Obama and Indonesia – Why should we care so much anyway?

Barack Obama

So, he’s finally won. Some people celebrate his winning while it might be the contrary for the others. I personally think that he has what it takes to get America through the crisis, although it’s definitely going to be a rough way ahead. Ganbatte ne!

Without lessening any respects to Obama, it bothers me however, that people in Indonesia were overly excited about his candidacy; and now even more over his winning. It’s just amazing how much coverage Obama has had in Indonesian media!!

I was particularly surprised when I read a news article about how students and teachers in the elementary school that Obama went to when he lived in Jakarta went so far as praying for Obama’s winning every morning! And when Obama was leading the vote count, they practically went ecstatic and cheered out loud as if Obama’s winning is also their winning. Err … guys, wake up, he’s not our president!!

Just because he lived in Indonesia for 4 years and has an Indonesian step-father (no, he’s not of Indonesian descent – correct me if I’m wrong tho), it doesn’t mean that Indonesia would be a particular interest in his agenda. Well, we may hope, but then again he has a lot of other problems that he needs to take care of. Don’t get your hope too high!!

As a leader of one of the most powerful countries in the world, there is no doubt that he is going to be a very important and influental figure; but for us, Indonesians, to expect something to that extent, i.e. hoping that Indonesia would now have a very special relationship with the USA … oh, come on! I don’t even mention my elementary school when I try to get a job.

So, anyway, people, get real please! We ourselves are the one who should fight for our own country.

Peace.

Somebody please stop this guy!!!

 

 

This man, Syekh Puji (43 yo), has just married a 12-year-old girl and is going to marry two more girls, each is younger than 10-year-old …. COME ON!!! This is so outrageous; even more as the police haven’t done anything about it.

Yes, he’s filthy rich and he does his religious duty of giving ‘Zakah’ (i.e. “alms for the poor”, the Islamic principle of giving a percentage of one’s income to charity) every year worth more than USD 100,000, but … this is just absurd! It’s a pedophile in action.

 

 

Here’s his story. He said that he needs another wife to manage his company because his wife no longer wants to take care of it. So, apparently he formed some kind of a committe to find candidates for his wives – yupe, he wants more than 1 new wife. And it seems that all of the candidates are just girls … under-aged ones.

Why wouldn’t he find someone older, like say college students? They’re young, intelligent and hey, if they want to marry someone as old as him, people can just keep their opinions for themselves. These girls would be old enough to make their own decision anyway. Make sense …. But no … Syekh Puji thinks that college students have been “contaminated” by worldly sins and it’s going to be easier to teach young ones.

And then … he uses religious reasons to justify his action, referring to the past prophets who married young girls.

I don’t know much about Islamic teaching, but I do know that a lot of people have been outraged by his action, both Muslims and non-Muslims. So, please, someone, stop this guy!!

Read the news here.