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Wednesday, August 23, 2006

Learning Arabic

Some days ago, a member of mailing list I join #Sastra-Pembebasan# issued a topic about “Angels Speak Arabic”. I found it very childish and naïve. LOL.

I remember when I was a kid, my teachers at elementary school told us that there were five questions we all have to answer correctly after we die so that we will not get punishment during our ‘stay in the graveyard’ while waiting for the Judgment Day. (Does it sound logical to you? LOL.) Those five questions are: “Who is your God?” “Who is your prophet?” “What is your religion” “What is your holy book?” and I am sorry I forget the last one. LOL. (Perhaps one reader of my blog can tell me? LOL.)

One critical friend then said, “So, we don’t need to pray five times a day, no need to fast during Ramadhan month, no need to pay zakat (somewhat like ‘tax’ we have to give to other people), no need to do good to others. The most important thing is we remember those five questions and the answer in Arabic.” LOL. (FYI, I was not so critical and spoke up when I was a little. Poor me, eh? LOL.)

Recently after I become secular, after trying to be logical and use my common sense in viewing things, I found that teaching I got when I was a little very ridiculous. Isn’t it better to be good people who don’t do harm to other people rather than to be so-called religious people but kill other people? Killing like dogs eat other dogs? Coz we feel like chosen people?

I don’t find learning Arabic harmful. (I used to learn it when I was in elementary school. Though of course I forget much vocabulary coz I never use it in my daily life.) Learning other languages will always be beneficial for us coz we can learn more knowledge by mastering other languages. However if the reason is so that we will be able to answer the questions asked by the angel later after we die, of course I cannot control my laughter. LOL. LOL. LOL.

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