Saya masukkan email yang pernah saya kirim ke MUIS (Majelis Ugama Islam Singapura) yang menangani masalah agama Islam di masyarakat Singapura.
Idenya sih berawal pada pengalaman pribadi dalam mencoba untuk menjadi muslim yang lebih "bertaqwa" melalui sholat. Visinya ingin menjadi muslim modern yang tidak membentur-benturkan kewajiban sebagai umat Islam dengan lingkungan yang mungkin kurang Islami.
Namun demikian, untuk kasus di Singapura yang lambang benderanya saja sangat islami dengan 5 bintang yang menandakan sholat 5 waktu, rupanya mayoritas yang berkuasa kurang mengakomodasi hal itu sendiri. Nah disinilah muncul "semangat" untuk memicu agar masyarakan islam harus lebih exist memperjuangkan hal-hal dasar yang sifatnya wajib, tanpa perlu memprovokasi masyarakat agama lain.
Tapi ya semuanya terserah di Singapura, karena saya pun juga hanya seorang pendatang yang mencari sesuap nasi di negeri ini. Yang jelas, apapun hasilnya, tidak akan mengubah prinsip saya untuk konsisten sholat dimanapun kita berada tanpa perlu mengorbankan interaksi sosial kita dengan seluruh masyarakat. Umat islam tidak perlu mengalienasi dirinya hanya karena harus menjalankan kewajibannya. Jika memang kita minoritas, beradaptasilah terhadap hal2 yang sifatnya hubungan antar manusia dan interaksi sosial.
selamat membaca ;
Assalamualaikum MUIS,
I have been working here for 3 years and found out that practising sholat in Singapore, an originally moslem population surrounded by big Moslem country, is not that easy. It started in 2004 when I realize that my neighbour used to pray on the emergency exit stair for Dzuhur and Ashar. For me, I did it inside the office since the company is Indonesia company and it is normal to pray next to your table. Then, I also start to realize that a big office complex like Suntec city do not have a place for moslem to pray. The nearest one is a surau built in the basement of Centennial Tower, and prepared only since the coming of people from Pakistan working for Citibank.
The worst experience is around 3 weeks ago when I’m browsing around Plaza Singapura and suddenly realizing that Dzuhur time is almost passed. So I walk to information counter to ask for direction. It surprised me that the girls (both are Malay and I believe moslem as well) advised me to go to Al Falah in Orchard. How could I get there without missing the Dzuhur time (around 10 minutes before time) ? and the girls knew that exactly. So I asked where did the moslem employees of Plaza Singapura pray ? the first girl looked speechless and then the second took control by saying that they have their own private pray room for employee and it is not allowed for public and they stated it with very clear articulation with no indication for flexibility. And then they could only say sorry, that’s all they could do. That’s is too much for me.
So, I went up to 6th floor, found the toilet and do the wudhu, and then try to find a corner to pray. While looking around, I spotted an auntie looked suspicious to me, so I approached her and explain that I’m looking for a relatively clean space of 1x 0,5 m to pray. And she asked me, are you moslem ? I said yes. Then this auntie asked me to follow her and she showed me a corner where the worker and janitor used to rest with a pack of flattened box. She allowed me to use that place to pray. That experience really shook me, and what surprising is that the auntie is an Indian – Hindu (with red dot line on her forehead).
So, bottom line there are 2 points : 1. Should MUIS step up to ensure that every building is provided with quiet room or place to pray ? the moslem staying in the building could be assigned to maintain it. And it could also be used for other religion if necessary (like the praying room I found inside Changi Airport). 2. MUIS working with Singapore Tourism Board should start to educate people which will be likely serving the tourist to go extra mile, especially related to something that should comes first in life like sholat. This could be specifically targeted to Moslem who works in all the information counter throughout the island.
I hope this feedback will bring Singapore and its moslem population to a better community. Insya Allah.
Wassalamualaikum Warahmatullahi Wa barokaatuhAchmad Abimanyu Suntec - Singapore - 21 Aug 2007 (1.38 pm)
