Under the dimmed shade of the moon-crest...

A thread in Jakarta Globe called "Malaysian Top Surveys of a Halal Holidays for Muslims" has caught my attention since the last 2 days.  It is not because the content of the article instead, but it is because the response that the article has gathered.

The article explained how the Halal Holiday industry has been growing.  Halal food ingredient is widely available and prayer rooms are installed in some international airports.  As an open minded muslim with a moderate view, I am happy to find the articles and I strongly encourage more countries to implement this.  Simply, because I find this as an act of tolerance and it promotes convenience towards our preferences.  I mean why not, because traveling as a muslim, eventhough for me, who can be mostly not particular and selective,  I understand the hassle that we have been going through finding a safe place to eat and moreover or finding a room for praying.  Even in a country as close as Singapore, it is so hard to find a praying room.  So end of the day, I would say, yes, I am a big supporter of Halal Holidays, because why not right? 

But my opinion has been opposed by some fellow commenters, which I accept and I do not take it personally.  But it saddens me to see their genuine responses and understanding about Islam.

Some of them mention that Halal Holiday should have been discouraged because it is just wasteful effort to accommodate special treatment towards particular group of travelers. 

For my understanding, the reasons why they are so against it is because the actions of some group of Muslims have contributed to the world events... terror attacks, wars, inequality, barbaric laws, hating western ideology and the list goes on.  So they do not feel that it is right to accommodate the needs of Muslims.  So that they think we deserve a little room for tolerance.

my fav comment #1

my fav comment #2

I do not know where to begin.  I, myself, am defenseless towards the prejudice thrown to Muslim group.  It is out there so obvious.  I cannot be blind about it.

I mentioned my opinion as a response in the thread, that the Halal Holiday is requested for Muslim like me who likes to travel, enjoy, and shake things off.  The demand is not coming those extremists who are busily defending their states and homelands.  Like would you let them board in the airplane for the 1st place? It is sad but it is true, this prejudice affected other Muslims who are far more peaceful.  There has been cases where a Muslim family get kicked out from the plane in the US, men of colors are asked to step aside for further questioning upon arriving in The States... and people are seeing it with one-closed eye and firing back the prejudice to us.

The non-muslim or the opposers think that they know about Islam, and the muslims, think they are BETTER.  This is where the problem relies and deeply rooted from.

I have been hanging around into online comment rooms of certain Indonesian English-news publication--okay, it is either Jakarta Post or Jakarta Globe--I know that I might find some expressive responses from different readers, who are mostly expats or foreigners living in Indonesia.  I was still studying back then when I started to frequently follow the news from both publications.  So I was still very 'green' to this although the news have always been neutral and unbiased, contrary to the personal comments.  When I first came across an aggressive response towards religious article, especially the ones that highlight on Islam, whether it is an extremist attack somewhere to light reading like Ramadhan bazaar--there are always commenters who give awful and terrible comments. The one that can make me gape and to one point even shake me, like what? are we that horrible? I knew we cannot erase what the existing prejudice, but by voicing your concerns that way, what makes you different from those devout religious who opposes your ideology so much?  What makes you different from those vocal haters of the west-minded?  (I remembered the 1st article that I read was about the loud prayer announcement from the speaker in Masjid/Mosque, and some commenters find it intrusive....)

In the end, I say, okay, nevermind... we are so getting used to agree to disagree.  I am just going to pack up my indomie, cup noodles if it is necessary and find another small room for prayer... because if I am getting used to receive so many prejudices tied to my belief, I guess I would not mind to go through the inconveniences.  It will not hurt.  If you really are dying for the taste of bacon and beer, pack your own too... Nobody is stopping you.  It saves you money and beer and bacon are not really good for your health though, just saying.