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

[Dengar01]

Do all Muslims refer to God, instead of Allah?

katze,

I was thinking the same exact thing. Doesn't quite make sense.

[A Navy Vet]

Treatment of Women in Islam
Fundamental Hatred of Women

[Wissa]

Yes, there are Muslims that are happy to live their lives peacefully, with many of the same wants and wishes and desires of nonmuslims. But there are also a lot of Muslims that apparently feel that it is their duty to Allah to do damage to those people they consider infidels. From what I've been reading, it isn't just confined to the fringe element either. The religious leaders are encouraging it, and the governments are, if not actively promoting it, at least not doing anything to discourage it.

Maybe your friend had better take off her rose colored glasses and take a look at all of the support for terrorists in countries around the world right now (including her own) in the cause of Islam. Then choose to either ignore it or take action to counteract it. All that it takes for evil to thrive, is for good people to do nothing.

[Satadru]

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.

Baby, I am coming to liberate you....

But I can wait until I find the man I will marry.

Hmmmmm...maybe not.

[CheneyChick]

Interesting that she is from Indonesia. I also recently read this about Indonesia:

Indonesia

Thousands of Christians in the Moluccas islands of eastern Indonesia have been forced by Islamic militants to convert to Islam or have been given deadlines by which they must convert or be killed. Disturbing reports by the Moluccan Christian human rights group, the Masariku Network, indicate that thousands of Christians in Bacan in northern Moluccas have been forced to change their religion to Islam. In a letter dated 3rd September this year, one of the church leaders from Bacan reported that 2 weeks beforehand 1,150 Christian youths and children were circumcised as part of their forced conversion (under the tenets of the Islamic religion, Muslim males have to be circumcised). Thousands have been forcibly converted to Islam and an ultimatum has been given that those Christians who do not convert by December 31st this year will be killed. One of the Christian pastors in Bacan, Rev. Pattiasina, was caught by Islamic militants who tortured and killed him.

Since July 5th this year, 60 Christian families in Jibubu village were forced to convert to Islam. This took place after they were forced to leave their hiding places in the forest because of lack of food. The letter from the Christian leader appeals for prayers and support from Christians around the world and to pray for Christians in Bacan that they may overcome these difficulties and that Christianity will continue to survive in that area.

[Kermit]

I have heard Middle Easterners in America do a lot of whineing, complaining, fingerpointing and feel just so put upon that the FBI and local police would like to interview all Middle Eastern males from the age of 16 to 35 in voluntary sessions. They shouldn't complain about the FBI, but about the terrorists, who infiltrated this society and made the interviews necessary. They are additional sleeper agent in this country and they should be happy to help us smoke them out.

Ronin, Miss Rini is obviously a sweetheart, but she needs to learn, what people are doing in the name of her religion. They're claiming it is a Moslem's duty to kill every American, man, woman and child, wherever they come across them. I believe Islam needs reforming.

[Cleburne]

Ms. Reni sounds as if she is not a particularly faithfull Muslim. Her admission to doubt the Koran should be a bit telling, as is her belief that God commands love. However, I feel that if introduced, she might find what she seems to long for within the other holy writ she refers to, the Bible and specifically the Gospel. Though I wonder what the response would be should she decide to leave Islam-I doubt it would be very good if her relatives are strong in their Islamic faith.

[solzhenitsyn]

Ronin, thank you for this excellent post. Unfortunately, it won't cure the invincibly ignorant. Too many of my fellow freepers seem to think that if you don't hate this young woman and everyone like her, you can't possibly love America.

There are indisputably many hateful, violent, religious fanatics in the Muslim world. I believe that there are far, far greater numbers of Muslims around the world who are decent people that just want to live their lives and raise their families in peace. It certainly seemed that way in Egypt, when I lived there. While there certainly were (and are) Muslim terrorists in Egypt, in my six years of working in many different locations around the country, I never actually met anyone who expressed any ill will toward my country. Everyone wanted to be my buddy. Of course, they were never on television, because they weren't terrorists or anti-American demonstrators.

I saw the most beautiful photograph on FR in the last day or two. It was of a little Afghan girl, facing skyward, in what appeared to be a prayer of thanksgiving, after her area was delivered from the Taliban. It was so moving! But to some Freepers, you're not a patriot unless you hate that little girl, and everyone like her.

I've seen many things that moved me in the past few days. I read about how happy one poor Afghan couple was to be going home, after the defeat of the Taliban. They'd been staying in some kind of tiny, pathetic hut that was only big enough for their children, so they had to sleep outside in the cold. But again, to some Freepers, you're not a patriot unless you hate them, and everyone like them.

Ronin, thank you for your courage. Too many good Freepers have sinned by silence lately.

[Tree of Liberty]

I think a more important question is whether or not Ronin has read the Koran.

[freebilly]

Maybe the mosques need some serious freeping.

[FR_addict]

Many of the replies to this story are excellent.

I have a young friend from Indonesia. She is a Chinese Christian and has told me about problems they suffer in this predominately Moslem country.

I want to know how you can believe in a prophet who was a warrior, rapist, pedophile, slave holder, and murderer? He advocated killing non-believers. What is there in this religion that is worth honoring?

What would happen if you questioned your faith? One young Moslem man I know about became a Christian and is in hiding in the States from his family. His mother said it would be better if she had killed him in her womb and his friends said they would have to kill him.

[glock rocks]

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.

so, do something useful about it... or bury your head in your pseudo burqa,
and let your men handle it...

if you are not part of the solution, then you...
ah, nevermind. plenty of sheeple to go around. peace.

[StoneColdGOP]

Bump for later read, thank you.

[homeschool mama]

Women in Afghanistan wanted many of the same things. When the Taliban took over they barred women from performing the very work they studied and dreamed of. They've been beaten, maimed, imprisoned and executed for the most minor infraction. Sick. I pray this young lady never experiences what the Afghanie women have.

[SpaceBar]

My handy Troll-O-Meter needle just pegged. Smells like complete BS.

[New Horizon]

Yeah. Keep up the support and see what happens.

Why not profess your beliefs in Afghanistan, instead of this crappy little forum? Be sure to wear plenty of lipstick.

I don't really give a sh!t what you obviously totally screwed up people believe. I am completely bewildered by your actions. Your constituents do insane things.

I'm sorry but I can't have a "hug" right now...separate yourself from these maniacs, instead of trying to defend their horrific behavior. See below...

[Dengar01]

Thank you solzhenitsyn for flaming so many FReepers. I know you would like to think of everyone besides yourself as uneducated or hateful "nazis". But what the FReepers on this thread have posted are facts. Not a bunch of hogwash that you find "hateful". Like I said in my previous post, I don't find all Muslims as evil. I find Islam to be a non-peaceful religion.

However, it seems that you are more of a bleeding heart liberal. I think it is wonderful that the Afghanis are rid of the rotten Taliban. I think it is disgusting and hateful of you to post But to some Freepers, you're not a patriot unless you hate that little girl, and everyone like her. That is a disgusting post. How dare you accuse FReepers of hating children, you really should get with it or transfer from FreeRepublic to DUng. You should be ashamed of yourself.

[freebilly]

You're wrong. I, like most freepers, don't hate Muslims. But when people who profess a belief in Islam kill 5000 innocent people it's time to seriously examine how such an act can occur without a lot of outrage from that part of the Muslim community which is (supposedly) moderate.

As Dubya has said "If yew ain't fer us, yew'r agin us."

[CheneyChick]

You are way off base.