immortality

BANANA SPLIT

Sometimes on a sizzling, fasting day in tropical Indonesia, Idul Fitri took the shape of a few scoops of ice-cream to me. People sure had more philosophical views on the sacred meaning and prominent importance of Idul Fitri, but the right to claim ice-cream, to enjoy it on one scorching hot day, was about what mattered most when the heat (hence dehydration) drove me to the verge of lunacy.

It is clearly understood, then, that everyone looked forward to the “arrival” of Idul Fitri. And it is equally clearly understood that the annual battle of determining when-it-befalls somewhat became less and less enticing to me.

It’s that “hisab and rukyat” thing. It’s whether you will trust your astronomical calculations or your very own eyes. Now I’m not going to go into details. In most cases, what you see is what you get, but when it comes to seeing a (hazy, tiny, hardly visible) object on the far sky, one might be intrigued to seek encouragement in other methods (if any). This year both Muhammadiyah –who trusts their hisab- and Nahdlatul Ulama –who relies on their rukyat- had publicly agreed to disagree. That was to say that they decided to go their separate ways and each wouldn’t give a darn of what the other did. Seemingly the two schools of thoughts took “pleasure” in retaining their constant animosities, whilst ignorant fellows like I were caught in the middle. So some had their ice-cream on Oct 23 and some on Oct 24.

Leaders of the two so-called giant Islamic organisations had both declare that there was to be no “open dispute” in the grass-root concerning their different ice-cream days. The Minister of the Dept. of Religions hastily nodded his approval. Even the President urged the two parties involved in this “war of nerves” to view the matter as the freedom for religious expressions and thus to “behave” themselves. It was a formal assent for the Idul Fitri split. And splits are sure natural; even trees have branches. Yet I just can’t find my way to be so indulgingly tolerant to man-made split on things you could actually reconcile; if only you had the will.

Except for Banana Split. But of course in that case you have three scoops of ice-cream in between (instead of this Idul-Fitri-date row), and it’s a good man-made thing. Oh, I love ice-cream.

(As to what day I had my ice-cream, can you guess, guys?
It was on Oct 28, unfortunately, coz I was too busybusybusy to get it sooner. Shame!)

posted by eloque @ 1:02 AM What Say You?: 0