The Hadhrami Influence in Indonesia

Indian Ocean Hadhrami Migration

For a Hadhrami to be in Indonesia, is to be at home. In fact, for most Hadharem, Indonesia is more home than the ancestral Hadhramaut. There are more Hadhramis in the fourth most populous country in the world and the country with the world's largest Muslim population than there are back in Hadhramout. Of the about 240 or so million Indonesians, Arabs, after the Chinese, are the second largest minority. Of these Arabs - about four or five million of them, almost all are Hadhramis or their descendants. While the Chinese have dominated Indonesia's businesses and finances for decades, the Hadramis have been the most influential culturally and spiritually. It's they, the Hadharem, who have been most instrumental and influential in introducing Islam to the thousands of islands in this South-East Asian country; and strengthening it there.

Kinyarwanda: Forgiveness is Freedom

Kinyarwanda

Early last year, I wrote on this site: Magical Rwanda: a country of mountains and many lakes. And a country whose many people are now turning to Islam and mosques for peace and guidance. Now there is a powerful, moving, horrific and eye-opening award winning movie, Kinyarwanda: Forgiveness is Freedom, about those horrific one-hundred-or-so days of the Rwandan genocide - which resulted in almost one million people being mercilessly hunted and butchered; and the very peaceful, caring role Muslims played during that period.

Abu Dhabi, Sturgeon Farming and Caviar

Caviar

Except for a few, five or six, basic tastes - like that for sweet and bitter, most tastes are acquired. Acquired with time. Depending on where one lives and how one is brought up or lives through - time shapes up our character, senses and tastes. With time, many come to love tea and others coffee or both; with time, some people get used to eating and to like beetroots or bamboo shoots; with time the people of Hadhramaut get to very much love, dry, salted shark meat; with time, many people in the Far South-East Asia consider dog meat a delicacy; and - in the same way - there are many, who - with time, acquire the taste and the love for caviar.

Site of Note: Itto's Living Faith

 Itto's Living Faith

Once in a while, I come across a unique blog that I find absorbing and interesting. It is long since I found one. A few days ago I found such a blog. Normally, I lose interest very fast with blogs that are too personal and have too many 'Is' and 'mes'. But, this one - as simple as it is - even with the many 'Is', 'mes', 'wes' and 'ours' - I have been immensely enjoying reading. It is a blog by a German woman who has converted to Islam.

You may not be here.......

Of my children, my youngest daughter, not only does very well in school in mathematics and the sciences, but she is also turning out to be very gifted: she is a good painter and loves reading and writing poetry. She is also an avid listener of European classical music. A few days ago, she sent me this very comforting poem:

You may not be here to hear me say,
That grateful I am everyday,
To have your support come what may,
And this indeed makes me gay.

Glad to have your love and care,
Others posses hearts but bare,
And forever shall it be my prayer,
That one day this bliss we shall share

Skies may not always be blue,
But a promise I'll make to you,
And I hope you'll make it too,
That we'll always stick like glue.

Worlds apart we may be,
Seems more like an axe upon a tree,
Truth is we cannot flee,
But one day meet shall we. Insha Allah...

Nothing is as fulfilling in life as having children. Except - seeing those children grow up into normal, healthy, productive and secure people. It becomes even more fulfilling and comforting, if your children get caring and responsible spouses. From and for a parent, nothing is as important as teaching and giving them the best: knowledge, discipline and integrity. It is these, with a good health that make people either strong or weak. Either successful or failures. And either be respected or disregarded. How each of my children grow up and turn out to be, will very much reflect at how, as a parent, I have been and I am.