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There is good in Islam

I suppose that most people learn about Islam from their parents or from teachers.  As for me, I learned a few things about Islam  by observing  how others in Indonesia practice this faith.

I did not travel to Indonesia to learn about Islam.  Yet, while there, Islam presented itself to me.

I did not learn about the teachings of the prophet Muhammad or the nuances of Islamic practice. Although, I did learn that Muslims must pray facing the Mecca five times a day, must cleanse themselves before entering the prayer hall, and on certain times during the year, they must fast.  What I did learn, from those who practice this faith, is that there is good in Islam. In the process, I was prodded into re-thinking my initial impression of Islam that was formed from my ignorance and bad press about atrocities supposedly committed in furtherance of this faith.  In the end, I feel a sense of gratitude that my Indonesian experience has left me with a better appreciation for this faith called Islam.

An unorthodox retreat

I asked my friend, Fr. Bill, to prepare for me some spiritual exercises I could do while I was in Indonesia. I felt the need to connect with God.  Although I was only able to accomplish one out of seven spiritual exercises, I had somehow achieved my goal of connecting with God in the strangest and most unorthodox of retreats.  I gained a connection with God through the eyes and practices of persons who, unlike me, are not Catholics. For, while I had not gone to Indonesia to learn about religious beliefs other than my own, I received an unexpected crash course in Islam, Buddhism and Balinism and learned more about Hinduism while I was there. My crash course did not, by any means, provide me with a comprehensive understanding of other religious beliefs.  If at all, it would probably take me several lifetimes to understand those beliefs.  I did, however, come away with the simple realization that a connection to God may be made through Islam, Buddhism, Balinism and Hinduism.  And to me, this is really what matters.

I am back from Indonesia with an unintended dark tan, lots of Batik clothes, more than three thousand photos and a host of stories to tell. And, yes Monk, this is the start of a long series of articles about my Indonesian experience.

Initially, I did not plan  a trip to Indonesia.  I had planned  to go to Laos with my little sister (LS) who is fourteen years younger than me.  Then, we received, and later accepted, an invitation from family friends, Tito L and Tita D, to visit them in Indonesia.  As it was the first time  LS and I would be traveling alone together and I knew very little about Indonesia, I was plagued with all sorts of worries before the trip.  But, the gods were kind.  LS and I survived each other and Indonesia opened my eyes to a world I had never seen before – a world where identity is not lost in diversity and where harmony exists despite varying beliefs.

I only hope that I would do justice in describing the friends I made and the places I had seen in Indonesia. As truly, my Indonesian experience was a wonderful one because of them.

A note on my forthcoming articles: I gathered more information about the places in Indonesia that I visited to give you a better idea of them. In the course of my readings, I discovered that some accounts about those places vary depending on who is telling the story.  If I had more time on my hands, I would have endeavored to provide the most accurate account. Unfortunately, time is a luxury for me.  Consequently, I only relied on readily available data.  I would, however, appreciate any additional information (specially if it is different from the information I found) on Indonesia, which is a subject I am most interested in.