I am a Muslim Woman

November 21, 2001 | Furi Setio Rini

[Ronin]

Hello,

My name is Furi Setio Rini and I am a Muslim woman. I am 20 years old and live in Jakarta, Indonesia. I am attending my third year of medical school at Trisatki University. My friend, Ronin, asked me to write this because he is very disturbed about the hatred of Islam that he is seeing on your board.

What can I say about me? Well, I think I am an average Indonesian girl. I like movies and music. I love to shop for new clothes. Sometimes I eat too much. I do not like the music that is too loud. I don't like politics and I don't understand them.

I have to laugh when I hear western people talk about Muslim women. Somehow they think that all of us are beaten by men and treated like animals. If you had ever seen my father, my brothers and me, running away from my mother when she was angry, you would know how silly that is.

I have never worn a veil. I wear make up and I use lipstick. Except on the days I go to Mosque. On those days I clean myself as much as I can. I do not believe that it makes much difference to God, but I want him to see me with my true face, and heart.

I have two brothers. One of them is older, the other is younger than me. I guess that they are like brothers everywhere. Sometimes I love them. Sometimes I hate them. Sometimes I wish I could kill them. But no, that is a lie. Even when I think I hate them, I love them. They are my brothers, my family. I love and respect my father and my mother. I adore my father and hope to find a husband just like him.

I have not been kissed yet. And I have not been held as a woman wants to be held. Yes, I want it. Yes, I dream about it. But I can wait until I find the man I will marry. And no -- it will not be a marriage arranged by my parents. I will choose my husband, and he will choose me. We will marry because we love each other and want to spend the rest of our lives with each other. God willing.

I am studying to be a doctor. It is my best dream and ambition to be a doctor in a small village where doctors are rare. I want to be able to help the most common people of my country. I want to make life better for them. I want to bring happy and healthy babies to loving mothers and proud fathers. I want to give comfort to the old people who have so much to teach us. I want to share my love with true and real results.

I am not perfect. I am quite lazy sometimes and I have to force myself to studies on days when it is too hot, or at times when there are so many other interesting things to do. But this is a story about Muslim women, so maybe I should talk about that a little. What is Islam to me? This is a question that is very hard for me to answer. Islam is in my blood. I pray to God each day. I ask for health and happiness for my family, my friends and my country. More than that I cannot say. I love God and I pray to Him daily. . Is that any different from you?

I pray to God each day for wisdom. But the newspapers and the television and the radio shows me nothing but images I do not want to see. I can't stand the pictures I see.

I hate war. I hate it! I hate it! I hate it!

I hate it almost as much as I hate pediatrics class. Not because I hate newborn babies, I love them. I want my own babies. But, I hate learning about the illnesses and the horrible conditions that can happen when a baby gets sick.

My heart cries. Sometimes, just opening the textbook is a horror. To see a stillborn baby makes a small death inside me. But I must learn, because if I cannot learn to treat them and make them well, more babies may die. I cannot think of anything worse.

I think that most Indonesian girls are like me. And, most Indonesian boys are like boys everywhere. They like cars and sports. They play music too loud. When they think they are so cool and exciting, they are usually very boring. The television and radio you see is not showing you the proper vision of my country or my people. We live and we love. We go to restaurants, movies, and clubs.

I do not drink alcohol, but I do not find that a hardship. (I did have a glass of red wine once. It did not taste very good.) My father and my brother smoke cigarettes, but I don't. No, we do not eat pork.

Men say that the words of God are in the Holy Quran, the Christian Bible and in the Jewish books. I do not know about that. I read the Holy Quran and try to live my life in the teachings that it contains. But inside my heart I know the only commandment of God is love. I love God. And I know that God is love.

So, this is my testament. It is not very profound.

I am a Muslim woman. I love God. God is love. I love you all.

Furi Setio Reni

[P-Marlowe]

After 9/11, I began to actually study the Quran and other Islamic writings. What I found horrified me.

Ditto.

[ppaul]

Islamophobic Freepers tend to project collective guilt onto all Muslims, even this young woman, for the harmful actions of Muslim extremists.

I wonder.
If the occupants of the World Trade Center had actually seen the airplanes careening toward them the morning of 9/11,
would they have been "Islamophobic" too?

[abner]

I think that most people in this country would like to believe that the Islamic religion is peaceful. The American people not knowing a thing about the Islamic religion has been a plus for the Bush administration though. Since 9/11 I have been on a search for what is supposed to be Islam. What I have found has been extremely confusing. There are so many sects to the religion that its no wonder they need all of those warlords over in Afghanistan.

In the end, I went to the Quran, and just decided to read it. What I have read so far is alarming. The first two chapters are filled with 'hate' for the Christian, the Jew and all non-believers. That is where I am with it right now, and I will continue to read it as I can. Right now, I am not encouraged.

If the Muslims are supposed to follow the "Real Islam", and not something else, we are in a heap of trouble.

One of the things I keep hearing is that Muslims should lie to the non-believers. If that is the case, all of the 'Islam is peace and love' talk that we hear should be taken as a lie to lull us into submission. Nothing less. Including your friend.

Trust but verify.

As far as FReepers not wanting to embrace her and Islam, we have been attacked. Our way of life is at stake and no one should forget that. When the Islamic condemnation has been virtually non-existant its tough to be chartitable to this religion that has vowed to wipe us out.

[wwjdn]

Most of us want to believe that Islam is a religion of faith and peace. Unfortunately the Islam Clerics have damaged their faith almost to the point of no return. They will not openly and publicly denounce the Taliban and the other radical Islamic people, or if they do it is in very mild language stating only that they do not represnt all of Islam.

Where were these peaceful clerics when there was rioting in Indonesia? Where are they in the USA? All I hear if small talk, mumbling if you will, trying to convince us that Islam is peaceful.

All of God's children need to be loved.

The Clerics need to start a wide campaign to denounce these radicals if they want us to believe in their peaceful religion.

[MizSterious]

"would they have been "Islamophobic" too?"

There are some very good questions being asked here. The one I just quoted is one, and IronJack asked another: why can't they try to understand us? I don't know how it is where you live, but the OKC media has been awash with all these Islamics demanding that we learn to understand them. Many--no, make that most--aren't even citizens! They're guests in our country, and demanding our understanding? Some are quite strident about it. I switch channels. I understand one thing quite well: on September 11th 2001, followers of Islam killed thousands of innocent men, women and babies in the name of their religion. What else do I need to understand?

[dead]

Once, but it was in college and I was drunk. I've kinda blocked most of it out.

[YourAdHere]

This thing just looks fake to me. It reads as if it was written by a propaganda artist. Someone on the left perhaps.

[IronJack]

During peaceful times, we reach out and try to understand other cultures. We've been buried under "diversity" and "multiculturalism" until we're suffocating. And normally, we grumble but we tolerate it.

It's time for the rest of the world to show US some tolerance, and to embrace OUR diversity. We're the victims here, no matter how hard anyone tries to portray us otherwise.

This is OUR time, come round at last.

[dead]

This thing just looks fake to me. It reads as if it was written by a propaganda artist. Someone on the left perhaps.

My eyes glossed over by the second paragraph and I started snoring at work, which isn’t cool.

Celine Dion has recorded songs that are less sappy and treacly than this obvious bit of propaganda.

[SauronOfMordor]

I have had SEVERAL Bosnian muslims tell me that it was the Jews who destroyed the WTC!! The stupidity of these people is HORRID!! They said a muslim would NOT do such things....yep, muhammed atta was a good Jewish boy from the Bronx.....NOT!!!!!!

You are seeing the effect of the Islamic logic chain:

1. A Muslim cannot approve of, or tolerate, attacks on fellow Muslims by non-Muslims
2. If the WTC attack was performed by Muslims, then it justifies attacks on Muslims
3. Therefore, regardless of any evidence, no faithful Muslim may admit to non-Muslims that the attack was performed by Muslims (although Muslims may discuss it privately among themselves while celebrating)

It's a bit like Communist logic: if a fact would reflect poorly upon Communism, then it is false. If an assertion would advance Communism, then it is true. Truth is defined as whatever assertion advances your ideology

[ppaul]

I understand one thing quite well: on September 11th 2001, followers of Islam killed thousands of innocent men, women and babies in the name of their religion. What else do I need to understand?

That it will happen again if we keep on listening to their propaganda and not utterly destroy the network of Islamic terrorists and their supporters.

[Freedom'sWorthIt]

Please tell your friend, I as a Christian woman, bear her no ill will. However, I would urge her to not only use her apparent intelligence in the cause of bettering the physical condition of her people (by becoming a doctor to the poorest of them) - but to use her intelligence (given her by God) to look at the world asking God to show her the truth - about Him, about the world, and about the conduct of Muslims around the world towards those they consider as "infidels".

If she has the courage to do so - see if she would risk reading this book: "I Dared To Call Him Father" - written by another Muslim woman....who became unhappy by the Koran's leaving her empty in her search for truth about God - and then read the Bible - and THEN became a Christian - and had to flee her country for her life because her family members were after her to kill her.

[xJones]

It is precisely the silence and equivocations of Moslems around the world about 9/11 that has turned me and so many others so resolutely agains Islam..

I don't think most of us gave a flip about Islam until now. And the more we learn, the worse it gets.

[Jeff Head]

If you send me the photograph (email) of Ms. Rini, I will post it to the thread. (jeffhead@bigplanet.com)

Sometimes it helps to tie a pciture of a real person to the words.

Tell Ms. Rini that there are millions of Americans who believe God is love too.

I know there are several hundred million Indonesians and that it is the largest Muslim nation. I also know that there are good and bad amongst all peoples, parties, sects, denominations and religions. I believe this girl's testimony about her beliefs and I wish her God's blessings.

At the same time, there are many, many of her faith who either apporve of what happened on 9/11 or are unwilling to condemn it. Please ask Ms. Rini to write a codnemnation of what happened on 9/11 to supplement her remarks and it would help most FReepers and Americans alike. We are very disturbed by a general lack of avowed and open condmentation, with no excuse, by ISlamic clerics, both abnroad and here in our own country. That is the fuel (along with the burning pyre of the WTC) that is fueling many of the feelings of rghtous indignation you see here.

If you and Ms. Rini truly believe God is love and that hHe is mercioful yet Just, then go with God and distance yourself from these others ... because these others WILL feel our terrible retribution. Not out of revenge, rather out of Justice and a true desire to never see it happen again.

Tell Ms. Rinin that I am a Christian man. There are millions here like me ... I am nothing special. I believe what I have related to you is something those folks over there need to hear. Please forward it to her for me.

Sincerely,

Jeff Head
www.jeffhead.com

[sam_paine]

''-- --- .-. . / -... ...''

Barbra Streisand?

[spunkets]

-.-- . .--. .-.-.-

[MizSterious]

They keep demanding our understanding--yet this woman and those who are supporting her do not address the little problem of Islamic understanding--what kind of understanding did our Christian missionaries receive from their Taliban captors? Their "understanding" was to try them in one of their kangaroo courts. If found guilty, they would have received the death penalty! There's "Islamic understanding" for you.

[MissAmericanPie]

What no barf alert?

[Freedom'sWorthIt]

"It's a bit like Communist logic: if a fact would reflect poorly upon Communism, then it is false. If an assertion would advance Communism, then it is true. Truth is defined as whatever assertion advances your ideology."

Exactly! Which is why globalcommunists the world over see the Islamic terrorist attacks against our country with great approval and, no doubt, attempts to manipulate to achieve their goals as well. Which means, of course, that Hillary Clinton and her cohorts ARE IN AGREEMENT WITH THE TERRORIST GOALS! (the same satan who empowers the hatred and violence of the Muslim killers also empowers communist killers - including the ones who do Hitlery's bidding).