short stories".

For many writers - language is a challenge. Indonesian is often second choice after local dialects. This limits exposure in a country where only 1 in 1,000 spends time reading, according to research by UNESCO.

Publishing in English is the only avenue for global recognition and readership but for many the cost of quality translation remains too high, ensuring they remain off the radar of major international publishers.

But interest is growing -- last year Indonesia was guest of honour at the Frankfurt Book Fair, an opportunity to showcase the literary culture and traditions at the largest publishing event in the world.

There's a sense Kurniawan could encourage further interest. Barbara Epler, the head of his US publisher New Directions, predicted that if Kurniawan took off overseas he would be a "prime force" in getting more publishers interested in Indonesia, a sentiment echoed in his homeland.

"I hope he wins so that authors will rush to translate their books into other languages, promoting them to the world,” respected Indonesian poet Sapardi Djoko Damono told AFP.

The shortlist for the Man Booker International Prize will be announced Thursday and the winner on May 16.

Voicing Indonesia’s Silence on 1965 in The Hague

Jakarta Globe, Sie Yoe Lien, Jun 07, 2015

Leila S. Chudori speaking with historian Martijn Eickhoff, left, and Aboeprijadi
Santoso of the International People’s Tribunal 1965, in The Hague. (Photo
courtesy of Tong Tong Foundation)

The music and happy chatter next door seem to be a world away as Indonesian author and Tempo journalist Leila S. Chudori speaks about her novel “Pulang” (“Going Home”). In front of a hushed audience, Leila recalls that she had only heard that there was such a thing as Indonesian political exiles when she visited Paris in the 1980s.

“There are thousands of Indonesian exiles in Europe, many in the Netherlands. And that’s not even counting their families,” Leila said. “That’s why I felt I should write about those exiled abroad and the political prisoners in Indonesia. They are closely related to one another.”

Her bestseller Pulang tells the story of Dimas, who was stranded in Paris and unable to return to Indonesia after the failed coup of September 1965, blamed on the Indonesian Communist Party (PKI). In the months following the coup attempt, hundreds of thousands of people — some say over a million — accused of being communists were brutally tortured and killed, while many others were jailed without trial. 

Dimas’ character, Leila said, was based on real exiles in Paris who could not obtain Indonesian passports until after the fall of Suharto’s New Order regime, more than three decades later.

Cisca Pattipilohy, 89, who was in the audience that afternoon, was emotional when she said that the 1965 events “have wounded our whole nation, not just those directly victimized.” Cisca, a former journalist, had to leave Indonesia with her four young children after her husband, also a journalist, was arrested following the failed coup. He died in jail without ever seeing his family again.

‘1965’ at the Tong Tong Fair

Literature, history and social issues have always been an integral part of the Tong Tong Fair, says programmer Leslie Boon. “While the Fair is a celebration, it should also be a venue where heavier subjects can be discussed,” says Boon, who is also the granddaughter of Tong Tong founder Jan Boon, better known under his pseudonym Tjalie Robinson.

This year’s main themes include ‘1945’ and ‘1965,’ to commemorate the 70th and 50th anniversaries of key events in Indonesian history.

The fair is held from May 27 till June 7 this year.

“Each country has dark pages in its history,” Boon says. “For the Netherlands, 1945 marked not only the end of World War II but also the imminent loss of its biggest colony, and the wars it fought there. For Indonesia, meanwhile, it was 1965.”

The issue of 1965 is presented at the Fair through different perspectives, as Boon explains: “From the literary side we have Leila, and from the activists’ side we have IPT 1965 [International People’s Tribunal]. We also have an academic from NIOD [the Dutch Institute for War, Holocaust and Genocide Studies].”

Boon tried to get US filmmaker Joshua Oppenheimer to speak, “but unfortunately he already had an engagement in Japan.” Oppenheimer’s controversial documentaries “The Act of Killing” and “The Look of Silence” show how, decades after 1965, the perpetrators of the killings still walk free while many of the victims live in anger and fear.

Decades of silence

Leila, who took part in three discussions during the 12-day festival, spoke of how effectively the New Order regime presented its version of what happened in 1965 as the only truth. “My father [Muhammad Buchori] was a journalist, but even I grew up largely uninformed about 1965,” she said. “Traveling and studying abroad has given me new glasses to look at my country.”

Even after the fall of Suharto in 1998, the silence about 1965 has been far from broken. In 2005, Leila recalls, Tempo magazine founder Goenawan Mohamad urged the weekly to do a special edition to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the tragedy. “At first I thought: why do this old story? But then I started interviewing the families of the victims, and was stunned at all the untold stories that came out. Since then, we’ve decided to do a special edition on the subject every year.”

People’s Tribunal

Leiden University lecturer Ratna Saptari also shared the Tong Tong podium as part of the Holland-based IPT 1965, which was formed in 2012 by a group of human rights activists, artists, intellectuals and academics in Europe and Indonesia. “It is so important that 1965 is discussed in a platform with a general audience like the Tong Tong,” she said.

IPT 1965 plans to organize a people’s tribunal in The Hague later this year for the atrocities of 1965, based on similar tribunals held in countries like Japan or the former Yugoslavia. The charges prepared for the tribunal range from torture and deportation to mass murder. While the court’s outcome would not be legally binding, Saptari explains, the tribunal would be able to hear witnesses and examine evidence. “We have been gathering evidence, and we have collected data from some 13 provinces in Indonesia.”

Breaking the silence

NIOD historian Martijn Eickhoff, who has done research in Indonesia, is optimistic that the frozen subject is slowly thawing. “I have seen changes in the past few years. The younger generation, especially university students, are getting curious about their past, and are starting to look more critically at the state’s official version of the country’s history.”

Eickhoff spoke of the so-called Oppenheimer effect: that the documentaries have sparked many Indonesians, including those who did not grow up under Suharto’s rule, to seriously question what really happened in 1965. “And books like Pulang also contribute to this. Maybe we can now also mention the Chudori effect.”

But the author — whose book has been translated into English, French, German and Dutch — remains somewhat pessimistic about the future.

“Take the novel Bumi Manusia [The Earth of Mankind],” she said, referring to the classic work of literature by writer Pramoedya Ananta Toer, who was jailed for 14 years following the failed coup. “For years, Indonesian filmmakers have been trying to adapt this novel to the screen. But every time the investors hear the name of the author, they back out. Even now.”

About the Tong Tong Fair:

During the colonial rule in Indonesia, many Dutch civil servants and merchants ended up living in the archipelago, marrying locals and raising families. After Indonesia became independent, hundreds of thousands of Indos – those of mixed Indonesian and Dutch heritage — migrated to the Netherlands.

In the 1950s, Indo writer and intellectual Tjalie Robinson set up a group to organize events to celebrate Indo culture and make it wider known in the Netherlands.

In order to raise money, they organized the first Pasar Malam. It was held in The Hague’s city zoo for three days and attracted some 3,000 visitors.

Since then the Pasar Malam — renamed the Tong Tong Fair in 2009 — has grown into a two-week event with over 100,000 visitors. The festival is one of the largest annual fairs in the Netherlands, and features cultural events such as music, dance, theater and literary discussions. And, very importantly for most visitors: an abundance of Indonesian and Asian food.

Megawati Cites Father to Call for Women’s Emancipation

Jakarta Globe, Mar 08, 2015

Former president Megawati Soekarnoputri says women need to take their
fate into their own hands. (Antara Photo/Yudhi Mahatma)

Jakarta. Former president Megawati Soekarnoputri, the only female president in Indonesia’s history, has called on men to help women fight for emancipation, in a speech to mark International Women’s Day on Sunday.

Citing a book written by her father, Indonesia’s founding president, Sukarno, Megawati said men had as much stake as women to ensure equal rights across all sectors, including the political, social and economic sectors.

“In his book, [Sukarno] cited a hadith by Prophet Muhammad [sic] [...] about how important women are for a nation. Women are the pillar of a nation,” Megawati said during a commemoration of the annual event at the Taman Ismail Marzuki cultural center in Central Jakarta on Sunday.

“If the women are good, the nation will be good, too. If the women are bad, the nation will be bad, too.”

“Therefore, during a commemoration of International Women’s Day in 1960, [Sukarno] underlined that what women fought for must also be fought for by men. ‘The emancipation of women is the emancipation of men,’ he said.”

Megawati reminded Indonesian women, though, not to rely on others to help them and instead work hard for their rights.

“Haven’t I said it plenty of times? Even a thousand gods from heaven would not be able to help women if the women themselves don’t fight [for their own rights],” she said. “Women’s fate is not in the hands of men, nor in the hands of a thousand gods from heaven. Women’s fate lies in their own hands.”

The former president added she supported women’s rights for wider access to education and more contributions to Indonesia’s goals for food self-sufficiency and resilience, among other things.

The audience at the event included the female ministers from President Joko Widodo’s cabinet, as well as the first lady, Iriana Widodo.

Ine Eriksen Søreide (Norway), Karin Enström (Sweden), Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert

(Netherlands) and Ursula von der Leyen (Germany). Photograph: Twitter

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Sigrid Kaag, the head of the international mission overseeing the

destruction of Syria's chemical weapons at the United Nations

Headquarters in New York, on June 4, 2014 (AFP Photo/

Timothy A. Clary)

A Tale of Spiritual Conversion, by a Man Looking for Answers

A British author gave up drink and drugs for Islam

Jakarta Globe, Sylviana Hamdani, Aug 01, 2014

Author John Michaelson, who has converted to Islam, with his wife
and editor Hetih Rusli. (JG Photo/Sylviana Hamdani)

Jakarta. British author John Michaelson found God when he realized that alcohol and drugs were not giving him the answers he wanted from life. But it was not until four years ago, when he visited a quiet town in West Java, that he made peace with his existence.

Michaelson says that Islam has the answer and has written about his journey of spiritual discovery in a novel titled “ Mualaf ” (“Convert”).

“[Islam] just felt right,” he said.

The book, which was first published by Gramedia Pustaka Utama in April 2014 and is now printing its second edition, is his answer to those who questioned why he decided to become a Muslim.

“I was never able to answer all their questions. That’s why I wrote this book; to show people what I’ve experienced and how I came to Islam.”

Michaelson was born in a small town in southwest England in the 1970s and had a difficult childhood. His parents fought a lot, and they got a divorce when he was just a toddler. His father took him to live with him, but they did not get along. When Michaelson’s father re-married, he was sent to live in an all-boys boarding house.

The young Michaelson lost himself in alcohol and drugs. He writes eloquently about his problems: the dark years in which he got kicked out of school, went to live with his mother, and studied at an ill-reputed high school in town where he fell even deeper into the cycle of drugs and alcohol.

After his then-girlfriend became a heavy drug addict, and as the relationship faltered, he took another job as a mechanic at a telecommunications company. The job took him to exotic places all over the world.

“And I discovered through working [at the company] that I like working with people of other nationalities,” the author said. “I enjoy communicating with people of other nationalities.”

But the job sent him further down the road of decadence. Whenever the ship anchored, he and his friends scoured the foreign towns in search of booze and women.

“It was a good job, but there was too much alcohol involved,” Michaelson said, with a chuckle. “Too many parties.”

Determined to lead a better life, Michaelson went back to school. He studied English language and sociology at a university in his hometown. After finishing his studies, he taught English to foreign students.

In his new job he was introduced to Islam by a French-Algerian colleague. Michaelson admitted that his previous understanding of Islam was of a religion that encouraged terrorism and the oppression of women. He soon learned that the holy Koran is often misinterpreted.

When Michaelson applied to work as an English teacher in a small town in West Java, he found a Koran in the house where he was staying. It piqued his interest, and he went online to find an English translation.

“The Koran touched on things that I experienced earlier in my life,” he said. “We had a connection. And I think that’s important.”

When his neighbors found out about his interest in Islam they introduced him to an ustadz , or religious teacher, who helped him to understand more.

Michaelson also enjoyed observing his neighbors’ lifestyle. When he could not sleep, he often stood at the fence of his house to see them go to the mosque at dawn to pray. They would look back, wave and greet him enthusiastically.

“Something feels right about their morning ritual,” he said. “They always seem very happy.”

After a couple of months of learning the Koran, Michaelson decided to convert to Islam.

His neighbors and colleagues drove him to a nearby mosque and became the witnesses as he uttered his first syahadat (Islamic testimonial).

Since his conversion to Islam, Michaelson prays five times a day, recites the Koran and fasts during Ramadan. He also abstains from alcohol and drugs completely.

“I’m at the bottom of the mountain at the moment,” he said. “I have a lot to study, a lot to understand [about Islam].”

His family supports his decision.

Last week, Gramedia published the English version of “Mualaf.”

Michaelson’s wife and editor, Hetih Rusli, said that he had a fresh, new perspective on Islam.

“I’m not a Muslim, but through his eyes I saw that Islam is actually a peaceful and tolerant religion,” she said.

The story, which is written in the first person, is quite easy to read and understand for both Muslims and non-Muslims. Instead of presenting religious dogmas and Koranic verses in the book, the author narrated his own life experiences that had led him into conversion. Through the story, both Muslims and non-Muslims can reflect on their own lives and spiritual journeys.

Indonesian author and scriptwriter Boim Lebon also lauded the book, saying it would satisfy many people’s curiosity of the unique phenomenon of a Westerner converting to Islam.

“Many of us wonder why and how he came to that decision,” Boim said. “By reading the book, we can learn of John’s experience and maybe become inspired by it.”

Michaelson is now married to an Indonesian and lives in East Jakarta. The couple have a 17-month-old daughter, Frances.

Michaelson and his wife run their own translation and copy-editing company, which is called “Fair Measure.”

He is also writing his next novel, a romance fiction, which is set to be published in October.

Author John Michaelson, who has converted to Islam, with his wife and editor Hetih Rusli. JG Photos/Sylviana Hamdani

(JG Photo/Sylviana Hamdani)

“Mualaf”

Indonesian version: 

Paperback, 349 pages, Rp 78,000 ($6.75)

English version: 

Paperback, 343 pages, Rp 139,000 ($12)

Pakistani Ban Of Malala Book In Dispute

Radio Free Europe, November 2013

Malala Yousufzai's book, "I Am Malala," is seen on sale in Islamabad.

ISLAMABAD -- An official representing some 10,000 private schools in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province is distancing his association from efforts to ban a book by teenage education activist Malala Yousafzai.

Earlier, news agencies quoted the chiefs of two other private-school associations -- the All-Pakistan Private Schools Federation and the All-Pakistan Private Schools Management Association -- as saying they wanted to ban the book, "I Am Malala," because of its anti-Islamic and anti-Pakistani content.

But Aqeel Razaq, the head of the All Private Schools Executive Association in the northwestern province, told RFE/RL that no such ban was being enforced and that his organization had never discussed the issue.

"We can only ban books that are related to our curriculum. This book was never considered to be included into our curriculum," Razaq said.

"This is a general book and will not be affected by our ban. If students want to read books on their own, it is their choice. They can read anything."

Razaq said that Malala's book had been criticized on television talk shows and in newspaper columns but that this did not affect their views about Malala.

"At this point, we do not have an official policy of whether to encourage or discourage our children from reading the book," he said.

"We know Malala Yousafzai for her struggle for girls' education. Whether her book is controversial or not is a separate issue," Razaq added. "But Malala Yousafzai is a great name and has turned into the pride of Pakistan."

Attacked By Conservatives

Pakistan is rife with conspiracy theories about Malala. Some private-school officials and conservative commentators have alleged that she is being promoted by the West for its own interests.

They say her book does not show appropriate respect for the Prophet Muhammad because it fails to use the abbreviation PBUH -- "peace be upon him" -- as is customary in Pakistan.

ALSO READ: A Look At The Family Behind Malala

In addition, they also accuse her of praising "The Satanic Verses" author Salman Rushdie, who is accused of blasphemy by Islamist extremists.

Malala's supporters point out that Malala only said in the book that while her father viewed "The Satanic Verses" as offensive to Islam, "he believes strongly in the freedom of speech." The book quotes Ziauddin Yousafzai as telling fellow Muslims, "First, let's read the book and why not respond with our own book?"

Some conservative commentators are also offended by the book's description of the plight of minorities in Pakistan and by criticism of the country's powerful army.

Malala was seriously injured when she was shot in the head by the Taliban in 2012. She earned global fame and received many awards after recovering from her injuries and was considered a top candidate for the 2013 Nobel Peace Prize.

WATCH: Malala Yousafzai's thoughts on her life before and after the attack, based on an extensive interview with RFE/RL's Radio Mashaal:

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The brave girl who had to face armed assassins because she stood up for her right to educate herself

SBY to Release ‘Personal’ Book on Presidential Experiences

Jakarta Globe, November 11, 2013

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono is set to launch a new book on his
personal experiences as president. (EPA Photo/Bagus Indahono).

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono announced on Twitter that he plans in December to release a book recounting his experiences as Indonesia’s leader over the past nine years as a personal “answer” to his critics and detractors.

“In early December, I will compile a story full of surprises into a book. I wrote it myself, including the title ‘Selalu Ada Pilihan [‘There Will Always be Choices’],” he tweeted on Sunday night.

Reportedly fond of sharing stories, Yudhoyono said the book will include personal anecdotes, tales of surprise, as well as personal lessons

He also said that his book was “like batik,” because it connects many ideas into one cohesive whole.

“Like batik, the book contains many dots that were gathered [at different times]: in my free time, at dawn, when I was going to sleep and in the middle of my air travels,” he said on Twitter.

Yudhoyono dedicated his book to Indonesia’s future presidents and hoped that it would help them face the challenges and tests of leadership.

“My book is my answer to issues, critics, insults and even libel that I experienced during my more-than-nine years in office,” he said.

“He wrote it by himself,” the president’s spokesman told the Jakarta Globe on Monday. “It’s about his own experience as president, and it also contains personal views.”

He said that he expected the book will provide a detailed glimpse into the president’s daily activities and thoughts.

“With this book, the public can feel directly what the president experienced during his terms,” he said.

Julian added that this will be Yudhoyono’s first book about his personal experiences, but not his first published endeavor. The president has written works including “Transforming Indonesia: Selected International Speeches,” “Indonesia on the Move,” “Indonesia Unggul” (“Indonesia Excels”), and a poem anthology entitled “Taman Kehidupan” (“The Garden of Life”).

A Rare Look at Lesbian Issues in Indonesia

Jakarta Globe, Katrin Figge, November 09, 2012     

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'Tombois and Femmes: Defying Gender
Labels in Indonesia' by Evelyn Blackwood.  

In Indonesia, lesbian women, as well as gay men, bisexuals and transgender individuals, often face intolerance and violence from religious fundamentalist groups like the Islamic Defenders Front.

Even though there have been many positive developments in recent years in terms of visibility, many people who belong to the LGBT community still hide their true identity for fear of the social stigma, which comes not only from groups like the FPI, but often from one’s own family, friends and immediate surroundings as well.

A book by Evelyn Blackwood, a professor of cultural anthropology at Purdue University, sheds light on the challenges that lesbian women in Indonesia still face, following extensive research she conducted in West Sumatra.

The book titled “Tombois and Femmes: Defying Gender Labels in Indonesia,” was first published by the University of Hawai’i Press under the title “Falling into the Lesbi World: Desire and Difference in Indonesia.” Blackwood’s book was recently picked up by the Lontar Foundation for a reprint.

“My first research project was in West Sumatra, which resulted in my first book, ‘Webs of Power: Women, Kin and Community in a Sumatran Village’ [2000], a study of the matrilineal Minangkabau,” Blackwood said. “So I was already very familiar with the area of West Sumatra and the cultural context. Much of my research over time has focused on sexuality, female masculinities and transgender identities. So it was an easy jump for me to take my interest in those topics and apply them to West Sumatra.”

With the help of a local research associate, Blackwood was able to make contact with “tombois” in Padang — a term which derives from the English word tomboy and refers to the masculine partner in a same-sex relationship — and their girlfriends, or “femmes,” the feminine counterpart.

However, it was not easy, especially when taking into account the fact that West Sumatra is a region with a reputation of being devoutly Islamic.

“Because I was open about my sexual identity as a lesbian, they felt pretty comfortable talking to me,” Blackwood said. “Their fear was of course that they would be exposed to their family or neighbors. So I have been very careful to maintain their privacy.”

Interviews were mostly conducted in Blackwood’s hotel room to guarantee that her sources could talk openly.

The book is not only a much needed contribution to raise awareness and understanding of LGBT issues, but the author also understands to put the stories of the women in a larger cultural context. At the same time, Blackwood’s main aim seems to be to provide information in order to increase the visibility of lesbian women in Indonesia. She doesn’t use a judgmental tone, but rather states facts and brings to paper what others have told her.

“The tombois and femmes I knew lived quiet lives with their families and kept their relationships hidden,” Blackwood said. “I don’t think that has changed. But even with that, tombois and their girlfriends are finding ways to have meaningful and long-term relationships. The LGBT activist groups in major cities are doing a great job creating visibility for LGBT. The more people know about them, hopefully the more accepting the larger society will become.”

Blackwood hopes that through the publication of her book in Indonesia, she will help people understand sexuality and gender in a broader sense, by showing how cultural factors have defined the terms.

“It argues against fixed sexual identities, by which I mean that identity labels are just that, labels,” Blackwood explained. “How people live those labels depend on cultural, religious, and political influences, as well as their access to the global flow of ideas circulating on the internet.”

Blackwood added that the Ardhanary Institute, a Jakarta-based center for lesbian, bisexual, and transgender research, publications and advocacy, was in the process of working on an anthology which will include the first chapter of her book, translated into Indonesian. The anthology is scheduled to be published by the end of this year.

“I think their efforts will make a much stronger impact because it will reach non-English-speaking Indonesians,” she said.

Blackwood is currently working on her latest project in the United States where she is developing a research topic to look at the history of lesbians in San Francisco from the 1970s to today.

While Blackwood sporadically keeps in touch with some of the women she has written about in her book, the personal impact of the research has stayed with her. “I haven’t forgotten any of their stories and can only hope that they continue to be happy in their lives and their relationships,” she said.