Menjadi seorang vegan di dunia Non-Vegan

Banyak alasan seseorang memutuskan menjadi seorang vegie/vegan. Trendy, Cool, ikut-ikutan, agama, atau karena menderita suatu penyakit yang mengharuskannya untuk tidak

mengkonsumsi daging. Ketika seseorang masih kuliah (idealis) dan belum memasuki dunia kerja tentu lebih mudah untuk menjalani pola hidup vegetarian. Karena masih idealis di

dalam masa pencarian jati diri, selalu ingin beda dengan yang lain, lebih keren, dan alasan untuk menjadi 'SEHAT' adalah alasan di nomer urut terakhir. Begitu ia lulus, di

wisuda dan diterima di dunia kerja, kehidupan yang sesungguhnya baru saja dimulai. Contohnya: ketika Boss di tempat ia bekerja mentraktir ulang tahun di KFC, rekan kerja

merayakan promosinya di McD, Customer mentraktir makan-makan di Rumah Makan Padang, etc. Hal-hal ini yang sering menjadikan seorang vegan berubah ke istilah 'Flexytarian'

dan akhirnya menyerah menjadi meat eaters yang notabene untuk sebagian masyarakat adalah pola hidup 'Normal'.

Belum lagi di saat seorang vegie/vegan merayakan Hari Raya. Lebaran dengan segudang menu daging yang sangat 'menantang', Hari Raya Natal dengan deretan makanan non vegan,

Thanks Giving dengan hidangan Kalkun, Hari Raya Qurban yang identik dengan Pesta Satay dan mengharuskan seseorang yang mampu dari sisi finansial untuk mengurbankan hewan.

Belum lagi budaya ketimuran kita yang banyak alasan faktor 'tidak enak' nya a.k.a 'sungkan'.

Saya pernah bertukar pikiran dengan Rochelle (seorang koordinator lapangan PeTA) yang dulunya seorang street punkers yang penuh dengan aksesori kulit, dan saya menanyakan

tentang sepatu DM 12hole-nya, jaket kulit penuh dengan studed, studed belt, dan aksesori kulit lainnya dikemanakan? Dan katanya dia membagikannya ke teman-temannya. Tapi

beda lagi dengan Ricardo Ricci (Gitaris xReprisalx), dia berpendapat apa yang kita miliki sebelum memutuskan menjadi vegan tetap bisa kita simpan, tapi setelah itu stop

untuk membeli product hewani. Kasus ini adalah sebagian kecil dari segudang perdebatan mejalani hidup sebagai seorang vegan, karena manusia tidak bisa memilih dilahirkan

sebagai seorang vegan atau tidak.

Belum lagi pengandaian tentang apabila semua orang menjadi vegetarian maka rantai makanan akan terputus dan masalah baru akan timbul. Hal ini sangat menarik dan pernah

ditulis oleh Dewi Lestari a.k.a DEE di blogspotnya (check this out : http://dee-idea.blogspot.com/2008/05/dua-pertanyaan-yang-berarti-tulisan.html). Norma agama dan budaya

pun banyak berperan dalam kehidupan seorang vegan di dalam memutuskan apa yang boleh dan tidak boleh dimakan. Di luar negeri juga ada gelombang anti vegan, yaitu :

Anti-Vegetarian Society of Meat Eaters (AVSME).

Pernah juga saya menghabiskan malam sepulang dari HC / Punk Rawk show Live di Bandung dengan seorang teman non vegan yang mempertanyakan nasib warung pecel lele, soto, sop

dan jejeran warung non vegan yang menggantungkan hidupnya dengan menjual makanan non vegan. Amat sangat jarang warung kaki lima menjual menu vegie karena akan tidak bisa

diandalkan. kalau kawan kawan begadang sampai malam dan mulai mencari makan malam maka kalian akan sangat susah untuk menemukan warung yang buka sampai malam yang menjual

menu vegie. Saya juga pernah mengatakan hal ini ke Ricci XReprisalX dan dia mengatakan sesungguhnya sangat mudah di Asia dan wilayah tropis dengan banyaknya buah-buahan,

coba bayangkan di Italia (tempat asal XReprisalX) yang sebagian besar makanannya mengandung daging dan terkenal dengan kelezatannya.


Belum lagi istilah makanan jadi-jadian (panganan hewani yang dimodif dengan bahan dasar nabati) di tengah masyarakat. Maksudnya, makanan yang terbuat bukan dari bahan dasar

aslinya. Empal daging, misalnya, bukan irisan daging sapi yang digoreng, tetapi ”empal” dari sejenis jamur ditambah ramuan bahan lain sehingga tekstur dan rasanya

menyerupai daging sapi yang dibuat empal. Paling tidak, penganan hewani jadi-jadian ini akan lebih mudah diterima vegetarian pemula dan kalangan nonvegetarian. Adapun

pelaku vegetarian sejak lama boleh jadi sudah tak perlu lagi citarasa hewani semacam itu. Tetapi sebaliknya tindakan militant vegan di PeTA dan ALF dengan kampanye

kebenciannya serta selalu menyuarkan bahwa pemakan daging tidak bermoral, pembunuh berantai (serial killer), dan menuduh orang tua yang memberi makanan daging ke

anak-anaknya adalah penganiayaan terhadap anak-anak. Ada beberapa artikel anti vegan yang menarik diantaranya Vegetarian Myths

(http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2000/04/02/vegetarian-myths.aspx), artikel ini memberi 15 Mitos vegetarian yang disertai argumen yang ilmiah. Artikel

ini walaupun hanya melihat dari satu sisi dan penulis berusaha keras untuk meyakinkan bahwa hidup vegan itu tidak sehat dan kita tetap membutuhkan asupan hewani, banyaknya

kasus yang tidak detail. Tetapi dengan seringnya kita membaca artikel dari berbagai sumber maka sudut pandang kita mengenai kehidupan vegetarian dan non vegetarian akan

semakin baik serta menjauhkan perdebatan yang tidak perlu. kali ini juga ada thread bagus di kaskus yang saya rasa perlu dihadirkan disini yaitu 63 Cara Efektif Menjalani

Gaya Hidup Vegan dan Hijau. Seperti di bawah ini:

============================================================

Setelah memantapkan diri untuk berubah gaya hidup vegan dan hijau, carilah tips atau cara-cara menjalani aktivitas kehidupan kita sehari-hari. Berikut disampaikan 63 cara

menjalani gaya hidup vegan dan hijau yang dapat kita terapkan setiap saat.


MAKANAN, MINUMAN dan PRODUK PEMAKAIAN SEHAT dan HIJAU


1. Jangan membeli sesuatu yang terkait atau berasal dari hasil pembunuhan atau penyiksaan makhluk hidup.

2. Pilihlah makanan, minuman, produk untuk pemakaian yang murni mengandung unsur bahan nabati dan terbebas dari unsur hewani atau kimiawi. Makanan termasuk kudapan (snack),

kue, roti, makanan ringan lainnya, pastikan kandungannya bebas dari unsur hewani. Minuman yang perlu dihindari termasuk minuman yang mengandung susu dan alkohol. Produk

pemakaian seperti sepatu, dompet, tali ban, kosmetik, dan lain-lain tidak terbuat dari kulit hewani atau mengandung unsur hewani lainnya. Keputusan paling utama sebelum

membeli sesuatu adalah membaca kandungan bahan yang tercantum di artikel atau bertanya. Apabila ragu, sebaiknya cari alternatif lainnya.

3. Konsumsi bahan makanan yang segar, hindari makanan yang sudah diolah seperti makanan dalam kalengan atau makanan yang sudah diawetkan.

4. Belilah produk dari hasil pertanian dan perkebunan setempat atau produksi lokal. Untuk makanan dari hasil pertanian dan perkebunan, ataupun produk pemakaian seperti

kosmetik, carilah yang berunsur organik atau hydroponik.

5. Lakukan segala cara untuk memakai ulang botol kemasan, botol minuman, dan wadah penyimpanan lainnya.

6. Belilah dalam kemasan yang besar, atau isi ulang. Selain jauh lebih murah juga menghindari pembuangan kemasan yang tidak perlu dan hanya memperburuk tumpukan sampah

non-organik.

7. Jangan memakan makanan siap saji (fast food) yang menggunakan piring, sendok makan sekali pakai. Karena restoran fast food demikian merupakan penghasil sampah terbesar,

selain itu konsumsi fast food juga tidak baik bagi kesehatan kita.

8. Bawalah tas belanja tersendiri yang bisa dipakai berulang-ulang, bahannya bisa terbuat dari kain atau bahan nabati lainnya, seperti anyaman dari tali rami, tali daun

pisang, dll. Dengan mengurangi tas plastik, berarti Anda juga ikut mengurangi timbungan sampah non-organik. Tas plastik yang tertimbun di tanah perlu ribuan tahun baru bisa

terurai.

9. Bawalah botol minuman sendiri, hindari membeli minuman dalam kemasan botol, apabila tidak mendesak sekali. Botol minuman plastik yang dibuang sembarangan juga merusak

lingkungan.

10. Beralilah menyajikan minuman kepada tamu dalam gelas, hindari sajian dengan minuman kemasan atau air mineral gelas. Hindari juga penggunaan gelas sekali pakai.

11. Membeli sesuatu atau berbelanja di sekitar lingkungan atau pasar tradisional, karena akan lebih hemat bahan bakar.

12. Perbanyak masak di rumah atau bawa makanan ke kantor, karena untuk keluar makan di rumah makan selain menghabiskan bahan bakar dan juga jauh lebih murah apabila bawa

makanan sendiri.


RUMAH dan LINGKUNGAN HIJAU


13. Tanam pohon di sekitar lingkungan kita. Ajak serta tetangga untuk menanam bibit tanaman di sekitar tempat tinggal, kantor, atau lokasi-lokasi penanaman bibit pohon

tertentu seperti di pantai, sekolahan, atau taman umum.

14. Lakukan karya bhakti pembersihan lingkungan, bersihkan parit atau selokan di sekitar perumahan, pengaturan pembuangan sampah organik dan non-organik.

15. Manfaatkan sampah non-organik seperti plastik kemasan dan botol minuman untuk dipakai sebagai bahan kerajinan, atau mengumpulkannya secara terpisah untuk diberikan atau

dijual kepada pemulung.

16. Membuat lubang biopori di pekarangan rumah atau di taman umum lingkungan tempat tinggal, dan bisa dimanfaatkan untuk membuang sampah organik. Setelah melewati masa

pembusukan di dalam lubang biopori, sampah organik tersebut bisa dipanen untuk pupuk tanaman.

17. Matikan oven, pemanas, seterika beberapa menit sebelum waktunya. Ornamen pemanas di peralatan tersebut masih mampu bekerja apabila dicabut dari listriknya.

18. Periksa AC jangan sampai ada kebocoran, turunkan suhunya, jangan biarkan ada celah yang terbuka dalam ruangan ber AC. Pergunakan timer pada waktu tidur, misalnya di set

jam menjelang pagi, akan mati sendiri AC nya. Pergunakan AC yang hemat energi.

19. Pergunakan listrik yang bersumber dari energi surya untuk pemakaian lampu, pemanas air, dan peralatan listrik lainnya.

20. Serahkan rancangan rumah kepada arsitek atau konsultan yang ahli rumah hijau, sehingga rumah kita akan terkesan asri, juga akan hemat pemeliharaannya. Rumah hijau

adalah rumah yang mengutamakan pemakaian bahan daur-ulang, pencahayaan matahari, pemakaian energi surya, pengolahan air habis pakai agar bisa dipakai ulang untuk berbagai

kebutuha, tanaman pelindung dan penyerap CO2 di sekitar pekarangan.

21. Matikan lampu dari sumbernya, dan kalau mematikan TV, komputer, dan peralatan listrik lainnya yang kabelnya tersambung ke saklar, pastikan sumber listriknya di saklar

sudah dimatikan.

22. Jangan biarkan kran, tempat menampungan air, tabung toilet mengalami kebocoran, sehingga air menetes keluar terus selama 24 jam. Bayangkan berapa banyak air yang

terbuang selain boros biaya juga terbuang air bersih dengan percuma.

23. Pergunakan peralatan listrik yang hemat energi, seperti lampu, rice cooker, TV, AC, dan peralatan listrik lainnya. Sudah terdapat banyak peralatan rumah tangga yang

hemat listrik di toko-toko. Belilah yang hemat energi.

24. Maksimalkan pencahayaan surya, buka tirai jendela, pergunakan warna yang terang di dalam rumah.

25. Segera mencabut kabel listrik dari sumbernya apabila sudah selesai dipakai, seperti untuk mengisi ulang baterai telpon genggam, seterika, pencukur eletrik, games,

kamera, dll.

26. Hindari membuka pintu lemari es lama-lama karena setiap kali pintu lemari es dibuka, diperlukan tarikan listrik yang tinggi untuk mendinginkan kembali suhunya.

27. Pergunakan timer untuk menghidup dan mematikan lampu di pekarangan, sehingga akan terhindar dari lupa mematikan di pagi hari karena kesiangan bangun.

28. Potong makanan dalam ukuran yang lebih kecil, karena ukuran makanan yang kecil akan lebih sedikit menggunakan energi untuk memasaknya.

29. Pergunakan air dingin untuk mencuci, dan cucilah dalam jumlah yang banyak. Hindari pemakaian mesin cuci apabila hanya mencuci dalam jumlah yang sedikit.

30. Pergunakan bahan-bahan detergen, pembersih lantai, sabun cuci, shampo, dan bahan-bahan lainnya yang ramah lingkungan.

31. Hindari menggunakan kaleng obat nyamuk semprotan, ataupun obat nyamuk bakar. Lebih baik mencegah nyamuk masuk ke dalam rumah daripada menyemprot obat nyamuk di dalam

rumah selain tidak sehat buat keluarga juga boros. Pasang kasa jendela, pintu kawat nyamuk, dan bersihkan lingkungan dalam rumah supaya tidak menjadi sarang nyamuk.

32. Pergunakan ulang perabot rumah tangga Anda, dan jaga supaya tetap awet dipakai. Hindari kebiasaan berbelanja perabot baru padahal perabot lama masih bisa dipakai.

33. Hindari penggunaan deodoran atau minyak rambut semprot yang mengandung bahan aerosol karena bahan tersebut juga merupakan salah satu penyumbang terbesar dalam

pencemaran lingkungan.

34. Sekali-kali, lakukan penjualan lewat garasi atau disumbangkan ke panti asuhan atau fakir miskin lainnya untuk membersihkan peralatan, mainan, baju, perabot yang sudah

tidak dipakai lagi.


TEMPAT KERJA DAN SEKOLAH HIJAU


35. Matikan lampu apabila masih terang pencahayaan dari luar, atau sedang tidak berada di dalam ruangan.

36. Pergunakan kertas secara bolak-balik untuk fotocopy ataupun untuk cetak. Hindari cetak di printer apabila tidak dibutuhkan. Sebaiknya kirim laporan dan memo melalui

intranet kantor atau melalui email.

37. Himbau dalam bentuk catatan kaki di setiap email yang dikirim keluar agar tidak mencetak email tersebut apabila tidak benar-benar dibutuhkan, demi mendukung lingkungan

dan penghijauan.

38. Lakukan rapat dengan menggunakan bahan presentasi, dan hindari fotocopy bahan presentasi. Kirimkan kepada peserta rapat dalam bentuk softcopy, selain bisa disimpan juga

menghemat banyak biaya kertas dan listrik untuk fotocopy.

39. Hindari keluar makan siang, khususnya di Jakarta, dan kota-kota besar lainnya, selain habis waktu di jalan karena macet, boros energi, dan juga lebih mahal kalau makan

di luar. Pesan makanan untuk diantar ke kantor, bawa makanan dari rumah, atau makan di food-court dekat kantor yang bisa dicapai dengan berjalan kaki.

40. Pergunakan elektrok banking untuk transaksi perbankan, baik melalui ATM, internet banking, mobile banking. Hindari mencetak struk atau bukti transaksi apabila tidak

dibutuhkan.

41. Untuk pabrik dan industri yang berproduksi secara massal, pergunakan sumber energi yang berasal dari surya dan angin. Pabrik-pabrik dengan ruangan yang terbuka dan

manfaatkan ventilator angin untuk mengurangi pemakaian AC atau kipas angin di dalam ruangan pabrik. Berikan penghargaan kepada karyawan yang disiplin dalam penghematan

energi listrik, air, dan bahan-bahan kertas lainnya. Dan sebaliknya, kepada karyawan yang teledor, tidak mematikan peralatan listrik sehabis pakai, berikan sangsi

peringatan.

42. Galang kelompok pencinta lingkungan atau kelompok “Go Green” dalam lingkungan kantor atau pabrik dengan melakukan berbagai kegiatan penghijauan, bersepeda pada hari

tertentu untuk ke tempat kerja, melakukan gerak jalan dan terlibat dalam aktivitas lingkungan hidup.

43. Perlakukan satu hari tidak kerja untuk acara pembersihan, yaitu membersihkan segala berkas, kertas-kertas yang tidak dipakai, laporan-laporan yang sudah lama,

bukti-bukti pembukuan yang sudah daluwarsa. Semua berkas tersebut bisa dimusnahkan, apabila ada rahasianya, atau ditimbang untuk dijual kepada pemulung.

44. Lakukan rancang bangun atau renovasi bangunan sekolah yang memperhatikan aspek ramah lingkungan, pergunakan energi surya untuk penerangan, perhatikan ruangan kelas

sekolah apabila istirahat agar matikan AC dan lampu, lakukan pembersihan lingkungan sekolah, undang pihak-pihak luar yang pakar tentang pemanasan global untuk melakukan

presentasi di sekolah dan mereka akan senang melakukannya tanpa dipungut biaya, hindari fotocopy bahan pelajaran melainkan bisa kirimkan bahan pelajaran via email atau

simpan di USB atau bahan penyimpan file lainnya yang dibawa siswa melalui komputer di meja guru, setiap guru dibekali laptop untuk penjelasan pelajaran sekolah dan

pengajaran melalui presentasi dari laptop dan bahan presentasi bisa dikirimkan via email kepada siswa atau digandakan melalui media penyimpanan USB atau disket.


PERJALANAN HEMAT dan HIJAU


45. Jalan bersama dengan keluarga apabila berangkat kerja, misalnya mengantar anak sekolah sekalian berangkat kerja. Atau, apabila jaraknya berlawanan, bisa mengantar anak

dengan menggunakan mobil antar jemput sekolah.

46. Berangkat atau pulang kerja secara berbarengan dengan rekan-rekan sekantor dalam satu mobil yang searah, sehingga bisa berbagi biaya perjalanan dengan mereka.

47. Usahakan menggunakan transportasi massa daripada memiliki mobil sendiri yang selain boros biaya BBM, juga menghindari kemacetan di jalan, biaya parkir, asuransi dan

biaya pemeliharaan mobil.

48. Apabila memakai mobil sendiri, pergunakan mobil yang hemat energi, yang berbahan bakar biosolar, atau biogas. Jangan menggunakan mobil besar sejenis van atau SUV hanya

untuk transportasi di dalam kota. Gunakan kendaraan hibrida atau yang menggunakan sumber panel surya.

49. Secara rutin merawat kendaraan, cek tekanan angin karena tekanan angin yang kurang akan lebih boros BBM.

50. Matikan mesin mobil saat sedang menunggu, apabila memakai supir, selalu ingatkan supir untuk tidak menyalakan AC dan tidur di mobil. Kalau perlu, setelah parkir,

serahkan kunci mobil sehingga supir tidak berkesempatan tidur di mobil sambil menyalakan AC dan mendengar radio.

51. Belajarlah mengemudi dengan baik, mengganti perseneling sesuai kecepatan atau menggunakan perseneling otomatis, hindari menginjak gas terlalu dalam, matikan mesin

apabila terjadi kemacetan yang terlalu lama, matikan AC apabila udara di luar tidak terlalu panas, matikan AC mobil beberapa menit sebelum sampai tujuan.

52. Apabila jarak rumah ke kantor atau tempat kerja dekat dan bisa ditempuh dengan naik sepeda, lebih baik menggunakan sepeda yang selain menghemat biaya perjalanan juga

baik untuk menjaga kebugaran badan.

53. Hindari berlibur ke luar negeri yang jauh karena akan meninggalkan banyak jejak karbon. Banyak tempat-tempat wisata menarik di dalam negeri dan berbagai daerah di

pelosok yang bisa kita pakai untuk tujuan liburan keluarga. Hindari pemakaian pesawat terbang untuk perjalanan wisata atau perjalanan dinas lainnya, karena bahan bakar

pesawat terbang adalah penyumbang gas rumah kaca yang lebih tinggi dibandingkan mobil atau kendaraan darat dan laut lainnya.

54. Kurangi rapat di luar kantor atau di luar daerah dan di luar negeri, karena kemajuan teknologi saat ini mampu menyediakan teleconference jarak jauh, elektronik

chatting, mobile chatting, presentasi jarak jauh, monitoring jarak jauh, yang semuanya itu bisa dilakukan karena kecanggihan internet. Pergunakan semaksimal mungkin

kemajuan teknologi internet untuk tujuan bisnis.

55. Apabila sedang menginap di hotel, pergunakan handuk hotel lebih dari satu hari, matikan lampu dan AC kamar hotel apabila tidak berada di ruangan, matikan TV, dan

pastikan tidak ada kebocoran air di kamar mandi.


LAIN LAIN yang HIJAU


56. Pergunakan baterai yang bisa diisi ulang atau rechargeable, jangan menggunakan baterai yang habis buang.

57. Pilihlah monitor untuk komputer atau TV model LCD dan hindari pemakaian peralatan elektronik yang boros listrik.

58. Gunakan produk-produk yang memiliki label daur-ulang (recycle), ramah lingkungan (eco-friendly), organik, bebas bahan kimia, dan berjangka panjang atau bisa dipakai

berulang-ulang (re-useable).

59. Bawa botol pengisi ulang dan berbelanja bahan-bahan cair di tempat yang menyediakan pengisian ulang seperti sabun cair, pembersih lantai, air minum isi ulang, dan

lain-lain.

60. Tempatkan tumbuh-tumbuhan di dalam ruangan untuk menjaga kesegaran ruangan.

61. Gunakan pupuk tanaman yang organik, penyemprot hama organik, dan pelajari cara bercocok tanam hidroponik karena sangat mudah dan bisa untuk konsumsi sendiri

62. Jangan membuang sampah sembarangan, pisahkan sampah organik dan non-organik, pelajari cara memanfaatkan sampah organik dan non-organik menjadi sesuatu yang bermanfaat.

63. Bersuaralah dan kumandangkan kepada keluarga, kerabat, tetangga, sahabat, teman sekolah, rekan kerja, dan masyarakat sekitar untuk menyelamatkan Bumi dari pemanasan

global dengan mengurangi konsumsi daging hewani atau menjadi vegan, melakukan penghijauan dan bertindak hijau dalam lingkungan rumah, sekolah, tempat kerja, dan tempat

umum.

Sayangi bumi, kurangi makan daging

============================================================


Menjadi fanatik merupakan masalah besar tentang topik apapun. Tidak berbeda dengan makanan. Bahkan vegie/vegan baik-baik saja tetapi menjadi fanatik memiliki dampak bagi

semua orang. Pemakan daging juga sama, mereka menjadi fanatik bahwa sumber protein mereka adalah hanya satu. Bahkan dalam suatu posting di disscusion board ada seorang

anti-vegan mengutuk seorang vegetarian yang memberi makanan vegan ke bayinya dan menuduh orang itu melakukan pelecehan anak - benar-benar aneh. Saya berharap kita melihat

keseimbangan tanpa ada unsur fanatik sedikitpun.


NB: So don't push your beliefs on me & I won't push my beliefs on you. All I would love to say is please respect my values and choices and I respect yours. In other words,

"live and let live".


Sumber:
http://www.kaskus.us/showthread.php?t=1352494
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2000/04/02/vegetarian-myths.aspx
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20071201120639AAOENCz
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20070813161628AA4c0Kg
http://travel.kompas.com/read/xml/2008/10/18/09403558/vegetarian.hidup.sehat.dengan.makanan.jadi-jadian
http://www.vegblog.org/archive/2001/03/12/anti-vegetarian-oddness/
http://chuin5.multiply.com/journal/item/25/Ga_Doyan_Daging

Terror and No Turning Back

Terror - No Turning Back, Suffer To Return Harder Show 2009
Thursday, October 1st 2009 at GSG ITENAS - Bandung..

Terror, band hartkort from Amerika kemaren Tour ke Indonesia (Bandung).. Band yang pernah merilis albumnya di 'Bridge Nine Records' suatu perusahaan rekaman yg merilis band-band X aka Straight Edge. The Vox : Scot Vogel (Slugfest, Despair, Buried Alive) terkenal aktif di scene hardcore dan senang melakukan 'stage diving' dan hal-hal aneh lainnya sehingga muncul istilah 'Vogelism' di scene Hardcore Amrik.



Band ini juga dicetuskan oleh jawara2 hardcore lama seperti Frank Novinec - guitar (Hatebreed, ex-Ringworm, ex-Integrity); Carl Schwartz - bass (First Blood, ex-Sworn Vengeance); Todd Jones - guitar (Internal Affairs, Snake Eyes, Betrayed, Carry On, Blacklisted); Matt Smith - bass (Rain on the Parade, Shark Attack); Richard Thurston - bass (Culture, Blood Has Been Shed); Jonathan Buske - bass (Rag Men, ex-The Promise, ex-Another Victim); Doug Weber - Guitar (ex-First Blood, ex-Sworn Vengeance)... masih kurang?



oiya satu lagi band yg oks punya.. No Turning Back.. European Hardcore dari Belanda.. YOU CANT BREAK ME!!! woww keren bangets lah mereka berdua.. kalau dari band local sendiri gag sempet liat band Jkt Final Attack and Thinking Straight!!! Salut sama panitia yg ontime banget dan nyiapin semuanya dengan matang (sampai mobil pemadam juga standby).. n gag kaya acara di Jakarta yg banyak 'copet'nya, kali ini rapih banget n kayaknya gag ada yg kecopetan. Outright (band HC dari Bandung) oke juga.. sounds mereka new skool n distorsi ala metal n breakdown ala Hatebreed.. american hc bgt!



Ok, pokoknya secara keseluruhannya.. acara ini oks banget! titik!!!

John 3:16

New American Standard Bible (©1995)
"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.

King James Bible
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

American King James Version
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

American Standard Version
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth on him should not perish, but have eternal life.

Douay-Rheims Bible
For God so loved the world, as to give his only begotten Son; that whosoever believeth in him, may not perish, but may have life everlasting.

Darby Bible Translation
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only-begotten Son, that whosoever believes on him may not perish, but have life eternal.

English Revised Version
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth on him should not perish, but have eternal life.

Webster's Bible Translation
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only-begotten Son, that whoever believeth in him, should not perish, but have everlasting life.

World English Bible
For God so loved the world, that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life.

Young's Literal Translation
for God did so love the world, that His Son -- the only begotten -- He gave, that every one who is believing in him may not perish, but may have life age-during.

ΚΑΤΑ ΙΩΑΝΝΗΝ 3:16 Greek NT: Tischendorf 8th Ed. with Diacritics
οὕτως γὰρ ἠγάπησεν ὁ θεὸς τὸν κόσμον, ὥστε τὸν υἱὸν τὸν μονογενῆ ἔδωκεν, ἵνα πᾶς ὁ πιστεύων εἰς αὐτὸν μὴ ἀπόληται ἀλλ’ ἔχῃ ζωὴν αἰώνιον.

ΚΑΤΑ ΙΩΑΝΝΗΝ 3:16 Greek NT: Greek Orthodox Church
Οὕτω γὰρ ἠγάπησεν ὁ Θεὸς τὸν κόσμον, ὥστε τὸν υἱὸν αὐτοῦ τὸν μονογενῆ ἔδωκεν, ἵνα πᾶς ὁ πιστεύων εἰς αὐτὸν μὴ ἀπόληται ἀλλ’ ἔχῃ ζωὴν αἰώνιον.

ΚΑΤΑ ΙΩΑΝΝΗΝ 3:16 Greek NT: Stephanus Textus Receptus (1550, with accents)
Οὕτως γὰρ ἠγάπησεν ὁ θεὸς τὸν κόσμον ὥστε τὸν υἱὸν αὐτοῦ τὸν μονογενῆ ἔδωκεν ἵνα πᾶς ὁ πιστεύων εἰς αὐτὸν μὴ ἀπόληται ἀλλ' ἔχῃ ζωὴν αἰώνιον

ΚΑΤΑ ΙΩΑΝΝΗΝ 3:16 Greek NT: Westcott/Hort with Diacritics
οὕτως γὰρ ἠγάπησεν ὁ θεὸς τὸν κόσμον, ὥστε τὸν υἱὸν τὸν μονογενῆ ἔδωκεν ἵνα πᾶς ὁ πιστεύων εἰς αὐτὸν μὴ ἀπόληται ἀλλ’ ἔχῃ ζωὴν αἰώνιον.

ΚΑΤΑ ΙΩΑΝΝΗΝ 3:16 Greek NT: Tischendorf 8th Ed.
ουτως γαρ ηγαπησεν ο θεος τον κοσμον ωστε τον υιον τον μονογενη εδωκεν ινα πας ο πιστευων εις αυτον μη αποληται αλλ εχη ζωην αιωνιον

ΚΑΤΑ ΙΩΑΝΝΗΝ 3:16 Greek NT: Byzantine/Majority Text (2000)
ουτως γαρ ηγαπησεν ο θεος τον κοσμον ωστε τον υιον αυτου τον μονογενη εδωκεν ινα πας ο πιστευων εις αυτον μη αποληται αλλ εχη ζωην αιωνιον

ΚΑΤΑ ΙΩΑΝΝΗΝ 3:16 Greek NT: Textus Receptus (1550)
ουτως γαρ ηγαπησεν ο θεος τον κοσμον ωστε τον υιον αυτου τον μονογενη εδωκεν ινα πας ο πιστευων εις αυτον μη αποληται αλλ εχη ζωην αιωνιον

ΚΑΤΑ ΙΩΑΝΝΗΝ 3:16 Greek NT: Textus Receptus (1894)
ουτως γαρ ηγαπησεν ο θεος τον κοσμον ωστε τον υιον αυτου τον μονογενη εδωκεν ινα πας ο πιστευων εις αυτον μη αποληται αλλ εχη ζωην αιωνιον

ΚΑΤΑ ΙΩΑΝΝΗΝ 3:16 Greek NT: Westcott/Hort
ουτως γαρ ηγαπησεν ο θεος τον κοσμον ωστε τον υιον τον μονογενη εδωκεν ινα πας ο πιστευων εις αυτον μη αποληται αλλ εχη ζωην αιωνιον

John 3:16 Hebrew Bible
כי ככה אהב האלהים את העולם עד אשר נתן את בנו את יחידו למען לא יאבד כל המאמין בו כי אם יחיה חיי עולמים׃

Apocalypsis 22:21 Latin: Biblia Sacra Vulgata
sic enim dilexit Deus mundum ut Filium suum unigenitum daret ut omnis qui credit in eum non pereat sed habeat vitam aeternam

Juan 3:16 Spanish: La Biblia de las Américas (©1997)
Porque de tal manera amó Dios al mundo, que dio a su Hijo unigénito, para que todo aquel que cree en El, no se pierda, mas tenga vida eterna.

Juan 3:16 Spanish: La Nueva Biblia de los Hispanos (©2005)
"Porque de tal manera amó Dios al mundo, que dio a Su Hijo unigénito (único), para que todo aquél que cree en El, no se pierda, sino que tenga vida eterna.

Juan 3:16 Spanish: Reina Valera (1909)
Porque de tal manera amó Dios al mundo, que ha dado á su Hijo unigénito, para que todo aquel que en él cree, no se pierda, mas tenga vida eterna.

Juan 3:16 Spanish: Sagradas Escrituras (1569)
Porque de tal manera amó Dios al mundo, que ha dado a su Hijo Unigénito, para que todo aquel que en él cree, no se pierda, mas tenga vida eterna.

Juan 3:16 Spanish: Modern
Porque de tal manera amó Dios al mundo, que ha dado a su Hijo unigénito, para que todo aquel que en él cree no se pierda, mas tenga vida eterna.

Jean 3:16 French: Louis Segond (1910)
Car Dieu a tant aimé le monde qu'il a donné son Fils unique, afin que quiconque croit en lui ne périsse point, mais qu'il ait la vie éternelle.

Jean 3:16 French: Darby
Dieu a tant aimé le monde, qu'il a donné son Fils unique, afin que quiconque croit en lui ne périsse pas, mais qu'il ait la vie éternelle.

Jean 3:16 French: Martin (1744)
Car Dieu a tant aimé le monde, qu'il a donné son Fils unique, afin que quiconque croit en lui ne périsse point, mais qu'il ait la vie éternelle.

Jean 3:16 French: Ostervald (1744)
Car Dieu a tant aimé le monde, qu'il a donné son Fils unique, afin que quiconque croit en lui ne périsse point, mais qu'il ait la vie éternelle.

Johannes 3:16 German: Luther (1912)
Also hat Gott die Welt geliebt, daß er seinen eingeborenen Sohn gab, auf daß alle, die an ihn glauben, nicht verloren werden, sondern das ewige Leben haben.

Johannes 3:16 German: Luther (1545)
Also hat Gott die Welt geliebet, daß er seinen eingeborenen Sohn gab, auf daß alle, die an ihn glauben, nicht verloren werden, sondern das ewige Leben haben.

Johannes 3:16 German: Elberfelder (1871)
Denn also hat Gott die Welt geliebt, daß er seinen eingeborenen Sohn gab, auf daß jeder, der an ihn glaubt, nicht verloren gehe, sondern ewiges Leben habe.

約 翰 福 音 3:16 Chinese Bible: Union (Traditional)
「 神 愛 世 人 ， 甚 至 將 他 的 獨 生 子 賜 給 他 們 ， 叫 一 切 信 他 的 ， 不 至 滅 亡 ， 反 得 永 生 。

約 翰 福 音 3:16 Chinese Bible: Union (Simplified)
「 神 爱 世 人 ， 甚 至 将 他 的 独 生 子 赐 给 他 们 ， 叫 一 切 信 他 的 ， 不 至 灭 亡 ， 反 得 永 生 。

約 翰 福 音 3:16 Chinese Bible: NCV (Simplified)
“　神爱世人，甚至把他的独生子赐给他们，叫一切信他的，不至灭亡，反得永生。

約 翰 福 音 3:16 Chinese Bible: NCV (Traditional)
“　神愛世人，甚至把他的獨生子賜給他們，叫一切信他的，不至滅亡，反得永生。

For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life

cin[T]a

title ini diambil dari judul satu film indie yang menceritakan perbedaan, cinta, dan Tuhan.. film yang mengajak kita tidak hanya menonton tetapi berpikir.. terlebih lagi setelah membaca tulisan Dee yaitu Ketuhanan Yang Ma[s]a Esa[?].. banyak sekali teori dan pemikiran baik dari DEE sendiri maupun dari pembacanya yang memberi komentar.. tentang teologi apofatik (yang lebih menekankan untuk mendingan TIDAK TAHu tentang Tuhan, sebab bila kita TAHU akan Tuhan, maka Tuhan lahir sebagai objek ciptaan pikiran kita...semua masih serba mungkin).. dan yang lebih menarik yaitu tentang banyaknya pembaca yang merasakan hal yang sama dengan Tulisan Dee tadi..

Salut dengan film Cin[t]a.. dengan TUlisan Dee (satu2nya blog yang saya ikuti).. dan pembaca-pembaca blog dee yang memberi komen yang tidak sekedar komen (kaya komen sampah di FB? hahahha) tetapi memberi pemikiran dan masukan yang 'berat'..
diangkat dari buku berjudul sama; ketika Neale ditanya oleh seorang audiens, yang kira-kira: jika Tuhan memiliki pesan untuk manusia yang disampaikan dalam sebuah kalimat yang terdiri 5 kata, kalimat apakah itu?

: "You've got Me all wrong."

:-)

BTW, buat saya Cin(T)a adalah film Indonesia pertama tahun ini yang nggak malesin dan 'bisa bikin mikir'.


suatu hal kecil yang bisa membuat kita berpikir.. "you've got Me all wrong"... mungkin banyak kawan, teman, yang dengan langsung menyatakan ketidak setujuan akan hal ini.. dan mungkin akan Emosi dan mengeluarkan semua pengalaman dan pemikiran yang ada di kepala untuk mati2an meng-counter hal ini.

Mari kita membaca dengan open mind dan berpikir positif dan mengambil sisi negatif untuk saling menghujat dan menjatuhkan.. maka alangkah lebih baik jika kita melihat film Cin[t]a.. lalu membaca tulisan di Blog Dee.. dan tidak lupa membaca komen2 di blog tersebut..

Selamat menikmati.. and have a nice weekend..

Warm Regards.. Salam.. Shaloom,
XPX

Bunuh Diri Massal 2008

Vegan Reich

enjoy it! taken from www.bidoun.com.

By Kelefa Sanneh
In 1981, A Washington, DC, Punk band named minor threat released a song called "Straight Edge." The lyrics, as barked by the lead singer, Ian Mackaye, delivered an unequivocal rebuke to punk-rock hedonism:
I'm a person, just like you
But I've got better things to do
Than sit around and fuck with my head
Hang out with the living dead
Snort white shit up my nose
Pass out at the shows

The song lasts all of forty-five seconds, barely enough time for two verses and a chorus that sounded like an unlikely rallying cry: "I've got the straight edge!" The name stuck, and in the next few years "straightedge" emerged as a kind of punk-rock temperance movement, a teenage rebellion against old-fashioned teenage rebellion. As MacKaye sang in a different song: "[I] don't smoke / I don't drink / I don't fuck / At least I can fucking think."

MacKaye always says he didn't mean to start a movement. But for kids (as they were always called) all across the country, straightedge was a revelation, proof that punk could be (as the kids liked to say) "positive." You might say that punk rock was moving beyond politics into ethics. Except that many of the straightedge bands that came up in the American 1980s weren't particularly political. Uninterested in storming the barricades, let alone changing the world, straightedge kids created their own little worlds, which they called scenes. Many of them didn't even identify as punk—they were hardcore, tough young kids who seemed a world away from the artsy ironists who popularized punk rock in the 1970s.

"Straightedge" didn't necessarily mean "clean-cut": there were hot-headed jocks, earnest activist types, and plenty of kids who were in it for the music, as well as the seductive air of (very) righteous indignation. It was, in a sense, a whole movement dedicated to extremism in defense of virtue… and yet one band of extremists found a way to make everyone else seem downright slack. They named themselves Vegan Reich. Their four-song debut included a foldout manifesto for a philosophy called hardline, which was not only straightedge and vegan but also anti-abortion and arguably anti-gay. "The time has come," it began, "for an ideology and for a movement that is both physically and morally strong enough to do battle against the forces of evil that are destroying the earth (and all life upon it)." Vegan Reich's sound was fast, bare-bones punk, with a hint of heavy metal, and it seemed to have been calibrated to incite maximum bedlam at concerts. The vocalist was a mixed-race shouter who delivered his rants with a little bit of melody and a whole lot of furious certainty. One song began, "Fuck you, shut your fucking mouth / We didn't ask for your opinion" (although without the lyric sheet, it might have been hard to tell).

That shouter was Sean Muttaqi, a southern California kid who took a circuitous route to straightedge; one of his biggest inspirations had been Rudimentary Peni, a caustic British anarcho-punk band. And with Vegan Reich, he helped make the world of straightedge a little bigger and a lot more complicated, delivering a confrontational message of abstention (from drugs, exploitation, and animal products) and all-around defiance. It wasn't long before punks across the country were debating, mocking, or following Vegan Reich. There had always been conservative currents in straightedge, but some people who heard (or, more likely, heard about) Vegan Reich saw the band as evidence that the movement had gone beyond the pale.

Then, before they had a chance to release a full-length album, the members of Vegan Reich called it quits. Kind of. The same kids were soon playing a fusion of reggae and hardcore as Captive Nation Rising, which eventually morphed into a more traditional reggae band. For Muttaqi, it was just the beginning of an odyssey. He started a label, Uprising Records, which helped incubate the future pop stars in Fall Out Boy. He taught martial arts. And, after years of study, he became a Muslim.

Vegan Reich reunited and released a three-song CD, Jihad, in 1999. Another reunion is planned for this summer. But fans waiting for Muttaqi to launch an in-your-face Muslim hardcore movement will likely be disappointed. Instead of writing manifestos, he's reading (and occasionally writing) scholarly articles, rethinking the history of animal sacrifice in Islam. He's doing a lot of writing lately—he's hard at work on a memoir about his "three decades of resistance." And one night this past fall, with his wife and two daughters occasionally audible in the background, he agreed to talk about his long, non-linear journey from resistance to submission.

When did you first get into punk?
I think I first heard punk rock in 1979. We had just moved out of a pretty rough neighborhood, and I got exposed to skate culture and punk culture and got into punk-rock rebellion. If you look at the rebellious aspects of punk, it could go either way. Kids who had a rougher background, it kept them out of trouble. And kids who had a more middle-class, safe environment, it helped nudge them into trouble. I know guys from gang neighborhoods that left that lifestyle behind—they found punk and became peace-punks and vegetarians. Then you'd see them ten years later, doing the gang thing; the neighborhood took control again. And then, on the other end, I knew middle-class kids that became junkies because of punk rock.

What about you?
Well, I came from a working-class neighborhood, but after we moved, I was surrounded by middle-class kids. It was probably a good move, looking back at it—my cousins are now in jail and stuff. (Laughs a little.) Coming into punk at that time and being in the skate realm, we were into Black Flag, Social Distortion, the Dead Kennedys. I was lucky to have grown up in Southern California in the heyday of that scene. I was barely going to high school. I officially dropped out when I was sixteen and got fully immersed into going to shows in LA.

We were very nihilistic, talking about destroying this and destroying that. The SoCal scene was violent. I don't mean that in a negative way, it was just this energy you couldn't contain. There was this chaotic perception among everybody. You'd have a group of friends, and one would have a Mohawk, and the other would have Dickies and flannel on, and you'd all be listening to Black Flag. Everyone was searching for these identities, but they didn't see it as a separate thing.

But I was also hearing stuff from England—stuff like Discharge and the Exploited. It was a natural progression for me—coming from a working-class background and being surrounded by all these middle-class kids that I couldn't relate to, and then suddenly getting access to all these British bands that were talking about class issues. For me, once I discovered class and leftist opinions and all that, I moved to the anarchist punk scene really fast. But then I would go to these anarchist gatherings, and I would see really bad personal behavior. I think that was the two worlds that collided with me, going, "Hey, we need to be more political—but politics isn't worth treating each other like shit." Even before I got into the anarchist punk thing, I'd gone vegetarian, although it took me a couple more years to find out about veganism.

When the members of Vegan Reich came together, did you set out specifically to be a vegan straightedge band? Or did that come later?
No, it was a thought-out conception—I was looking for people to start a militant animal liberation band. This whole time I was interacting with a lot of different activist communities, and from out of that we formed a tight-knit community. We were causing a lot of controversy in the anarchist community, pointing out the contradiction of people demanding freedom for humans and oppressing animals at the same time.

People started jokingly referring to us as vegan fascists, so that's where the name came from. The notion was, If you're going to call us Vegan Fascists, we're going to call ourselves Vegan Reich.

Your first record, Hardline, came with a manifesto that called for people to live in accordance with "the laws of nature," and to eschew "deviant sexual acts and/or abortion." That shocked—and pissed off—a lot of people.
For us, as animal liberation activists, the abortion thing was about consistency. Our view wasn't the same as the right-wing Christian view of abortion; officially, hardline wasn't saying that if a women was raped, she couldn't get an abortion. We were saying that you need to acknowledge that life is life. It was more toward the animal liberation group: if you say that a shrimp is a life, and you shouldn't kill it unless you absolutely need to eat, at least view abortion the same way. It can't be used as birth control—that was hardline's stance.

The homosexuality issue—that was tied to different influences at the time. For one, having come out of this punk-rocker anarchist thing—a lot of times, homosexuality was a hedonistic thing for some people. In retrospect, those aspects were influenced by morals, not necessarily politics. There was a conservative moralism there, the notion that sex was for family.

Obviously the band used provocative images—like the famous logo with the two crossed machine guns—and stirred up a lot of controversy. What were the live shows like?
Well, we had a lot of friends in our local scene, and it didn't really matter what we were saying. But I think in different parts of the country you definitely had people shocked by us having this violent persona.... People from, let's say, the Midwest, would be like, "These guys have guns!" But in California, we knew peace-punks who had AK-47s in their trunks. They were dealing with skinheads and all sorts of other things.

Did people come to your shows looking to fight?
I think people were more intimidated by us. Sometimes we had shows cancelled because people would call the venue and say they were going to bomb it or burn it down if we played. There were situations where people were there with the intent of arguing, but it usually didn't go much further than that, although we did have our fair share of fights.

Did you ever wish that you didn't have all the extra responsibility that came with the name and the image?
Ah, yes and no. There was never regret about having named the band that, or having done what we did. But clearly, by the end, it just became impossible for us to function. Clubs were refusing to book us. You couldn't pick up an issue of [the punk-rock magazine] Maximum Rocknroll anytime during the nineties and not see some reference to Vegan Reich or hardline. We would book a tour, and we'd get halfway across the country, and it would be cancelled.

Separate from that, my involvement with hardline—I didn't regret having started it or having done it, but I found myself not happy with where it was going. We started hearing reports of actual right-wing people in Europe who were interested in us. It had started out as a fairly diverse group of people, but it became more and more a very white, middle-class, right-leaning type of thing. The same thing had happened to straightedge.

Even once I left, I still kept in touch with people who were doing it. But I had started my own journey. To me, it just led to other things. I think that hardline in some ways was already highly influenced by my study of Islam and Eastern religions. What's funny is that hardline itself helped me move on from there.

Were you guys making a living from music?
Yes and no. We were living so cheap, I mean, the whole band was living together in this place that was, like, three hundred dollars a month. So we could go on the road when we wanted to, or stay home and write articles, do whatever. We were pretty much free, it was a great creative time. And I had always been into martial arts, so in the early days of Uprising Records, when it wasn't a full-time company, I was also a martial arts teacher. I was always able to operate outside the normal sphere of the system.

In the late 1980s and early 1990s, some of the kids in the New York hardcore scene allied themselves with the Hare Krishna movement, which also promoted a straightedge vegetarian lifestyle. Were you ever intrigued by the so-called Krishnacore scene?
That happened at about the same time as hardline. Well, we already had this radical animal liberation thing going on, which was in conflict with their reliance on dairy products. But I think it came down to their whole notion of reincarnation, and how that tied into social injustice and suffering. In my mind, that was what really created conflict between us and them. We don't buy that. We don't buy that people or animals are suffering because of something they did before. Most people thought it was a very positive thing, because they were vegetarian and did all these cool things. But it didn't seem that positive to us.

Some close friends, some who were marginally associated with hardline, ended up getting into that, and they've sort of made that their lives—you know, going back to India every year, in the same way that being Muslim is a major part of my life, now. I have a better view of the Krishna thing than I did then. I still disagree with it, theologically, as a Muslim, but I have a positive understanding of it as a spiritual path.

Were you raised with any religious tradition?
Not really. God was a sort of aloof concept.

So how did you first come to Islam?
When I was younger, my dad would give me books, and he also exposed me to Malcolm X's autobiography. In the same era that I was getting into punk rock, the Iranian revolution was going on, and it made a big impact. So I had an understanding that it was a religion of the oppressed. If someone were to ask, in 1983, "What are your views of Islam?"—my answer might not have been long, but it would have been, "Something against injustice."

Really, my first journey through spirituality came through the martial arts. I became more exposed to Taoism and meditation. I was also exploring Rastafarianism, and through that I was exploring the Old Testament and studying Christianity. In some ways, Islam was a balance, for me, between those realms, between East and West. And I had known Five Percenters, the Nation of Islam, things like that. So I was marginally exposed to the imagery of Islam. But it took some years until I finally decided to delve in.

How did you make the decision to call yourself a Muslim?
Part of the hardline movement was the syncretistic thing, finding truth where it exists. I still think that's a good approach. But the danger is that if you just pick and choose from a bunch of different traditions, the end-all, be-all of your decision-making process is you. That wasn't the mentality of hardline. We had certain standards that everybody had to abide by. But at the end of the day, the decision about what is or isn't a moral decision—it's yours. I really felt like I had to find something that had standards and rules, teachings that I could accept and follow. Because otherwise it's too easy: you come up against something that you don't want to do in a certain situation, and you can just change your mind about whether or not that's okay.

That said, I also didn't want to jump into someone else's religion, a different culture, and not be able to do it all the way. Probably since 1990, I had been completely sold on Islam's view of the nature of God. And by 1993, I was saying, I want to convert, but I don't want to convert and bring in my own ideas that are in conflict with the broader Muslim community. I didn't want to come in and start arguing with people. The vegetarian thing was the final sticking point. So I started a journey to see if I could find an actual organic Muslim community that had vegetarian views, that existed within Islam—not converts bringing vegetarianism to Islam. It took some time, but eventually I came across the Bawa Muhaiyaddeen community, which was founded by a Sufi sheikh from Sri Lanka who had come to Philadelphia. I found a community where I could still maintain my veganism. That was a more important issue then than it is now, all these years later. And I'm still vegan, personally, but I'm not out there trying to argue that the Muslim world should become vegetarian.

Were there other conflicts between your old hardline identity and your new Muslim identity?
No. Everything else was pretty natural. I really felt at home in my own skin, in some ways more than ever before. In a lot of ways, having a really diverse background—we have a lot of mixture in my family, everything from Mexican, French, Arab, Irish, Sicilian, African, and Cherokee—it just all felt real natural. The cultural and ethnic aspects were put to rest when I embraced Islam.

How had you identified before?
You know, by the time I was old enough to have that become an issue, the punk rock thing had taken over. But when we moved to a new neighborhood, I was always the brown kid. On the other end, I can pretty much travel wherever and blend in, because I have this look that's in between. If I'm in Jamaica, Jamaicans think I'm Jamaican; if I'm in an Arab country, the Arabs think I'm Arab; if I'm in Mexico, they think I'm Mexican. But for me, especially when punk and hardcore started losing the sense of community and ideology, Islam gave me a place to feel comfortable.

That said, it's not as if we've adopted Arab culture, either. At home we tend to eat Mexican food; for Eid we make tamales…

Are the Muslims you meet surprised or shocked by your punk-rock past?
It depends. There are a lot of Muslims in America who were born here—they're Muslim and very American. And if it's an African-American Muslim community, there's a similarity there, because I spent a lot of time in hip hop. But if it's a more immigrant community, people might be more shocked by my background. I've had conversations with people who had no idea—trying to explain what punk rock was. Or, even if they did know about it, they're like, "How do you come to Islam through that?" But for me, it wasn't so much of an issue, anyway, because I don't really stand out: I don't have tattoos, and I look like pretty much everyone else there. I knew some other people who converted to Islam out of hardcore, that are just covered—you know, neck tattoos and everything. Clearly in their situation, it's something that comes up more, because people are asking about it. But for me, in general, they wouldn't realize I was a convert.

Is there ever a thought in the back of your mind that you're not the same as someone who's been Muslim his whole life, and for generations back?
I feel the same as any Muslim, born Muslim or not. But I think that within the community, it's important to defer to scholars. Sometimes people that came out of hardline or hardcore and became Muslim come to me to ask about this or that. I'm not a scholar, but I might guide them to a scholar that would know. If you're talking about politics, then, yeah, as a lay Muslim, I feel fine giving my opinion. And as to the issue of vegetarianism in Islam, I feel fine speaking about it, because I've studied and I have an opinion and I'll express it. But even there, when there were younger Muslims interested in vegetarianism, we went to the scholars and got rulings from them saying that it was permissible. At the end, it's important for people to have these people—experts—they can go to. But that doesn't mean that everybody is going to listen to everything they say.

Did you spend time trying to figure out how to reconcile your love of music with your Muslim faith?
There was a certain period where I was like, "I'm just going to back out of the music thing, period." But after studying, and reading hadith, and consulting different scholars, I came to terms with music's place within Islam as a halal activity. That doesn't mean it's necessarily acceptable in every circumstance. And there were definitely moments when I felt conflicted about it. But everybody has contradictions. Sometimes I think that maybe we'll move the record label into doing Muslim stuff. But then, if I'm doing this the Muslim way, we're marginalized. And doing the label as we do it has enabled me to put out Amir Sulaiman's record—he's a Muslim poet. Personally, it's a compromise I'm willing to make, at least at this point. Now, I may reach a point in my being or my faith, where I say to myself that I can't do this, I can't compromise anymore.

When you talk about your life, it seems as if there is a lifelong fascination with the idea of orthodoxy.
Well, I would add to that—I would say that I have had a fascination with both orthodoxy and heterodoxy at the same time. I'm always interested in studying stuff that's on the fringes of different religious currents. I love the Boxer Rebellion and all these Kung Fu mystical cults that existed, that were not mainstream Buddhism or mainstream Taoism. But whenever I study heterodox movements, I find that there are certain weird ideas that are there because of a leader, usually some charismatic person, who wanted to make allowances for himself. So at the end of the day, I always find myself drawn back to orthodoxy.

My Lil' Heaven

Sudah 15 hari ini saya menempati my lil heaven call Home, The Mendix 147 (M147). Pagi2 bisa dengerin Morrissey sambil ngupi, nyiram tambulapots sambil dnger Nile, masak makan n belanja. Semoga semuanya dimudahkan oleh-Nya.

Bebaskan Ibu Prita Mulyasari

hasil copy-paste dari : http://ibuprita.suatuhari.com/ ...

Dalam batas kemampuannya, seorang ibu menyuarakan keluhannya dengan berbagi pengalaman melalui sarana yang dia pahami dan kuasai. Dia kirimkan e-mail kepada beberapa temannya. Sebuah bentuk komunikasi yang lazim di antara warga masyarakat modern. Kemudian e-mail itu menyebar.

Persoalan tak akan meluas jika pihak yang disebut dalam keluhan itu menyelesaikan persoalan secara bijak, dengan pendekatan yang manusiawi, kemudian mengumumkan bahwa persoalan telah diselesaikan bersama.

Akan tetapi yang terjadi adalah kriminalisasi. Ibu dari dua anak balita itu, namanya Prita Mulyasari, oleh pihak yang dia keluhkan, yakni Rumah Sakit Omni International, Alam Sutera, Tangerang, dihadapi melalui gugatan perdata dan sekaligus pidana. Selama proses persidangan, ibu itu dikurung dalam bui di Lembaga Pemasyarakatan Wanita Tangerang, terpisah dari keluarganya, dari anak-anaknya.

Seorang ibu, yang juga konsumen, dihadapi sebuah korporat dengan segala kelebihan yang dimilikinya melalui pendekatan kekuasaan. Padahal dalam praktik bisnis yang sehat lagi santun, keluhan seperti itu seyogyanya diselesaikan melalui komunikasi. Ada penjelasan, ada proses saling mendengar, ada upaya untuk mendudukkan persoalan melalui pengertian bersama.

Cerita selengkapnya silakan Anda lihat dalam tautan. Persoalan kita sekarang ini adalah menghadapi kesewenang-wenangan sehingga secara bersama kita harus memperjuangkan kebebasan berpendapat.

Kita ketuk nurani para penegak hukum. Kita ingatkan bahwa rasa keadilan melekat pada semua hamba hukum yang bernurani. Lebih baik membebaskan orang yang (belum tentu) bersalah daripada menghukum orang yang tak bersalah.

Kita ingatkan RS Omni International, bahwa upaya penyelesaian seperti ini akan lebih layak jika ditempuh sebagai upaya terakhir setelah serangkaian komunikasi yang penuh pendekatan kemanusiaan telah buntu. Namun yang terjadi, seperti kita tahu, adalah gelar kuasa dalam posisi yang tak imbang.

Kita tularkan dukungan dan perjuangan ini kepada seluruh pengguna internet melalui pemasangan banner dan penyiaran pesan.

Hari ini Ibu Prita. Jika dibiarkan, esok adalah Anda. Padahal sebagai konsumen untuk produk dan layanan apa pun, Anda berhak bersuara.

The GirL Who Silenced The World

Artikel yg sangat menarik, thanks Miko..


Cerita ini berbicara mengenai seorang anak yg bernama Severn Suzuki seorang anak yg pada usia 9 tahun telah mendirikan Enviromental Children's Organization ( ECO ).

ECO sendiri adalah Sebuah kelompok kecil anak" yg mendedikasikan diri Untuk belajar dan mengajarkan pada anak" lain mengenai masalah" lingkungan.

Dan mereka pun diundang menghadiri Konfrensi Lingkungan hidup PBB, dimana pada saat itu Seveern yg berusia 12 Tahun memberikan sebuah pidato kuat yg memberikan pengaruh besar ( dan membungkam ) beberapa pemimpin dunia terkemuka.

Apa yg disampaikan oleh seorang anak kecil ber-usia 12 tahun hingga bisa membuat RUANG SIDANG PBB hening, lalu saat pidatonya selesai ruang sidang penuh dengan orang" terkemuka yg berdiri dan memberikan Tepuk Tangan yg meriah kepada anak berusia 12 tahun.

Inilah Isi pidato tersebut: ( sumber The Collage Foundation )


Halo, nama Saya Severn Suzuki, berbicara mewakili E.C.O - Enviromental Children Organization

Kami Adalah Kelompok dari kanada yg terdiri dari anak" berusia 12 dan 13 tahun. Yang mencoba membuat Perbedaan: Vanessa Suttie, Morga, Geister, Michelle Quiq dan saya sendiri. Kami menggalang dana untuk bisa datang kesini sejauh 6000 mil. Untuk memberitahukan pada anda sekalian orang dewasa bahwa anda harus mengubah cara anda, Hari ini Disini juga. Saya tidak memiliki agenda tersembunyi. Saya menginginkan masa depan bagi diri saya saja.

Kehilangan masa depan tidaklah sama seperti kalah dalam pemilihan umum atau rugi dalam pasar saham. Saya berada disini untuk berbicara bagi semua generasi yg akan datang.

Saya berada disini mewakili anak" yg kelaparan di seluruh dunia yang tangisannya tidak lagi terdengar.

Saya berada disini untuk berbicara bagi binatang" yang sekarat yang tidak terhitung jumlahnya diseluruh planet ini karena kehilangan habitat nya. kami tidak boleh tidak di dengar.

Saya merasa takut untuk berada dibawah sinar matahari karena berlubang nya lapisan OZON. Saya merasa takut untuk bernafas karena saya tidak tahu ada bahan kimia apa yg dibawa oleh udara.

Saya sering memancing di di Vancouver bersama ayah saya hingga beberapa tahun yang lalu kami menemukan bahwa ikan"nya penuh dengan kanker. Dan sekarang kami mendengar bahwa binatang" dan tumbuhan satu persatu mengalami kepunahan tiap harinya - hilang selamanya.

Dalam hidup saya, saya memiliki mimpi untuk melihat kumpulan besar binatang" liar, hutan rimba dan hutan tropis yang penuh dengan burung dan kupu". tetapi sekarang saya tidak tahu apakah hal" tersebut bahkan masih ada untuk dilihat oleh anak saya nantinya.

Apakah anda sekalian harus khawatir terhadap masalah" kecil ini ketika anda sekalian masih berusia sama serperti saya sekarang?

Semua ini terjadi di hadapan kita dan walaupun begitu kita masih tetap bersikap bagaikan kita masih memiliki banyak waktu dan semua pemecahan nya. Saya hanyalah seorang anak kecil dan saya tidak memiliki semua pemecahan nya tetapi saya ingin anda sekalian menyadari bahwa anda sekalian juga sama seperti saya!

Anda tidak tahu bagaimana caranya memperbaiki lubang pada lapisan ozon kita.
Anda tidak tahu bagaiman cara mengembalikan ikan" salmon ke sungai asal na.
Anda tidak tahu bagaimana caranya mengembalikan binatang" yang telah punah.

Dan anda tidak dapat mengembalikan Hutan-Hutan seperti sediakala di tempatnya yang sekarang hanya berupa padang pasir.
Jika anda tidak tahu bagaima cara memperbaikinya.
TOLONG BERHENTI MERUSAKNYA!

Disini anda adalah deligasi negara-negara anda. Pengusaha, Anggota perhimpunan, wartawan atau politisi - tetapi sebenernya anda adalah ayah dan ibu, saudara laki" dan saudara perempuan, paman dan bibi - dan anda semua adalah anak dari seseorang.

Saya hanyalah seorang anak kecil, namun saya tahu bahwa kita semua adalah bagian dari sebuah keluarga besar, yang beranggotakan lebih dari 5 milyar, terdiri dari 30 juta rumpun dan kita semua berbagi udara, air dan tanah di planet yang sama - perbatasan dan pemerintahan tidak akan mengubah hal tersebut.

Saya Hanyalah seorang anak kecil namun begitu saya tahu bahwa kita semua menghadapi permasalahan yang sama dan kita seharusnya bersatu untuk tujuan yang sama.

Walaupun marah, namun saya tidak buta, dan walaupun takut, saya tidak ragu untuk memberitahukan dunia apa yang saya rasakan.

Di Negara saya, kami sangat banyak melakukan penyia-nyiaan, kami membeli sesuatu dan kemudian membuang nya, beli dan kemudian buang. walaupun begitu tetap saja negara" di utara tidak akan berbagi dengan mereka yang memerlukan.
Bahkan ketika kita memiliki lebih dari cukup, kita merasa takut untuk kehilangan sebagian kekayaan kita, kita takut untuk berbagi.

Di Kanada kami memiliki kehidupan yang nyaman, dengan sandang, pangan dan papan yang berkecukupan - kami memiliki jam tangan, sepeda, komputer dan perlengkapan televisi.

Dua hari yang lalu di Brazil sini, kami terkejut ketika kami menghabiskan waktu dengan anak" yang hidup di jalanan. Dan salah satu anak tersebut memberitahukan kepada kami: " Aku berharap aku kaya , dan jika Aku kaya, Aku akan memberikan anak" jalanan makanan, pakaian dan obat-obatan, tempat tinggal . dan Cinta dan Kasih sayang " .

Jika seorang anak yang berada dijalanan yang tidak memiliki apapun, bersedia untuk berbagi, mengapa kita yang memiliki segalanya masih begitu serakah?

Saya tidak dapat berhenti memikirkan bahwa anak" tersebut berusia sama dengan saya , bahwa tempat kelahiran anda dapat membuat perbedaan yang begitu besar. bahwa saya bisa saja menjadi salah satu dari anak" yang hidup di Favellas di Rio; saya bisa saja menjadi anak yang kelaparan di Somalia ; seorang korban perang timur tengah atau pengemis di India .

Saya hanyalah Seorang anak kecil namun saya tahu bahwa jika semua Uang yang dihabiskan untuk perang dipakai untuk mengurangi tingkat kemisikinan dan menemukan jawaban terhadap permasalahan alam, betapa indah jadinya dunia ini.

Di sekolah, bahkan di taman kanak-kanak anda mengajarkan kami untuk berbuat baik. Anda mengajarkan pada kami untuk tidak berkelahi dengan orang lain.
Mencari jalan keluar, membereskan kekacauan yang kita timbulkan.
Tidak menyakiti makhluk hidup lain, Berbagi dan tidak tamak..

Lalu mengapa anda kemudian melakukan hal yang anda ajarakan pada kami supaya tidak boleh dilakukan tersebut?

Jangan lupakan mengapa anda menghadiri Konfrensi ini. mengapa anda melakukan hal ini - kami adalah anak" anda semua , Anda sekalianlah yang memutuskan dunia seperti apa yang akan kami tinggali. Orang tua seharus nya dapat memberikan kenyamanan pada anak" mereka dengan mengatakan " Semuanya akan baik-baik saja ". 'kami melakukan yang terbaik yang dapat kami lakukan' dan ' ini bukanlah akhir dari segalanya'

Tetapi saya tidak merasa bahwa anda dapat mengatakan hal tersebut kepada kami lagi. Apakah kami bahkan ada dalam daftar prioritas anda semua?
Ayah saya selalu berkata ' kamu akan selalu dikenang karena perbuatan mu bukan oleh kata" mu '

Jadi, apa yang anda lakukan membuat saya menangis pada malam hari. kalian orang dewasa berkata bahwa kalian menyayangi kami.

Saya menantang A N D A , cobalah untuk mewujudkan kata" tersebut.


Sekian dan terima kasih atas perhatian nya.


Servern Cullis-Suzuki telah membungkam 1 ruang sidang Konfrensi PBB, membungkam seluruh Orang" penting dari seluruh dunia hanya dengan pidatonya, setelah pidato nya selesai serempak seluruh Orang yang hadir diruang pidato tersebut berdiri dan memberikan tepuk tangan yang meriah kepada anak berusia 12 tahun.

dan setelah itu ketua PBB mengatakan dalam pidato nya..

" Hari ini Saya merasa sangatlah Malu terhadap Diri saya sendiri karena saya baru saja disadarkan betapa penting na linkungan dan isi nya disekitar kita oleh Anak yang hanya berusia 12 tahun yang maju berdiri di mimbar ini tanpa selembar pun Naskah untuk berpidato, sedang kan saya maju membawa berlembar naskah yang telah dibuat oleh assisten saya kemarin… Saya ... tidak kita semua dikalahkan oleh anak yang berusia 12 tahun "

------------ --------- --------- --------- --------- ---------

Cerita ini benar" terjadi dan pidato severn Cullis-Suzuki itu benar" pidato yang dikatakan nya dalam pidato tersebut tanpa dilebih" kan .

Apa yang anda dapat dari cerita tersebut?

INTERVIEW WITH NAJ.ONE

Wewww blog ini penuh dgn tulisan copy-paste... cuman semua object yg menarik buat saya akan saya masukin ke sini.. so enjoy or leave it! hehehhe [egois mode ON]. Naj One adalah seorang vegan rapper n sering kerjasama dengan musisi vegan metal core seperti Cherem.. Saya pertama kali download dia dari New Eden Records, yg isinya band2 vegan and ada satu hip hop vegan, so saya download n coba denger n sampe sekarang keracunan (yang kedua setelah Homicide, Homicide tetep cadas n produk dlm negeri yg patut di banggakan!) Saya tertarik setelah denger "Destroy Babylon", liriknya pro-life banget.. so berikut ini cuplikan interview yg saya copy paste (lagi?) dari messiahvcomm.com...





INTERVIEW WITH NAJ.ONE

Destroy Babylon is the latest record that has just been released by the artist formerly known as Foek. Foek has recently changed his artist's name to Naj.one after his Islamic name Harun Najwan al-Askari.

Brother Naj.one's music can be best described as hip-hop that has got a sharp political-spiritual edge combined with a militant undertone, but without losing touch with reality. The lyrics cover various subjects ranging from more personal issues such as the struggle he fought with drug addiction, the battle he is still fighting with HIV to the necessity for global revolution and social change.

When I listened to Destroy Babylon for the first time I already had high expectations about this inspiring brother's album. But to be honest; I was not prepared to be blown away like this. Destroy Babylon is not some feeble attempt of a disillusioned white kid aiming at becoming the next Eminem. This is REAL hip-hop and Naj.one is good at what he does, combining his funny and kick-ass rhymes with groovy beats that force you to wake up to the reality that is going outside of your living room. Check out his new website www.najone.com for more information & buy this album. I can guarantee you that you will not be disappointed...


1. As salaam alaykum wa rahmatulahi wa barakatuh, brother Haroon. Please introduce yourself and give us a little insight about your person and your daily life.

-Wa laikum asalam, I am Haroon Najwan Askari a.k.a. Najone. I am a Shia Muslim from the United Snakes of Amerikkka. I am married with a child on the way. My daily life consists of work, salat (1), meditation, kung-fu and weight training. My goal in life is to destroy Babylon, worship Allah, be a good father, eat fruit and walk the planet.

2.What made you become a Muslim, and how did your friends and family react to this?

- I have been noticing that the world is coming to an end for a long time. I have been looking for an answer why the world is so messed up. It seems like no matter what you do the world gets worse and I wanted a logical explanation for this. It one day dawned on me that men have the technology to make the world sustainable and stop messing it up, so it had to be an outside influence. I realized that revelations were coming true and that the devil was winning. The disease of the world was a spiritual one. We seem to be the only biological creature on this planet capable of messing it up, every decision we make affects everything around us. I would not accept that I was the cancer of this planet. I started going back to church looking for answers but I could not believe that Isa al-Masih (Jesus) (as) was god. I also had a hard time with Christians telling me that it is o.k. to abuse animals because they were put here for us by god. So I stopped going to church and I said a prayer to Allah asking for a straight path. One day I was at a tattoo shop talking to a friend and he turned me on to this web site www.Taliyah.org. It is an Islamic based web site. I started reading the vanguard and I was amazed. Everything I believed about white privilege, racism, animal abuse, environmental problems was on there. I started talking on the forums with one of the moderators asking questions. At first some of it was hard to swallow and I still have a hard time with some aspects of Islam, but it seemed to be the movement I was waiting for my whole life, it is almost like I was born to be part of the Taliyah al-Mahdi. So I soon took shahada (2) and started my path of perfection lessons. My family is fine with it; I don't know how my father feels because we don't talk. Most my friends are cool with it, but a lot of people don't like the fact I am Muslim.

3. How do you understand "Islam" and how can it be seen through the eyes of revolutionary, political and activist minded people?

- That is a hard question, I understand Islam as the foundation of all spiritual beliefs. I was a Christian, a Taoist, a Buddhist and into all kinds of spiritual paths before Islam. Islam seems to be the end of the road for my spiritual search and the beginning of the path for my spiritual perfection. Islam is a revolutionary religion for those who are truly ready to destroy the Babylon of the world and the Babylon of the mind. Politically minded people seem to overthrow governments and create new oppressive governments. We have seen this repeated through out history. I believe Islam to be a government created through divine guidance. True Islam will never be oppressive, so most of these Muslim countries will have to be overthrown as well. I was basically an anarchist before I came into Islam. I realized that human beings doing whatever they want and living like animals is what created the situation the world is in today. People want to overthrow governments but want to keep the privilege that the oppressive government provides for them. A lot of activists also want to live unhealthy lifestyles which cause disruption in the community such as drinking and promiscuous sex. Until people destroy the Babylon of the mind they will never destroy the Babylon oppressing the masses.

4. What changed in your life since you are Muslim?

-Everything changes when we start to battle the Babylon of the mind. My whole perspective of god mostly. In the west people look at god as a white guy in the sky throwing lightning bolts. I do not look at god that way, I see god everywhere I look. We are all pieces of Allah and eventually will learn how to love like god loves us. That will be the result of revolution. My goal in revolution will be peace and love, I know it sounds like some hippy crap but that is what the love of Islam has done to me. Our goal should be to put down our guns, I know that we are far away from that day but that is my true goal. The war must only be fought after the ego is destroyed and we learn how to love. Islam has taught me to be guided by the truth and not anger.

5. How do you apply Islam in your daily life?

- Make salat (1), I read the Quran often. I also started telling people about Islam doing da`wa (3). I do not have a lot of the habits I used to have because of Islam and I treat women with a lot more respect. I study Islam daily and I am soon going to start learning Arabic.

6.Why did you specifically choose this spiritual path? Why not become Christian, Buddhist or a follower of Judaism, for example?

- I have tried all those other religions and philosophies accept Judaism. I know now that there is only one religion for me and that is the Islam. There is no religion but submission to Allah (swt) and that is what Muslim means, one who submits to Allah. There is no Islam for me but the Taliyah al-Mahdi.

7. Which revolutionary groups have inspired you the most in word and action? And are there any groups you are active in yourself?

- Move! Long live John Africa, they are the first group to say revolution starts from doing the right thing. They are also one of the first groups to recognize the exploitation of animals and the planet. I am also very inspired by Malcolm X. Che Guevara is tight because he really believed in what he was fighting for and tried to unite Africa and South America. Yo, there are so many people and groups. I am a member of the Taliyah al-Mahdi, and I am not very active. I am just a wannabe new jack; I do not consider myself very revolutionary.

8.What suggestions would you like to make to fellow revolutionaries, or people that are interested in spirituality and becoming active in revolutionary movements?

- Like I said, I do not consider myself revolutionary, I will say that revolution starts with yourself; you must fight the inner jihad before you fight the outer jihad. I am still learning and training and if I did do something I would not talk about it. If you do direct action keep your mouth shut!

9. You are active in an Islamic group called Taliyah Al-Mahdi. Could you tell our readers what Taliyah exactly is!

- Taliyah is an Islamic organization that is training for the rise of the Mahdi (4) (as). We encourage veganism, anti-racism and we are against Arab / Persian cultural imperialism that people mistake for Islam. We respect the oneness of all life and do our best to fight against oppression in all forms. There is way too much to explain if you would like to know more please contact www.Taliyah.org

10. How do you see the Wahabi /Salafi-cult (5) which gave Islam a bad name worldwide?

- The only problem I have with Wahhabis is how they treat women and that they kill Shias. Other than that I really don't have any problems with them. I also respect the fact that they are against taqleed (13) they are also against the use of logic in Islam. There also seems to be a racism problem with a lot of these types of Muslims but that is also a problem amongst Shias as well. I do not want to speak bad about other Muslims and I also have limited knowledge of Wahhabis. I don't know if I would call them a cult because plenty of people call Taliyah occult/a cult???? and I don't like that very much. Remember the words of the prophet Jesus (pbuh) "before you remove the speck from your brother's eye, make sure to remove the mountain from your own eye". I feel I have a lot of inner jihad to fight and house cleaning to do before I go around saying things about other Muslims, but I don't believe in Salafi fiqh(6) in general and currently practice Shia (7) Islam.

11. Do you face more repression from the state since they know that you are Muslim and /or active in Taliyah? Have you seen Muslims in the U$A treaded like second class citizens since 9/11?

-Yes and no, I don't expect anything but to be killed or locked up by this shaytanic (8) system. I did however bring the suppression of this system upon myself unlike rappers like Dead Prez, Paris or Immortal Technique who were born into suppression because of there race. I do however feel that it is too late to turn back and try and conform into this shaytanic white system we call Amerikkka. For me to say that I am oppressed is another story, I could never say that I am oppressed. My people oppress the rest of the world and it was my own choice to start speaking out against this shaytanic system. Muslims are constantly discriminated against in some parts of the country, but I am still a white Amerikkkan and appear that way to most of these brainwashed zombies. I have never been discriminated from work because of religion or race. The only discrimination I face is because of my felonies when it comes to work. I do have tattoos all over my body and that separates me from a lot of people especially Muslims. Sometimes I feel Muslims are the most discriminatory, racist people I have ever seen but there are a lot of straight up Islamic freedom fighters. As far as any discrimination I get I brought it upon myself and I also consider it an honour to be outcast from this white privileged shaytanic system, and I hope to die outcast. To sum it all up I am a certified race traitor.

12. I heard you are vegan, drug free, and that you follow the Hardline. What place does this have in your life, and how do you relate this to Islam?

-They are all part of submission to Allah, as far as I know Hardline is the Taliyah I could be wrong, but our mission is to fight oppression. We do not pick are battles they were picked for us. So drug free and veganism are all part of submission to Allah. I do not think there is such thing as halaal (lawful in accordance to Allah) anymore.

13. Do you believe in the concept of a vegan revolution, or do you see this as a flawed cause?

- Yes and no, veganism is a big part of revolution. If vegan people do not go vegan we will not have any drinking water or rainforest left in twenty years. I fully support ALF and ELF actions. I however do not think that people are good people just because they are vegan, or that veganism is going to stop oppression as a whole. Veganism is not going to make reparations for slavery, or stop systematic racism. Veganism will not stop people from watching pornography and exploiting women. Veganism will not stop drug abuse, and corrupt governments. Unless you are doing direct action veganism is a diet. I respect people more when they eat meat sometimes and burn down mink farms than kids who think they are saving the world by eating tofu. I support veganism and I will promote it 'til I die or sell-out, hopefully I will die first! However people that have other things to worry about other then veganism because they are fighting wars or they are just broke, I ain't mad at ya...

14. Which writers and artists influenced you as an individual?

- Damn were do I begin Eldridge Cleaver, Huey P. Newton, Howard Zinn, Zach De La Rocha, Nas, Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), Noam Chomski, Immortal Technique, Earth Crisis, Isa Adam Naziri, Vegan Jihad, Saul Williams, Chuck D, Tu-Pac, Dead Prez, Killa Priest, Marcus Garvey, John Africa, Franz Fanon, Che Guevara, Russel Simmons, Eminem, Jay-Z, Common Sense, Mujahideen Team, Shahid Mustafa, Amir Sulaiman, Emcee Search, KRS1, Peter Tosh, Bob Marley, Jesus Christ (as), Confucius, Erica Badu, Askari X, Imam Jamil Amil, Bawa Muhayideen, Russel Means, Rob Coronado, Mustafa Talib, Talib Kwelli, Mos Def, Ramona Africa, Rass Kass, Sabac Red, Ill Bill, Mumia Abu-Jamal. Yo, I could go on for days.

15. What is the biggest problem humanity is facing right now according to you?

- The disease is a spiritual one, and single issue causes are not the answer. The disease is spiritual and submission to Allah is the only cure.

16. What is your main intention as a rapper and artist?

- I want to raise awareness, I used to be a homeless junkie on the street and now I am a Muslim. Al-Hamdulillah, I want the world to know. I want white Amerikka to hear what we are doing to the world from one of there own people, I want reparations for slavery to be paid, I am sick of reflecting uncle Sam's racism and I want him to know it. Reparations are going to have to be taken. I can not fight for or know the struggle of black America but want to support their battles. I want people to look at what we are doing to the world, I want chaos, I want to destroy Babylon!

17. Was it easy for you to get roots into the hip-hop scene?

- Yes, because hip-hop is my background. I got into hardcore through hip-hop. I was always going to house parties and open mics and talking about vegetarianism and staying sober. Not to many kids were into it, so I met some straight edge vegan kids and we started to exchange ideas. I soon got into veganism through the hardcore scene. I liked the hardcore kids because they were actually politically aware of things, but my heart has always been into hip-hop. I grew up on N.W.A , Tu-Pac and all kinds of other west coast rap. I listened to hip hop for most of my life except for a few years I was heavy into drugs. Those years I was more into hippie music but I always came back around to hip-hop. I used to break dance in school and experimented in graffiti. I was always lousy at graffiti. When I first got back into hip-hop I was really wanting to get tables and be a deejay. I could never afford tables so I started freestyling over beats just to participate. Soon I would go to battles and then next thing you know being an emcee is all I cared about. So no it was not hard.

18. You have hardcore and hip-hop backgrounds. Which subculture do you feel more familiar with and why?

- Hip-hop is my background; I feel more comfortable with hip-hop. People in hardcore are cool and I love how underground hardcore is, except all this sucky fashion music. Hip-hop is just more universal and a lot of hardcore kids have racism problems. I do however feel that if Earth Crisis was a hip-hop group that the message would have been carried further, that is kind of my goal to be like the Earth Crisis of hip-hop. The thing is, none of the ideas in hardcore are new. Veganism and remaining drug-free existed in the seventies. The first people to protest against zoos and really speak out against animal exploitation was MOVE, but they were all killed and imprisoned for their beliefs. Black people have been getting killed for the same thing Earth Crisis was saying for twenty years before the vegan straight edge movement blew up in 1996. I feel that hardcore kids need to recognize were these ideas came from. Bob Marley and Peter Tosh were some of the first to speak out against some of these issues, but a lot of hardcore kids seem to be really close minded to reggae music. Hip-hop however is becoming ridiculous, I am really happy that after 400 years Africans are starting to really make something of themselves and stand on their feet thought this music, but some of these new songs are ridiculous. The industry is playing black Amerikkka right now, and I really get sad when I hear some of these meaningless hip-hop songs that exploit women. I used to do it so I am not judging and I love to bump some Jay-Z and I look up to his intelligence. I just wish there were more people speaking out against the issues that matter. However, I am a guest in this culture and my opinion is of no relevance, we don't need any more white boys trying to tell Africans what they should be speaking about, but I know what I like. Even thought they are hard for me to listen to because of there anger towards me, I love to hear Dead Prez because they are the realest hip-hop group out. My job as a white kid in hip-hop and hardcore is to educate my people, I just moved to Salt Lake City from West Philadelphia and the education needs to be raised here in white Amerikkka the most. I have a couple hardcore kids who are trying to arrange for a Malcolm X festival on May, 20th. I am also trying to raise money for the Uhuru movement with some shows I am planning in the future and I am doing this with hip-hop and hardcore. So both scenes are good, it is not the music people listen to, it is what people are willing to do to change the world around them.

19. The "Destroy Babylon" CD is finally released now. How were the first reactions to this masterpiece of Hip-Hop?

- Thank you for calling it a master piece. I feel I am far from that statement though; I have good reactions from a lot of people. Some people are not feeling the things I am talking about, but I do not care. The destroy Babylon record was not an attempt to become popular; it was a warning mostly to white Amerikkka. Destroy Babylon is how I feel and I stick to the words, I do wish that I had more slow and emotional beats to rock. It was paid for out of my peoples pockets and we did not have much money to work with. I just hope that people can feel the truth in my words and change the world around them when they hear this record.

20. Were there also some boycott actions against you because of your "militant" views? How do people act when you are speaking on stage about Islam and politics?

- No, some of the anarchist types do not like my religious aspects but still show respect. I do argue with a lot of people about white privilege and reparations. That has been an ongoing debate since I started rapping, most white kids do not agree with me and don't feel a lot of my lyrics but that is about it.

21. You made a song together with a vegan straight edge band called "Cherem". How did this happen?

- I used to go watch Cherem play a lot, one day I asked them to do one more song. They said they would if I played it with them. So I got up on stage and freestyled while they played, it was more of a joke. People seemed to dig it so I started showing up to there practice. I really wanted to do something different on this record so we wrote a song to close the record with. Cherem are good kids they don't really dig my religious views but they are a cool hardcore band, there need to be more hardcore bands like them.

22. Which issues will be dealt in your next records?

- Right now I am really debating whether or not I want to rap anymore or put out anymore records. I am really into the spoken word scene and I like doing poetry with no beats. If I do put out another record it will be dealing with less vegan issues and more issues about human exploitation. I would really like to do something for all the brothers in prison. My next record will just be what it is, but I don't know if I am going to keep on rapping because I can't afford to put out records by myself. If I can get help from a label then cool, so we will just have to see what happens.

23.What is your opinion on modern pop- as well as hip hop culture?

- A lot of it is silly, but I am a guest in there household. I am a white kid in a black culture so I want to show my respect. So I will keep my opinions to myself. Accept I am sick of all you white kids saying the n-word and wearing doorags, stop it you are making us all look like clowns!

24. Your opinion about the whole Palestine /Zionist thing?

- I am pro Palestine, however a lot of Arabs are treated better in Israel then they are in Muslim countries. I feel that Saudi Arabia being against Israel is hypocritical because when Israel makes money, United States makes money and when United States makes money, Saudi Arabia makes money. All these Muslim countries sold Palestine out and if the Arab world really did not want Zionists in Israel they could have had that war over 20 years ago. What Israel is doing to Palestinians in the West Bank sucks but what happens to Shia Muslims in Afghanistan and Saudi Arabia sucks too. What happens to a lot of women in Pakistan sucks, and through out many Muslim countries. Muslims are ran by oppressive dictators and can't seem to come together like the state of Israel has, so we have a lot to learn from Israel. I am also sick of racism against our Hebrew cousins in Islam, not all Hebrews are Zionists and this Anti-Semitism in Islam needs to stop. I support Judaism but I do not support Israel, just like I support Islam but I do not support Saudi Arabia!

25. How do you see the war in Iraq?

- It sucks, and I pray it can be over soon. I wish that there was more resistance from the Shia community, and we were not depending upon elections to gain power. It sucks that a lot of Shias are depending upon Amerikkkans for liberation and not other Muslims but that goes back to Muslims not being able to function without oppressive dictators. My prayers go out to all the Muslims who have been killed. I don't understand how Sunni (9) fundamentalist could suicide bomb a Shia wedding on an Islamic holy day celebrating the closing of hajj(10). It is haraam (11) to fight during this month, so I feel some of these so called terrorist groups are funded by the CIA to create disturbance. It gives Amerikkka a reason to be there. I pray that these Hanbali (9) Sunni types can find love in there heart and Muslims can unite and stop killing each other. May Allah bless the ummah (12) with unity and peace, this Sunni Shia beef is what gets me heading more towards Sufism but in my heart I love the family of the prophet. Shia / Sunni fighting is ridiculous and I hope it stops. Muslims are supposed to be on the forefront of justice and not be killing each other.

26. Final words!

- A salam a laikum wa ramatulahi wa barakatuh! Check out the record Inshallah! Shia/Sunni unity!


Glossary

(1) Prayer.

(2) Becoming a Muslim by testifying oneness of Allah and prophethood of the Holy Prophet of Islam.

(3) Inviting people to Islam.

(4) The 12Th Imam (leader) from the Family of the Prophet (as). Shias believe that the Mahdi (as) is hidden and will rise to bring global justice.

(5) An intolerant Islamic sect which does not accept other Islamic sects. Heavy supported by American and British imperialism to bring disunity in the Islamic community. Saudi Arabia and its corrupt government are based on wahabism / salafism. Wahabism / salafism influenced the Taliban in Afghanistan.

(6) Fiqh means jurisprudence

(7) Shiism (Shia) is an Islamic sect. The Shiites follow the prophet Muhammad (saw) and his family (as).

(8) Shaytan can be best described as Satan. A satanic system !

(9) Sunnism includes the four islamic sects like maliki, hanafi, shafee and hanbali.

(10) The pilgrimage to Mekka.

(11) Unlawful or forbidden for use, consumption, or to act upon.

(12) Islamic community.

(13) Following a religious authority