Saya Sedang Membaca

The Consuming Fire oleh John Scalzi | Pemberontak Filem oleh Nasir Jani | The Prague Cemetry oleh Umberto Eco | Confessions of a Mask oleh Yukio Mishima | In Search of Modernity: A Study of the Concepts of Literature, Authorship and Notions of Self in "Traditional" Malay Literature oleh Hadijah Rahmat |

Thursday, September 13, 2007

Ramadhan Menjelang

Semalam, saya berjalan-jalan (sebentar) di Kinokuniya selepas tarawih. Saya terjumpa suatu yang menarik hati saya:


Di sebelah kiri ialah novel 'besar' Faisal Tehrani tentang Tuhan dan Manusia (belum baca, tapi saya teruja, saya beli terus bukunya tanpa fikir apa-apa lagi) dan di sebelah novel kanan Faisal ialah novel 'chic lit' Nizam Zakaria, Seri Tertangguh. Idealisme kedua-dua novelis ini bagai langit dengan bumi (bukan saja novel Tehrani diletakkan di bahagian elit sastera dan Nizam di bahagian pop), dan saya seronok dan bersyukur pada bukan ramadhan ini, mereka boleh sebelah-menyebelah sebegitu seperti suami isteri yang tidur di atas katil. Untuk menambah perisa ironi ini di atas novel Nizam, sebuah novel pop tertulis: BUKAN TERLARANG.


Selamat meraikan ramadhan. Selamat berpuasa!

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

The author of the novel Tuhan Manusia, Faisal Tehrani (FT), is growing the seed of hatred to a particular group.

FT has got some "insight" of the group via Zehra (maybe a go-between). It is "funny" in one sense because "the Zehra" (in real life) is a male friend.

Is FT a homosexual? Such a wild speculation is based on strong rumours when the author was deeply connected to "liberal" art/literary/political groups during Reformasi period, 1998-2000.

Still remember his "Perempuan Politikus Terakhir" (Wan Azizah) and "Cinta Hari-hari Rusuhan" (Hishamudin Rais).

Do you know FT was also involved in pro-Anwar demonstration (held in Bangkok), organised by APA (Artis Pro Activ) in 1998?

Then FT was accused of "sexually harassing" a male companion (who was active in theatre performance). Do you know FT has directed some performance?

In his recent novel, read page 28-28 or 148-49, FT is attacking "an Aris".

We don't know this fictional character unless/until we check the real life.

Aris is described as:

(1) "seorang tokoh yang sering saya baca tulisan pojoknya di akhbar",

(2) "memiliki sebuah laman web yang agak kerap dikemaskinikan" (maybe a blog?)

(3) "... ramai anak muda yang menjadi pengekor Aris Iskandar. Mereka mabuk dengan nama-nama dan istilah-istilah serta bermacam-macam falsafah"

(4) "... seorang pemikir daripada kelompok liberalis yang pernah bergayut di bawah dagu seorang ahli politik yang disingkirkan daripada kerajaan."

(5) "... memimpin sebuah majalah atau jurnal yang mempertahankan idea Islam liberal dan sekularisme, ... juga seorang peguam."

So, my guess is, FT is referring to some personalities and a particular group in our society.

"Aris" is perhaps Haris Ibrahim (a lawyer), Dr Farish A. Noor (a distinguished academic) or Fathi Aris Omar (a long-time columnist, freelance writer, journalist and activist) or ... all of them!

But among the three, only Fathi has been associated (at least, for some years -- if not now) with "kelompok liberalis yang pernah bergayut di bawah dagu seorang ahli politik yang disingkirkan daripada kerajaan" (i.e DS Anwar Ibrahim).

Fathi is known to have worked with Khalid Jaafar of IKD and Telawi group of students & youths. This Telawi group is quite prominent in promoting philosophy, literature, progressive Islam, art, democracy and political liberalism. They are also active in writing & publishing.

See their website www.jalantelawi.com and their book 'Islam dan Pluralisme'

The issue is: Why does FT hate the Aris in his novel so much?

Is FT for Islam or for personal vendetta?

Addendum: FT's literary friend of the same ideological background is S. M. Zakir, another talented short story writer & essayist (about the same age).

Zakir once condemned this Telawi group in his blog "Mata Kaca" (see: article 'Mazhab Frankfurt dan Sosialis Baru' or in English 'Frankfurt School and Socialist Baru', 9 Jun 2006) as such:

Di Malaysia selepas pasca-krisis Mahathir-Anwar, muncul beberapa kelompok golongan muda yang mula menaja ideal-ideal tentang kebebasan, liberalisasi, dan rasionalisasi. Mereka menuntut ruang kebebasan yang mengatasi bukan sahaja campurtangan politik tetapi juga campurtangan budaya dan agama. Nilai dan norma yang sedia ada tidak terkecuali tradisi dilihat sebagai kota purba yang mengekang kehidupan pascamoden yang bebas daripada sebarang batas dan sempadan. Hubungan Negara yang diikat dengan nilai dan keperibadian Melayu dilihat sebagai bentuk ‘authoritarian personality’ yang menjadi regim budaya-politik lama. Sementara kepercayaan dan agama dianggap sebagai milik peribadi yang hanya wujud sebagai ritual dan bukan sebagai pengawas tingkah masyarakat. Perjuangan emansipasi melalui gerakan feminisme, hak asasi, individualiti, etnik minoriti, dan sebagainya dianggap sebagai misi suci masyarakat pascamoden. Selain daripada itu mereka juga mencari ruang ekspresi di dalam dunia jaring teknologi maklumat, penulisan, muzik, teater dan filem. Mereka menuntut ruang dialog dan tafsiran semula bukan sahaja terhadap nilai, norma dan peraturan di dalam masyarakat tetapi juga di dalam kepercayaan dan agama.

Frankfurt School refers to Fathi's interest in Habermas's "public sphere" and Marcuse's "authoritarian personality".

And coincidently (what a coincidence!!!), Fathi once criticised Zakir & FT in his article 'Merobek-robek citra Cak Nun' (see Fathi's book Patah Balek, pg 140).

Is this the real reason for writing "Tuhan Manusia"?

fadz said...

FT is a homo???? Wallahu-alam. Personal stuffs i tak campur. Havent read Tuhan Manusia though.