At approx. 10:15am on September 9th, 2004, The Australian Embassy which is located in the heart of our beloved capital city has been attacked. In this attack, 8 people had been reported killed and 161 were badly injured. Among the casulties was a five year-old girl, security guards, and number of pedestrians.
Who could have done this unbearable act of crime? Edward Said, a groundbreaking author and an activist of peace and social justice, once said during the civil waer in Beirut, " The Orient was almost a European invention, and had been since antiqity a place of romance exotic beings, haunting memories and landscapes, remarkable experiences. Now it was dissapearing; in a sense it had happened, it's time was over." He was reffering the Orient to "middle east" countries which surrounded by wars and hatred that blockes away the amazing resources that the countries have. Was Indonesia's time over? Since when did our country stop being peaceful? Since when do we start to think that it's OK to kill our brothers and sisters? I try to hold on to the good memories of home, but why do i always come back to the bad ones? The memory of fear during the Suharto's regime, during the clash of Southeast Asia's economy, the fear of the 1998 riots and demonstration, the fear of our first "real" elections, the fear of Bali and Marriot Bombing, the fear for my brothers and sisters in Aceh, Ambon, East Timor and other parts of Indonesia that is under attack. Will we ever stop living in fear? Now living in the US i found myself happy and somewhat secure. But i can't stop thinking about my family and friends back home. Am i running away from the darkness of hope that surrounds me back in Indonesia? I hope not. To all our families and friends back home, please take a moment to pray. Pray for the people who has to encounter the harsh reality every day. I just want to remind us how lucky we are for being here. Make a difference in this world, one by one. Start with your neighbour, your teacher, your friends, your family. With hope that one day we can all live together side by side and just smile at all our differences. If the world can't change for the better, at least i know we can. Merdeka! Meizani Irmadhiany MINNESOTA 2004-2005 "Be a grown one, young man, Can't you see we all are dying? And stop this with your might as soon as you can, For we all are suffering." (Daw Aung San Suu Kyi)
