Monday, December 29, 2014

International Media Coverage on QZ8501

 
https://twitter.com/nytimesworld/status/549587946014507009/photo/1
Maps on the disappearance of AirAsia

Embedded image permalink


In crowded skies, lost plane's request for new path denied

http://bigstory.ap.org/article/c9d175f3f8e94f81b108a26cf49c12f2/indonesian-official-prospects-bleak-missing-jet

Monday, December 15, 2014

TNI Resmikan KRI John Lie, Kapal Frigate Canggih Berteknologi Inggris


http://nasional.kompas.com/read/2014/12/15/05173831/TNI.Resmikan.KRI.John.Lie.Kapal.Frigate.Canggih.Berteknologi.Inggris



BITUNG, KOMPAS.com - TNI Angkatan Laut memperkenalkan kapal tempur terbaru buatan Inggris yang diberi nama KRI John Lie 358. Kapal berjenis frigate ini diresmikan pertama kali di dermaga pelabuhan Samudera Bitung, Sulawesi Utara, Sabtu (13/12/2014) silam oleh Kepala Staf Angkatan Laut Laksamana TNI DR Marsetio MM, Gubernur Sulawesi Utara SH Sarundajang dan Panglima Armada Timur Laksamana Muda TNI Ary Hendricus Sembiring.
Nama yang disematkan di KRI ini sebagai bentuk penghormatan kepada Laksamana Muda TNI (Purn) Jahja Daniel Dharma, perwira tinggi TNI AL beretnis Tionghia yang lebih dikenal sebagai John Lie.
"Pengalaman sebagai pelaut dan pengetahuan taktik tempur laut serta pembersihan ranjau laut didapat saat bekerja sebagai Klerk Mualim III di Perusahaan pelayaran niaga milik Belanda selama beberapa tahun hingga terjadi Perang Dunia II dan saat perang dunia II berakhir beliau bergabung dengan Marine Division pada Kesatuan Rakyat Indonesia Sulawesi (KRIS)," tutur Kolonel Laut (P) Antonius Widyoutomo.
Kapal frigate ini diakui Kolonel Anton sebagai salah satu KRI paling canggih yang dimiliki TNI AL. KRI John Lie disertai teknologi yang dibeli dari Inggris dan terbilang baru di jenisnya.
"Kapal tempur ini jenis frigate yang memiliki kemampuan peperangan permukaan, udara, bawah air dan peperangan eletronika. Kemampuan peperangan multi dimensi, bahkan ada Heli Tempur On Board, bisa diantisipasi semuanya bukan hanya fisik," kata dia.
Pemberian nama ini pun diapresiasi pihak keluarga. Salah satunya adalah ME Lucas, keponakan John Lie. "Ya kami mengucap syukur kepada Tuhan, karena John Lie Tuhan sudah membalas segala kebaikkannya," tutur Lucas.
Menurutnya satu hal yang masih ditanamkan dalam benaknya mengenai pesan-pesan dari sosok John Lie yaitu kesetiaan kepada negara dan kesetiaan kepada Tuhan, karena dimata keluarga besari sosok John Lie sebagai panutan. "Orangnya sangat disiplin dalam menendik, juga tak pernah lupa kepada Tuhan," tambahnya.
Peresmian KRI John Lie juga dihadiri sang istri, Margareitha Angkuw (87). Turun dari Mobil Kinjang Inova warna hitam dengan nomor polisi DB 2566 AP, tepat d ibelakang tenda utama, istri John Lie yang duduk di kursi roda ini diantar menuju tempat duduk bagian depan sambil ini didampingi keluarga dan personil Danlantamal VIII Manado. (Christian Wayongkere)

Sunday, December 14, 2014

Religions distorted to harm women: Religious affairs ministry

http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2014/12/13/religions-distorted-harm-women-religious-affairs-ministry.html
by Hans Nicholas Jong

In a rare occasion that has signaled the government’s shift from religious conservatism, a top official has said religions may have been used by men to justify horrendous acts against women. 

The Religious Affairs Ministry’s Islamic development director general Muhammad Machasin said on Friday that there were reasons behind the use of religions to harm women.

“The ones who formulated religions were mostly men. Religious heads are also mostly men,” he said during a discussion on religions’ responses to violence against women.

Moreover, most religions came about during an era when women were not treated as equals and respected as they are today, according to Machasin.

Provided with such a background, society often tended to ditch logic and abuse religious texts to rule over women, Machasin argued. 

“For example, in Islam, if a husband is concerned that his wife will argue back [a sign of disobedience], he usually advises her, hits her or neglects her in bed,” Machasin said. 

“If we look at the situation when the text was composed, then it was probably a normal practice. But now if we want to hit [our wives], that is not okay. Our sense of justice would prevent us from doing so.”

Rights activist Siti Musdah Mulia of the Indonesian Conference of Religions and Peace said that religious texts had been grossly misinterpreted to justify domestic violence against women for disobeying their husbands.

“The Arabic term used is ‘dorabat’. But it doesn’t necessarily have to be interpreted as ‘beating’ because there are 18 different meanings behind the word. Personally, I use a softer meaning such as ‘educate’, rather than ‘beat’,” she said.

Musdah also criticized how the texts discriminated against women.

“The texts talk about women who disobey their husbands, but what about men? Are there no men who disobey [their wives]? What is the punishment for them?” she said.

Besides texts from the Koran, Prophet Muhammad’s sayings and deeds (hadith) could also be used recklessly to perpetuate the role of women as inferior beings compared to men, Musdah said.

“There’s a hadith that says men should be careful not to be tempted by women, which is even stronger than the devil’s temptation,” she said.

Musdah also argued how religions were often used to keep women from entering the workforce.

“In terms of marriage, women are often told to take care of their children. That’s still acceptable. But if they are told to take care of their husbands, can we conclude that their husbands are also babies?” 

Whenever people say that a woman’s nature is to be a housewife, they should be more careful about their definition, according to Musdah.

“The ones included in our nature are related to reproductive organs, such as birthing and breast-feeding. But when it comes to cooking, we don’t use our breasts [to cook] right?” she said.

National Commission on Violence Against Women (Komnas Perempuan) deputy chairwoman Justina Rostiawati said religious leaders were the biggest hurdle to people shifting their mindset from discriminating against women.

“It’s not only that they have certain interpretations [on religions] that could be harmful, but they also have a huge influence because their communities are really listening to them,” she said.

Religious leaders also played important roles because women tended to seek protection from them in the case of domestic violence, Justina added.

In 2013, the number of cases of violence against women jumped 30 percent to 279,688, as recorded by Komnas Perempuan. 

To provide a better understanding of how religions could protect women, the commission started a project in 2007 in which it invited religious leaders and theologians to discuss the issue.

So far, the commission has produced six books, each based on the major religions’ responses to violence against women.