Dr Adly Hassanein Hella in Indonesia
It was last year that my wife and I
decided to go to Indonesia as a destination for both work and leisure.
We mainly visited Bali Island and Central Java that have a lot of
fascinating culture, extensive history and cultural properties.
Although the majority of people belong to Islam in Indonesia, they do not establish Islam as the national religion. Namely Indonesians have religious liberty and it depends on the regions in Indonesia. Despite the fact that Indonesia is having a Muslim majority, Bali remains one of the islands in Indonesia that boast a Hindu majority. Likewise Protestantism, Catholicism, and Buddhism are spread throughout Indonesia. For instance, as soon as we arrived at the airport in Bali, I found woven baskets filled with colorful flowers or rice on the floor. I thought it was just traditional decoration at that moment but we found many of them as well while we were walking in the city. It turned out that they are small offering baskets called “canang sari” which Balinese offer to their Hindu Gods. Also we felt Bali is one of the most liberal places in Indonesia, where people can drink alcohol and eat pork, unlike in other places in Indonesia.
After attending a very successful international conference we enjoyed the city of Yogyakarta in the island of Java, we saw many religions lived together in peace and harmony; cathedral, church, Chinese temple, Buddhist temple and Hindu temple. we actually visited in the early mornings Prambanan temple and Borobudur temple during our trip in Indonesia. Prambanan is a 9th century Hindu temple and Borobudur is the largest Buddhist temple which is also compounded around 9th century. Borobudur is registered as one of the UNISCO World Heritage and we were really amazed to see the decoration with 2,672 relief panels and 504 Buddha statues. Moreover it made us surprise to see those two different religious temples co-existed within 40km since a long time ago. This is impressive and it also tells us the importance to respect each religion and live together harmoniously as Indonesia has proved.
Related to Indonesian culture and history, we still remember the lecture that my wife searched and used during our trip how it all stressed on the strength of Indonesian people’s patriotic spirit which never succumbs to threats of colonization. The history textbooks aim to foster national identity through the education and we believe this emphasis was influenced by the nationalist movement under long colonization. It was interesting to see the difference in educational textbooks because I have never seen those descriptions in Middle Eastern history textbooks, where only facts happened in past are chronologically described. Despite historically Indonesia had been struggling of interference by several countries, I believe there were still something other countries could not change them, which was their own core values and cultural identities.
I had many interesting questions that were going through my mind during our trip to Indonesia. The identity of the region had a lot from the interaction of the region with the outside world, through religion and maritime trade. In the 1300s the two universal religions, Theravada Buddhism and Islam, got into the region. From the available readings, we saw that around the 14th century, Muslim merchants, mostly Arabs and Indians, spread Islam along the Indian Ocean along their trading routes. This period of trade and religious network, Southeast Asia became more connected to the Southern and Western Asia, Europe and Africa. All these interactions with the outside world lead into the European conquest in the region.
How is the identity of a nation made? To know much about any country or a nation, we need to peal each part of the onion and find out what happened at a given time. Pealing the onion of the Indonesian struggle for independence and its independence, we learned that Soemarsono, a highly educated Indonesian youth played a key role in the history of colonial Indonesia. In 1913, Soemarsono was transferred and began working in the countryside of Java, a very harsh environment where he was required to crouch in the presence of, speak with a certain manner, and present gestures of respect to his leaders at specific times. Being caught in this situation that he did not want to be, Soemarsono began to rebel, and he found himself in the middle of a movement against colonial rule. This mobilization of people against their rulers was so significant because it marked the beginning of pushback in a society defined by its peaceful tendencies until this point.
In addition to the power of this resistance, Soemarsono also provided a very powerful message in the comparison he drew between their circumstances and an Oil Lamp in 1913 at the rebellion’s five year anniversary party. He compares their situation to an oil lamp, where, at its most basic layer, the wick represents their Hindu-Buddhist heritage. Their heritage is what they came from and what gave them certain tools to reach the point they were at. The lamp’s oil represents Islam and Islamic modernism, and the lampshade represents the Dutch culture. Even the western scientific and technological aspects brought them to this point. Each of these aspects were given to them, and they all were brought together at that moment. Soemarsono argued that if you bring all these aspects together, it creates something, like the oil lamp, but they finally need to light it. This comparison created by Soemarsono, marked the beginning of the movement against colonialism and Indonesian’s beginning to stand on their own two feet. Furthermore, this message applies to the origins theme and how we connect to certain elements from the start, and that then gives us the future that we can use to make something from ourselves.
Soemarsono ignited change with
the socio-political emancipation of the Javanese, which led to a
complete overthrow of the system of cultural hegemony in 1913 with the
hormat-circular. As the civil servants finally received proper respect,
fair demands, and freedom, a massive cultural movement began that
created a completely new beginning to Indonesians.
Soemarsono played
a big role in it. There were a lot of layers that made Soemarsono an
influential person in driving for the independence. From the lecture we
had, Soemarsono got European education as he was the only non-white
person in his school. This then made him an educated individual and
could stay on the same table with the White because he could understand
them better. He embraced the western knowledge and science but
maintained the Indonesian identity. Through the Western knowledge that
Soemarsono had, he lit the oil lamp for the Indonesian struggle for
independence. As the civil servants finally received proper respect,
fair demands, and freedom, a massive cultural movement began that
created a completely new beginning to Indonesians called the
“Sociological revolution” which it can be considered the origin of a
national awakening in Indonesia.
This brought to my second question of how important are revolutions in origins? Every revolution seems to have an origin, but does every origin have or create a revolution? In this context, we can argue that we all define origins differently based on how we focus on the people who had key roles and were “digging up change.” Defining origins depends on how we look at these layers and what they mean to us. That is why historian argued that Soemarsono is the key player in igniting change and defining the origin of Indonesia’s national identity.
Indonesia is the 4th most populous country in the world and is made up of over 17,000 islands; however, often when people think of Indonesia, all that comes to mind is Bali. Although Bali is awesome in its own right, Indonesia as a whole is a great place to visit and has much to offer.
You can literally eat for days in
Indonesia and always be trying something new. Some popular Indonesian
foods are satay (like lamb or chicken skewers), nasi goreng (a fried
rice plate with other foods added to it like fried eggs, vegetables, and
chicken), gudeg (a dish made from boiled young jackfruit, often served
with rice, sambal sauce and chicken) and my favorite, sambal sauce - a
spicy sauce that can be added rice and many other dishes. Indonesia is
also one of the largest coffee producers in the world - the phrase “a
cup of Java” actually comes from Indonesia’s island of the same name,
where the coffee comes from. They are also famous for Kopi Luwak, which
is coffee made from the poop of the Luwak - aka civet cat - that has
eaten coffee beans and pooped them out. Sounds gross but it is actually
rare and quite expensive coffee.
Our visit to Bali rice terraces and their water temples was a treat and breathtaking trip. no wonder it is a UNISCO world heritage site.
The cultural landscape of Bali consists of five rice terraces and their water temples that cover 19,500 ha. The temples are the focus of a cooperative water management system of canals and weirs, known as subak, that dates back to the 9th century. Included in the landscape is the 18th-century Royal Water Temple of Pura Taman Ayun, the largest and most impressive architectural edifice of its type on the island. The subak reflects the philosophical concept of Tri Hita Karana, which brings together the realms of the spirit, the human world and nature. This philosophy was born of the cultural exchange between Bali and India over the past 2,000 years and has shaped the landscape of Bali. The subak system of democratic and egalitarian farming practices has enabled the Balinese to become the most prolific rice growers in the archipelago despite the c hallenge of supporting a dense population.
Indonesians are very friendly and welcoming people. In the majority of the places you travel to throughout the country, you will be met with some of the biggest smiles you have ever seen. They are also very proud of their history, culture, wildlife, food and more, and are passionate about sharing it with others.
If you are looking for a place to relax and get a good massage, then Indonesia is a great place to visit. Any spa treatment you can imagine can be found here, from seaweed wraps to fish spas, aromatherapy to the most amazing massage of your life. Many of these services can be offered at your hotel, as a separate business or even on the beach as you enjoy the sun. Now that is relaxation
It was last year that my wife and I
decided to go to Indonesia as a destination for both work and leisure.
We mainly visited Bali Island and Central Java that have a lot of
fascinating culture, extensive history and cultural properties. Although the majority of people belong to Islam in Indonesia, they do not establish Islam as the national religion. Namely Indonesians have religious liberty and it depends on the regions in Indonesia. Despite the fact that Indonesia is having a Muslim majority, Bali remains one of the islands in Indonesia that boast a Hindu majority. Likewise Protestantism, Catholicism, and Buddhism are spread throughout Indonesia. For instance, as soon as we arrived at the airport in Bali, I found woven baskets filled with colorful flowers or rice on the floor. I thought it was just traditional decoration at that moment but we found many of them as well while we were walking in the city. It turned out that they are small offering baskets called “canang sari” which Balinese offer to their Hindu Gods. Also we felt Bali is one of the most liberal places in Indonesia, where people can drink alcohol and eat pork, unlike in other places in Indonesia.
After attending a very successful international conference we enjoyed the city of Yogyakarta in the island of Java, we saw many religions lived together in peace and harmony; cathedral, church, Chinese temple, Buddhist temple and Hindu temple. we actually visited in the early mornings Prambanan temple and Borobudur temple during our trip in Indonesia. Prambanan is a 9th century Hindu temple and Borobudur is the largest Buddhist temple which is also compounded around 9th century. Borobudur is registered as one of the UNISCO World Heritage and we were really amazed to see the decoration with 2,672 relief panels and 504 Buddha statues. Moreover it made us surprise to see those two different religious temples co-existed within 40km since a long time ago. This is impressive and it also tells us the importance to respect each religion and live together harmoniously as Indonesia has proved.
Related to Indonesian culture and history, we still remember the lecture that my wife searched and used during our trip how it all stressed on the strength of Indonesian people’s patriotic spirit which never succumbs to threats of colonization. The history textbooks aim to foster national identity through the education and we believe this emphasis was influenced by the nationalist movement under long colonization. It was interesting to see the difference in educational textbooks because I have never seen those descriptions in Middle Eastern history textbooks, where only facts happened in past are chronologically described. Despite historically Indonesia had been struggling of interference by several countries, I believe there were still something other countries could not change them, which was their own core values and cultural identities.
I had many interesting questions that were going through my mind during our trip to Indonesia. The identity of the region had a lot from the interaction of the region with the outside world, through religion and maritime trade. In the 1300s the two universal religions, Theravada Buddhism and Islam, got into the region. From the available readings, we saw that around the 14th century, Muslim merchants, mostly Arabs and Indians, spread Islam along the Indian Ocean along their trading routes. This period of trade and religious network, Southeast Asia became more connected to the Southern and Western Asia, Europe and Africa. All these interactions with the outside world lead into the European conquest in the region.
How is the identity of a nation made? To know much about any country or a nation, we need to peal each part of the onion and find out what happened at a given time. Pealing the onion of the Indonesian struggle for independence and its independence, we learned that Soemarsono, a highly educated Indonesian youth played a key role in the history of colonial Indonesia. In 1913, Soemarsono was transferred and began working in the countryside of Java, a very harsh environment where he was required to crouch in the presence of, speak with a certain manner, and present gestures of respect to his leaders at specific times. Being caught in this situation that he did not want to be, Soemarsono began to rebel, and he found himself in the middle of a movement against colonial rule. This mobilization of people against their rulers was so significant because it marked the beginning of pushback in a society defined by its peaceful tendencies until this point.
In addition to the power of this resistance, Soemarsono also provided a very powerful message in the comparison he drew between their circumstances and an Oil Lamp in 1913 at the rebellion’s five year anniversary party. He compares their situation to an oil lamp, where, at its most basic layer, the wick represents their Hindu-Buddhist heritage. Their heritage is what they came from and what gave them certain tools to reach the point they were at. The lamp’s oil represents Islam and Islamic modernism, and the lampshade represents the Dutch culture. Even the western scientific and technological aspects brought them to this point. Each of these aspects were given to them, and they all were brought together at that moment. Soemarsono argued that if you bring all these aspects together, it creates something, like the oil lamp, but they finally need to light it. This comparison created by Soemarsono, marked the beginning of the movement against colonialism and Indonesian’s beginning to stand on their own two feet. Furthermore, this message applies to the origins theme and how we connect to certain elements from the start, and that then gives us the future that we can use to make something from ourselves.
Soemarsono ignited change with
the socio-political emancipation of the Javanese, which led to a
complete overthrow of the system of cultural hegemony in 1913 with the
hormat-circular. As the civil servants finally received proper respect,
fair demands, and freedom, a massive cultural movement began that
created a completely new beginning to Indonesians.This brought to my second question of how important are revolutions in origins? Every revolution seems to have an origin, but does every origin have or create a revolution? In this context, we can argue that we all define origins differently based on how we focus on the people who had key roles and were “digging up change.” Defining origins depends on how we look at these layers and what they mean to us. That is why historian argued that Soemarsono is the key player in igniting change and defining the origin of Indonesia’s national identity.
Indonesia is the 4th most populous country in the world and is made up of over 17,000 islands; however, often when people think of Indonesia, all that comes to mind is Bali. Although Bali is awesome in its own right, Indonesia as a whole is a great place to visit and has much to offer.
You can literally eat for days in
Indonesia and always be trying something new. Some popular Indonesian
foods are satay (like lamb or chicken skewers), nasi goreng (a fried
rice plate with other foods added to it like fried eggs, vegetables, and
chicken), gudeg (a dish made from boiled young jackfruit, often served
with rice, sambal sauce and chicken) and my favorite, sambal sauce - a
spicy sauce that can be added rice and many other dishes. Indonesia is
also one of the largest coffee producers in the world - the phrase “a
cup of Java” actually comes from Indonesia’s island of the same name,
where the coffee comes from. They are also famous for Kopi Luwak, which
is coffee made from the poop of the Luwak - aka civet cat - that has
eaten coffee beans and pooped them out. Sounds gross but it is actually
rare and quite expensive coffee.Our visit to Bali rice terraces and their water temples was a treat and breathtaking trip. no wonder it is a UNISCO world heritage site.
The cultural landscape of Bali consists of five rice terraces and their water temples that cover 19,500 ha. The temples are the focus of a cooperative water management system of canals and weirs, known as subak, that dates back to the 9th century. Included in the landscape is the 18th-century Royal Water Temple of Pura Taman Ayun, the largest and most impressive architectural edifice of its type on the island. The subak reflects the philosophical concept of Tri Hita Karana, which brings together the realms of the spirit, the human world and nature. This philosophy was born of the cultural exchange between Bali and India over the past 2,000 years and has shaped the landscape of Bali. The subak system of democratic and egalitarian farming practices has enabled the Balinese to become the most prolific rice growers in the archipelago despite the c hallenge of supporting a dense population.
Indonesians are very friendly and welcoming people. In the majority of the places you travel to throughout the country, you will be met with some of the biggest smiles you have ever seen. They are also very proud of their history, culture, wildlife, food and more, and are passionate about sharing it with others.
If you are looking for a place to relax and get a good massage, then Indonesia is a great place to visit. Any spa treatment you can imagine can be found here, from seaweed wraps to fish spas, aromatherapy to the most amazing massage of your life. Many of these services can be offered at your hotel, as a separate business or even on the beach as you enjoy the sun. Now that is relaxation
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