Stop the Crackdown in Iran

While Indonesia is in the middle of a peaceful presidential campaign season, a country in another part of the world is suffering through a post-election turmoil. The Iranian presidential contest between incumbent Ahmadinejad and opposition figure Mousavi ended in huge demonstrations, after allegations that Ahmadinejad’s victory is a result of an unfair, rigged election. Mousavi’s supporters took to the streets, chanting “where is my vote?”. The government denies any wrongdoing, although it has offered partial recounts. Unsurprisingly, Ahmadinejad have accused that “Western powers” are the cause of the unrest.

In the meantime, the government and the Iranian police have conducted violent crackdown against protesters. Photographs of bloodied Iranian beaten by the police, videos of people shot dead, and the news that Facebook and Twitter have been blocked – these saddening reports have made its way through today’s various channels of communication. I need not delve again into this matter since everybody in the world must have known what happened.

What I would like to express in this post is that I support the demands by Iranians for a fair, democratic election and for measures to ensure that the result is not controlled by anyone but the voters. I would also like to express my condolences, support, thoughts and prayers to Iranians; the citizens of the world, especially its leaders, must urge Iran to respect its people’s human rights.

Not to make the wrong start, it is frankly not our right or business to say who should have won the election: it is an internal matter of Iran and its people. We should not be trapped into mocking Ahmadinejad as the demagogue the media made him, nor should we blindly name Mousavi as a messiah whatsoever. Furthermore, I see this human rights tragedy from my point of view as an Indonesian. My country Indonesia have weathered undemocratic regimes and started a Reformasi, during which lives were lost and buildings burned down. Moreover, Indonesians can relate to Iran as both have predominantly-Muslim population.

We must support efforts by Iranians to address all election concerns democratically, the result of which should be accepted by everyone. More importantly, we have urge the current government to stop assaults and censorship against its own people. In its past “deviances”, Iran still proudly claims that it respects human rights; yet those pictures and videos we see in the news tell otherwise. Shortly, world figures must strongly urge Ahmadinejad to make good on his claims. If he refuses, it is not so bizarre to delay the recognition of any new government Iran assembles. Why would we recognize a state that is built on bloodshed?

On Indonesia’s Reformasi, the military also used violence against demonstrators and several students died. There were reports of rapes and of people being locked in buildings and burned alive inside. The following riot wreaked havoc everywhere. However, at the end of the day the regime that has stood for 32 years fell down and the rule of the people comes back to power. So unless Iranian leaders want to be seen as despots, they should stop abusing their power and halt all violence.

As a Muslim, I also have messages to convey. First, Islam around the world has been working hard to prove that Islam respects and supports democracy. Democracy has always been well-accepted by Indonesian Muslims, and it is growing in many other countries which previously adheres to extreme views of Islam. If Iran insists on continuing the oppression, it will hurt the image Muslims everywhere have fought to build and will only engender more slanders against the religion. Second, to Muslims everywhere in the world, we need to make our stance clear that we condemn such violence and human rights abuse committed by the Iranian government. Islam is a religion that protects human rights, although I admit that some people haven’t practiced that part of the teaching yet. Anyhow, we should be the wave of change and show the world that we cannot tolerate this tragic event.

Last, we need to show our support for our brothers and sisters in Iran who are being oppressed. The Muslim solidarity, or the ukhuwah, should not get stuck in Palestine-Israel only. This solidarity must extend its reach to help the people of Iran, too. All people of various faiths worldwide have shown great support, there’s no reason why Muslims should stay silent.

Support Iran’s path to a fair election and to democracy. Stop all human rights abuse.

A Battle Cry, But No Battle At All

My last post about the TransJakarta was purely unpolitical. It should remain so unless Fauzi Bowo decides to sue me, which would create a deluge of support from our presidential candidates. Then I would reek of politics. However, let’s not waste our time pondering about this hypothetical event and let’s puzzle ourselves with the workings of this presidential election campaign.

According to my personal history, this campaign season features the first real debates among presidential and vice-presidential candidates, organized by the General Elections Committee (KPU). The first of five presidential debates took place on June 18. It was widely considered as a flop: although all went well, the debate itself was tedious and not so enlightening. It mysteriously didn’t have a real debating session, only 90 minutes of one-way blabbity-blab snoozefest and 30 minutes of commercials. Ironically for a “debate”, Indonesians couldn’t see their would-be leader express their thoughts, showcase their critical thinking abilities, argue against each other, and compete for the top spot. In short, they spent 2 hours on something that they could have done on YouTube, like what the Queen has done – and leave Britney alone.

As if that was not horrible enough, the criticism was met with the lamest defense one could construct. Some say that debates in which candidates go for an all-out attack are too “American”; others claim that a heated debate goes against “Indonesian culture” as Indonesians follow “Eastern customs”. Concerned commentators defend the debate format on the grounds that it’s the only way to prevent unruly exchange between the candidates, colloquially known as debat kusir. Nevertheless, SBY was the one who dropped ‘da bomb. He said that debates don’t have to follow the American format because we have our own culture, that attacking other candidates only happens in the US, and that candidates should prioritize substance and solidarity over aggression.

Dear Leader, I beg you to stop right there! The things he -and also the others- said were too wrong on too many levels. In this post, I will attempt to answer those accusations and clear the image of debating. There will be less comedy here, sorry.

For a start, someone could take the article I refer to in the previous paragraph and upload it to FailBlog.org with the title “Debate Concept FAIL”. Wiktionary defines debate as “an argument or discussion, usually in an ordered or formal setting, often with more than two people, generally ending with a vote or other decision”; “an informal and spirited but generally civil discussion of opposing views; “discussion of opposing views”. Basically, there must be arguments for and against something. Additionally, every argument will generate a rebuttal from its opponents. Statistics will be thrown around, so will philosophy and ideology. Why?

For a presidential debate, it means each candidate needs to convince the audience, voters, that she or he is the right person for the job. They must expound on the values they believe in and how those values will translate into concrete action. A debate should be the moment where candidates can clearly differentiate herself/himself from the competition. For example, all three of them could promise accessible and affordable healthcare for all Indonesians. Without a debate, that statement is as essential as JK is tall. Thus, the debate is a chance to elaborate how the candidate is going to achieve accessible and affordable healthcare for all Indonesians. In the process, he/she must also point out what makes their plan better and others’ flawed.

That being said, the dreaded “aggression” is actually nothing to fear. Debaters don’t slap or claw each other, and neither do they gouge each other’s eyes out. In any proper debate, arguments never equates to personal attacks or baseless accusations. Instead, arguments should contain logic, rhetoric, and data. That is where the audience can see the values and beliefs the candidates hold, and decide whether it suits them or not. I admit, nevertheless, that since Indonesia’s democracy is still evolving, some debates will not be so different from debat kusir. Yet, that is a step we all have to take. We must not sacrifice our future by stifling the development of real debates.

Last, I find that the “Indonesian culture”/”Eastern customs” excuse is too clichéd. Which part of the culture are we dealing with? Most Indonesians are expected to be courteous and discreet, and perhaps some people thought that a debate is not so Indonesian. That couldn’t be farther from the truth because as I have described earlier, a debater must boast himself/herself and refute the opponent elegantly. In fact, the Indonesian version of decision making called musyawarah untuk mufakat naturally demands opposing sides to debate what’s good and what’s bad so that they can reach a deal. Looking at the big picture, the “Indonesian culture”/”Eastern customs” argument is ridiculously abstract and overused – people use this to cut off all kinds of progress.

To conclude, I hope that the next presidential debates, not only for 2009 but also for all future elections, will be more like a real, educated debate. A debate is never rude or un-Indonesian. Voters are tired of absurd promises of heaven and we should make our choices according to how we want our beloved country to be run by the next government.

TransJakarta Survival Guide

It was almost a year ago when I initiated my almost-daily adventure on the TransJakarta (TJ) from Salemba to Alpus. Well, not really a year until this September but I’m on holiday now, which means no busway ride for me and I’m not looking forward to any TJ ride in the near future. I’ve experienced the best and the worst it can be, and like it or not, it has colored my life. My mom has taken to calling me “the busway lover”. Eeugh. I'd better get to the point now.

In celebration of my so-called “love of busway”, I’m spreading the mass transport love and joy to the whole world through my very own TransJakarta Survival Guide. It is a reflection of my affair with Sutiyoso and Fauzi Bowo’s pet project. Use this at your own risk – you have been warned.

OK, first and foremost, any potential TJ passenger should realize that TJ operates in its own universe. The buses come and go capriciously, and God alone knows how much time we waste waiting for our bus.  You will have plenty of time to admire the bus stops, called “shelters”. I believe they’re called shelters for a reason – not a good reason, if you’re wondering. Air conditioning in the shelters are all-natural, keeping in mind that “natural” in Jakarta = Mother Nature + her bratty illegitimate offspring, the toxic stuffs floating in the air. Its design is an example of minimalism. It’s basically a box made of corrugated metal and glass with a few benches plopped here and there. Austerity is the word of the shelters. If your trip includes changing corridors, it means you have a chance to enjoy a scenic route from one shelter to another since you will be walking a considerable distance. Hurray!

That said, I recommend that passengers prepare themselves physically, mentally, spiritually, and whatever aspect your body holds. Before hitting the trail, it is always a great thing if you have already known your destination shelter, the corridors you have to take, and where you have to change buses. There are guards/guides in most shelters, but sometimes they’re not there or they may not be the nicest guy around to ask for directions. So do your homework and save yourself from all the fuss. Don’t forget to allocate enough time for your trip. Due to the arbitrary nature of the TJ, trips can take less than 15 minutes or a lifetime. If you are the kind of busy person who has to be at two places at the same time, TJ is definitely not a smart choice.

The moment you enter the shelter you must buy the ticket. It ticket costs Rp3500 and it grants you unlimited ride on the city’s busway system, provided you don’t go out of the shelters. If you have a day to spare, you can try spending it on board these giants. If you really have a day to spare and decide to ride TJ all day long, please get a life. Seriously.

Now that you’re in the waiting area, chances are you must wait for some time. This is where the physical part goes into play. Be a nice guy/girl and stand in line. If someone is being obnoxious, ignore them and don’t be like them; we have enough obnoxious people in the city. In some shelters, the line will fan out from the door and people will pile up from every direction. Queue concept FAIL. You should stick to the real line. Oh yeah, wait for the bus at the right shelter door and don’t go in from the exit door. In case you’re getting the articulated bus, you can enter from the front and back door (the middle’s for the exit). I advise you take the back door.

When the bus approaches, everybody in line will move to the I-have-to-get-on-the-bus formation, i.e. they will start pushing forward. Adapt yourself to the formation, and make sure all your belongings are safe. When the bus door is open before you, proceed carefully to ensure your safety and dignity (tripping over the steps = bad!). There are two scenarios on this point.

Scenario A: there’s no seat available and you have to stand. Unless you’ll be getting off at the next stop, you should make your way to the back of the bus or the front. I generally prefer the back since it is more spacious. Don’t be a jerk by sticking around in front of the door when it’s crowded. Happy standing, and hope that you will get a seat during your lovely trip.

Scenario B: there’s a seat. You should…sit! Yay us! Please be a civilized passenger and give up your seat if someone needs it more. Possible candidates: pregnant women, old people, handicapped, and people with small children. Personally, I don’t give my seat to any woman. If they’re not pregnant, they can stand. In fact, I think its deeply condescending to all women to think that a woman is not strong enough to survive TJ.

There are several things you can do in the bus, apart from eavesdropping on a fellow passenger’s phone call. You can sleep. You can read stuffs. You can listen to music – and if you don’t have your own, some bus drivers turn on the radio on the bus. Most of the time it’s GenFM *blurgh)*; in rare cases, dangdut *double blurgh*. Apparently some people think that they can speak on the phone very very loudly. I don’t think so.

Suppose you reach your destination in one piece…you should get off the bus. Usually you can use all the doors to exit, but if the shelter’s full of people, you should choose the true exit door. ‘Nuff said. Don’t forget to thank God and congratulate yourself.

At all times, keep your belongings safe and your head cool. A TJ ride can be tough – it should be an extreme sport someday.

It is true that TJ can be a great way to get around, but public transportation is not only moving a person from point A to point B but also providing reliable, consistent service. While TJ’s benefits amaze me a couple of times, TJ could also be an inch shy of being a human right violation. Anyway, best wishes to TransJakarta.

PS. Now that I’ve written this potentially libelous writing, I’m going to pray that Fauzi Bowo won’t sue me in court.

A New Dawn

The world’s been spinning wildly these days, especially if you have TV (who doesn’t?) and infotainment programs found a way to infiltrate your brain. Indonesians have kicked off the presidential election(s) campaign season, boohoo-ed with and later boo-ed at Manohara, sympathized with Prita, cursed at Malaysia over Ambalat, and totally forgot about the legislative elections (which were held April 9 this year, if you’re wondering). There are other issues too, apart from Adam Lambert’s official coming-out. Sometimes I wonder whether our drastic advance in communications technology is matched by our own capacity to manage it.

Today, let me be a bit egoistic. I’m going to tediously tell you my recent life stories and you will be so bored that fluid will ooze out of your ears. First, I made a Twitter account. Yay! After months of hesitation and laziness -mostly the latter- a Time magazine article moved my heart to tweet. Core motivation: following Ellen DeGeneres’ twitter. Along the way, Twitter proves to be a great channel for news updates as well as the usual business, i.e. gossips among friends and such.

Second, this is the last day of the Neuroscience module. I predict that I flunked my anatomy lab test. Still, I am a firm believer of “hope for the best, prepare for the worst” so it hasn’t disturbed me that much. I’m too happy for being free from the dreaded module to care about those mumbo-jumbo. And yes, I am entering the beloved phase of med school life: long holiday!

Third, I’m back to blogging…obviously. Do expect temporary increase in blog-fecundity. In fact, I made this post just for the sake of blogging something. Thank you for being my victims.

Last, I am looking forward to my trip down (that’s a clue) to a place I miss so much. I’ll be away from the end of this month but I guess I can access and perhaps drop a line or two during my vacation.

Annoying life storytelling ends here. Go back to your lives, or get one.