Scrutinising Aceh from Outside

This week has a long weekend starting from yesterday, Chinese new year, to tomorrow. In the morning, I got an invitation on a WA group stating that there was an open sharing forum held in The Atjeh Connection Sarinah. I thought, initially, that the name is an organisation name of Acehnese people residing in Jakarta where it is is a coffee shop offering a variety of typical taste of Aceh coffee. I went to Sarinah with my roommate and we found the location on the third floor of the Sarinah building. Getting in the lobby, we could see that in the room further inside are audience listening to the speech, or maybe a lecture, for an Acehnese known figure, although I can say that I had no idea who he really is. The man sitting at a table with other guest speakers elucidated the current condition of Aceh portrayed from various angles, in harmony with the given theme of the discussion ‘Meneropong Aceh dari luar Aceh'-literally more or less 'Scrutinising Aceh from outside’.

Each speaker was given time to talk before the chairman plead the audience to inquire in asking-and-answer session. Most of the discussion was in Indonesian, not as what I expected that it would run in Acehnese tongue. But, it was better that way since the audiences are not merely Acehnese in the same uniform of a tribe, they may be South Acehnese, Gayonese, South East Acehnese, etc. On the whole, each guest speaker, although I could not clearly listen to the speech owing the malfunction of the sound system, delivered their talk impressively. They seemed to be persons with outstanding experience in multiple sectors. I could calculate their critical thinking and serious concern over Aceh development. Besides, those who asked questions during discussion sessions also seemed sceptic as they elaborated so forcefully their insights prior to issuing questions.

One of the offered brilliant views of the speakers is that Aceh should attract more investors, either from local government or private companies. There was a speaker, known as a politics observer at the national level, who seemed to know political movement in Aceh so profoundly. Yet, to develop the province, he said, Aceh, given the instilled Islamic spirit in it, requires a refurbishment of the ways Acehnese adhering Islam. In this essence, he offered a view dubbed 'Moderate Islam' given the fact that the investors would not fit with intolerant Islam. Listening to the offer, I was simply about to agree, yet since I had a very jejune knowledge regarding the term, I tried to google. I discovered some international news about Erdogan decline the term since it is an artificial sort of Islam promoted by westerners to deflate Islam. Thus, in this matter, I have a fixed path to follow after all.

Another moment impressing me was when the last question raised by a student of Syiah Kuala University who is at an apprenticeship in the House of Representatives. The question critically inquired about what is the reference or fixed guide for Aceh to move post the MoU Helsinki. Given the current condition where ex-GAMs embarked on different paths developing Aceh. He admitted that Aceh to date has nobody to follow as its figures, not like in the past where Acehnese people can consider Tgk. Muhammad Hasan DiTiro and Tgk. Abdullah Syafi’i as their role models in idealism. Responding to the question, a guest speaker said that the chief thing needing shifting more light is education. He perceived that to alter Acehnese people’s mindset is what matters the most. The stubbornness of them underestimating the significance of education is a serious problem needing overcoming. At all sudden, I was moved since the question of education is my concern, the aspect I should orient so that I would discover a serious instability to fix upon the completion of my master programme in Germany, Insha Allah.

I am aware that I am not a superhero who can get away with ad hockery in response to any problems occurring on the land of Aceh. Indeed, the guest speakers, notwithstanding their broad experience and eloquence in lecturing, cannot also totally cope with the entire problems there. I know even in one case, educational aspect, I cannot take for secured that the education activity would run smoothly in my hand, this is irrational. I desire to hone my capacity in pedagogical skill, be a researcher studying the factors thwarting the language teaching, and be a facilitator of novel effective strategies as the solution.

Shortly, I am illuminated enough attending the discussion in The Atjeh Connection. I had something to bring back home. Yup, I do not want to be a usual Acehnese person, I want more. At least, I would try.

Jakarta, 15 February 2018