Wednesday, December 19, 2007

Selamat Hari Raya Korban

Eid ul Adha.

The design may be radical for those who expect mosques to have tall minarets and huge domes, but the Masjid Almukminin on Street 21, Jurong East in Singapore is as good as the next mosque for one to pray to God. It is also active as a learning centre as well as a community hub for the neighbourhood Muslims. I used to park my car at the mosque whenever I visit my sister there.

At the end of the same street on the same side of the road is a Hindu temple.

I am not sure why I've decided on the picture of this mosque for this year's greetings, but there you are: Selamat Hari Raya to all Muslims and Malaysians.

53 comments:

  1. Salam Bro,

    I was told by someone I trusted that mosque should actually reflects the achitectural of the surrounding and this is according to one of the 'kitab' by one of the Ulamak. The design of the mosque should juxtopose with its surrounding to create sense of harmony. Somehow in Malaysia, it is difficult to find mosque that reflects the Malay, Chinese, Siamese and Indian arthitecural although it was built in those community.

    Selamat Aidil Adha

    ReplyDelete
  2. Saudara Rocky,

    Yesterday was the first time I commented on any blog and tat was on sister Nuraina's blog. I'm a Msian cari makan here in S'pore with my wife. Every neighbourhood there is either a mosque beside a kuil or temple, church and everybody goes about their own business. In terms of population, I think in terms of ratio of population here the Muslims I can safely say tat there is no complains in terms of the accessibility in terms of places of worship.

    To your earlier comment on the posters of leaders, there is posters of the MPs wishing their community Merry Christmas, Selamat Hari Raya and so on. But this is confine to the heartlands - the places they represent.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Selamat Hari Raya Aidil Adha
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    ReplyDelete
  4. Anonymous6:08 pm

    In return, I would say Merry Christmas to you and all!
    One more spirit to Enjoy!
    A Hindu Temple can be another enjoyment
    after praying at yours!

    Thanks for the Mosque of 4 Dimensions or more!
    To build to see 3 dimensions can go!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Bro, Selamat Hari Korban!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Anonymous6:58 pm

    Selamat Aidil Adha

    If the Jurong designed mosque is in BolehLand, some bozos will say that it is unIslamic.......

    ReplyDelete
  7. Rocky!

    Of course a mosque should be an active learning center, we all know that, this is the case in Indonesia and the Middle East. Usually an annex is found in any place of worship for community activity purposes.
    But, this is not what we are talking about, we are talking about "ethnic cleansing" of a subtle type.
    When the most powerful and not much noticed body, (more powerful than the EU), the 55-member of Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, or OSCE decided to cleanse Europe of its Turkish Ottoman past, it decided to do so first with Bosnia-Herzrgovima.
    OSCE gave a green light to Slobodan Milosevic to destroy all of the ancient oriental structures, read mosques, in this Balkan state, and unfortunately OSCE closed both eyes when Milosevic did more than destroying mosques. For to destroy a group is first to destroy its culture. All of the several thousands mosques built by the Ottoman Empire of the 11th to the successive centuries were systematically blown up, and 200,000 Bosnians were killed and disappeared in one of this century worst genocide and ethnic cleansing ever conducted by a fellow human being to another. The one in Mostar, a 12th century Ottoman mosque was the last to be destroyed, together with thousands of Bosnans massacred.
    Bosnians refugees of the Muslim persuasion were allowed to have a mosque in Zagreb, in Croatia, as long as there is no minaret, a symbol of Islamic sovereignty.
    So back to S'pore, it is still the same policy of "ethnic cleansing", a symbol of sovereignty and of a culture that must be destroyed, so no minarets in S'pore also.
    But, Morons (read Malays) will find it hard to understand why a mosque in S'pore has no minaret!

    I will not be surprised if DAP rules Malaysia, the National Mosques will be turned into a DAP Hqs, that came complete with a minaret that DAP will have no hesitation to turn it into a Rocket symbol!
    Actually I will refrain to wish anynoe a Safe Aidil Adha for there is nothing safe anymore to be a muslim, I cannot imagine any muslim celebrating anything if they are always under a constant siege for professing their belief!

    Sorry people to be such a party pooper, but I am speaking from my heart!

    ReplyDelete
  8. Rocky!

    Of course a mosque should be an active learning center, we all know that, this is the case in Indonesia and the Middle East. Usually an annex is found in any place of worship for community activity purposes.
    But, this is not what we are talking about, we are talking about "ethnic cleansing" of a subtle type.
    When the most powerful and not much noticed body, (more powerful than the EU), the 55-member of Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, or OSCE decided to cleanse Europe of its Turkish Ottoman past, it decided to do so first with Bosnia-Herzrgovima.
    OSCE gave a green light to Slobodan Milosevic to destroy all of the ancient oriental structures, read mosques, in this Balkan state, and unfortunately OSCE closed both eyes when Milosevic did more than destroying mosques. For to destroy a group is first to destroy its culture. All of the several thousands mosques built by the Ottoman Empire of the 11th to the successive centuries were systematically blown up, and 200,000 Bosnians were killed and disappeared in one of this century worst genocide and ethnic cleansing ever conducted by a fellow human being to another. The one in Mostar, a 12th century Ottoman mosque was the last to be destroyed, together with thousands of Bosnans massacred.
    Bosnians refugees of the Muslim persuasion were allowed to have a mosque in Zagreb, in Croatia, as long as there is no minaret, a symbol of Islamic sovereignty.
    So back to S'pore, it is still the same policy of "ethnic cleansing", a symbol of sovereignty and of a culture that must be destroyed, so no minarets in S'pore also.
    But, Morons (read Malays) will find it hard to understand why a mosque in S'pore has no minaret!

    I will not be surprised if DAP rules Malaysia, the National Mosques will be turned into a DAP Hqs, that came complete with a minaret that DAP will have no hesitation to turn it into a Rocket symbol!
    Actually I will refrain to wish anynoe a Safe Aidil Adha for there is nothing safe anymore to be a muslim, I cannot imagine any muslim celebrating anything if they are always under a constant siege for professing their belief!

    Sorry people to be such a party pooper, but I am speaking from my heart!

    ReplyDelete
  9. Anonymous7:30 pm

    Common in Kuching, my hometown ~ you will see the mesjid, across the road, the Sikh temple, walk abit further the Anglican church, beside it, walk abit the Taoist temple.

    Here, near where I live, in Taman Sri Sentosa at Jalan Klang Lama (next to Taman Sri Manja and Taman Medan area), there is a surau, afew yards away ~ a Buddhist temple, next to it, the Indian Methodist church.

    Selamat Aidil Adha, Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year .....peace to all.

    ReplyDelete
  10. mmm... mosque and temple in the same street.. laudable..thats probably religious harmony goin one step further.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Anonymous8:33 pm

    Dear Rocky,

    Wishing you and all your loved ones a "Selamat Aidil Adha".

    BR
    Rastaman (JB)

    ReplyDelete
  12. Bro Rocky and all Muslim friends here,

    Selamat Hari Raya Aidil Adha

    ReplyDelete
  13. The last surau I helped my late father build I suggested doing the same thing. The surau is to be an educational centre for the poor JKR barrack kids. You can expect the response ... budak2 "akan" bising. ... Now the old folk just stick around gossiping abt politics.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Hey, In Klang on a square there are 2 churches and a hindu temple sharing the same car park. I can't remember now if there is a mosque nearby.

    But inSentul you have everything together within walking distance of each other..Asfar asI remember no problems at all. But then again UMNO has very little representation in these areas probably, hence the peace.

    ReplyDelete
  15. Bro,

    Selamat Hari Raya Korban dan salam Ingatan dari Miri.

    ReplyDelete
  16. Anonymous10:40 pm

    Bro Rocky,
    nampaknya u belum datang ke Sarawak dan Sabah lagi kot?Alchemist was right.I fully support your comment Alchemist. We in Sarawak and Sabah may be not advance as our brothers and sisters in Peninsula Malaysia but one thing we are far ahead is our so call racial tolerance and unity.Please come and spend a few weeks in Sarawak and Sabah.What you have seen in Singapore,for me,is still "child play" compared to us in East Malaysian we are already "big brother" when come to unity. Come and see for yourself Bro Rocky. I DARE YOU!!!! Anyway Selamat Hari Raya Korban,Merry Christmas and Happy New Year
    Bob From Kuching

    ReplyDelete
  17. Rocky

    Selamat Hari Raya Aidil Adha to you and your loved ones.

    ReplyDelete
  18. Anonymous11:12 pm

    SELAMAT AIDILADHA BRO!

    fr. harimau moden.

    ReplyDelete
  19. Salam Ahirudin Attan@ Rocky Bru @ Ramli Sarip Klon.

    Saya mewakili rakan-rakan Komuniti Islam Independen ingin mengucapkan SELAMAT HARI RAYA HAJI SAMPAI SAUDARA NAIK HAJI...insya'llah.

    Tulisan saudara memberi dimensi baru buat diri saya secara peribadi...maka teruskan menulis sehingga tiada apa lagi yang boleh ditulis.

    "Saudara berjuang,
    Kami dibelakang,
    FRU datang,
    Kami pun hilang..."

    heheheee..gurau bro' gurau..
    Yang sebenarnya....Rocky's Bru bukan mudah nak tumbang!

    p/s: nak saya burnkan cd the lemonheads?

    ReplyDelete
  20. Laa... 20/12 hari jadi Rocky rupanya...

    Happy birthday, bro!

    Sambut dua-dua sekali la nampaknya, hari jadi dengan Hari Raya Haji.

    ReplyDelete
  21. Wish you a very Happy & Peaceful Eid-ul-Adha too.

    ReplyDelete
  22. Anonymous2:57 am

    As you celebrate Hari Raya Haji in the true spirit of neighbourliness and fellowship, it would be heartening to spare a thought for Christians who may not be able to do that this Christmas.

    Please check this you tube link http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vhIXBRdjzoA to see the demolition of the Kampong Jais Church in Kelantan. Checkout info of another church that was demolished, the Kuala Masai Orang Laut Church in Johor here: http://www.bobjots.org/2007/06/orang_asli_church_demolishment.php

    Wishing you all a blessed and peaceful Christmas. The freedom to worship in Malaysia is increasingly becoming like the wheather, very unpredictable. For more details on these and other issues, please visit my blog at: http://malaysiacafe.blogspot.com/

    ReplyDelete
  23. rocky,

    most of us who are used to the minaret-dome structure/design of mosques will certainly find this building mundane and uninteresting because it looks so ordinary.
    but, that's just form.
    the mosque in teluk kurau (i think it's called masjid kassim), has a book store and a children's activity centre, among other things.

    anyway, here's wishing you and everyone selamat hari raya aidil adha.

    and HAPPY BIRTHDAY to you, brother!

    ReplyDelete
  24. Dear Rocky, Wishing you and your family 'Selamat Hari Raya Korban' and here is my Birthday wish for you.
    'May Peace, Hope and Love be with you Today, Tomorrow and Always' Happy Birthday!

    ReplyDelete
  25. Selamat Hari Raya Aidil Adha, Rocky and all Malaysians.

    A good time to share and to reflect today, even if I am not a Muslim. My heart is in "korban" mode and with all my Muslim friends.

    ReplyDelete
  26. Salam Rocky
    Selamat Hari Raya AidilAdha and Happy Birthday too!

    ReplyDelete
  27. Rocky, the design of a mosque should reflect the cultural environment of the community. Minaret and dome are not ours, so I think what the Singaporean did is right to the dot. Their think is more advance. It is a place of prayer, for solace and seeking grace. As well as for the acquiring of knowledge. It is not a building to be just as a show piece. Happy Eid Adha to all. Have a nice day.

    ReplyDelete
  28. Stone the Devil
    Down in the symbolic well
    Whence he came down from heaven
    Losing his crown so to speak

    Yet it is true
    Lucifer dwells in the belly of the Earth
    Listening to our pleas, our greed, our sins
    He smiles jumping up with joy

    His empire has arisen
    In the European Union of 10
    It is in Europe he will unleash his power
    Crowning glory in the Vatican!

    And in Mecca
    Stoning the Devil
    We make him angrier
    So he makes us suffer

    The modern plagues arrive at our doors
    Know it, taste it, smell it and trying to flee
    We make ourselves worst
    Don’t heed the advice of the Heavenly King

    So where is our compassion?
    So where is our human integration?
    Is it blowing away to the wind?
    Forgetting where is our resting place?
    In heavens not under the belly of the Earth!

    So with this wishing you
    Selamat Hari Raya Korban
    The light will shine
    In our own times

    ReplyDelete
  29. HAPPY BIRTHDAY ROCKY.

    ReplyDelete
  30. Anonymous4:04 pm

    Happy Birthday, Rocky. God bless you today and everyday :)

    ReplyDelete
  31. Anonymous5:55 pm

    Salam Aidil Adha, Merry Xmas and a Happy Birthday Rocky. Picasso said-"It takes a long time to grow young." "Stay young" always!

    All the best always.

    ReplyDelete
  32. Anonymous7:19 pm

    Happy Birthday. :)

    ReplyDelete
  33. Still fit for fight, Rocky? H' b'day.

    ReplyDelete
  34. Anonymous9:01 pm

    saudara rocky bru,
    What i can say here is that mostly the mosque here is not as grand as your masjid negara in kuala lumpur or etc basically due to land scarcity here...and from my observation over the years mosque in singapore based in architecture..changes from more of traditional malay/arab influence to modern...a sense of new horizon to the muslims in Singapore...and the fact is more of Arab names rather than traditional Malay names...the only one that i can say more of important historical mosque here is the sultan mosque...and finally i find that it's too many of mosque here in a country where muslims are the minority...and the fact is that from our salary they deduct every month 3dollars under the mosque building fund...

    ReplyDelete
  35. Anonymous10:21 pm

    Selamat Hari Raya Korban.

    Semoga rakyat Malaysia tidak perlu "berkorban" lebih lagi untuk 'keselesaan' PM 'Flip-Flop' Abdullah Ahmad Badawi!

    ReplyDelete
  36. Is it your birthday?

    Hapi Bertday!!!!

    ReplyDelete
  37. Abang rocky ,, selamat hari raya to you ,, your family and your loved ones .. may you prosper and may the divine light shine upon you my friend . My apologies for saying this in the same sentence ,,, PASqUALE ... YOU are beyond help .Everything you utter ,, and even ur breath ... is Bad . watch some old P.Ramlee movies ,, it might help you .. or ur damned to hell ! You sick excuse of a Malaysian .

    ReplyDelete
  38. Anonymous12:08 am

    Mosque, temple and church on the same compound? I remember Nik Aziz once told it's "kafir" to do so, that if the bells from the temple and church ring, it will disturb the Muslims to pray and their minds will deviate to think about the "Hindu gods" and Jesus Christ! I'm wondering if we win the election hand-to-hand with PAS, they'll allow us to build worship places in such way.

    But under current situations, the so-called PAS supporters may have a more moderate view on that.

    Happy Raya Korban, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from Vienna, Austria.

    ReplyDelete
  39. in my hometown the older mosques are very unique in terms architecture. they spot a very "chinese" roof. But in recent years, people have been cutting the roof shorter and put a "onion" dome on top...

    sensitive issue.

    ReplyDelete
  40. Anonymous6:10 am

    Bro

    We need folks like you to be our Member of Parliament... I know, I know, you wouldn't want to dirty yourself with those foul-mouth, paranoid and idiotic politicians we still have running the country.

    But the only way for renewal of our country is to have folks like you in our highest august body... My only wish is you don't join UMNO..as yet...UMNO does NOT to be overhauled. It needs to be discarded and replaced with new parts and new engine... the present bunch of paranoid and parochial leaders MUST go first.

    We need leaders who can walk and cross the cultural and religious bridges unafraid and inspiring to others.

    UMNO has set up its own nest for eternal political power in the last 50 years while hoodwinking the voters that it is a fair political party to Malays and other races.. it takes Malaysians a good 50 years (with the help of the internet) to realise it was a 50-year bullshit.

    Sacrifice is what Malaysians should aim for.. and that the message... Selamat Aidil Adha

    ReplyDelete
  41. Anonymous6:16 am

    Bro

    Ooops! Forgot to wish you Happy Birthday.

    ... HAPPY BIRTHDAY AND MANY MANY HAPPY RETURNS

    ReplyDelete
  42. As usual... Muslims have to be bloody apologetic for everything..even praise the Sporeans for their vision...so what's wrong with good old minarets and domes and courtyards anyways?

    And of course I don't want a temple or tokong in my mosque compound, it would be bloody sacrilegeous to ME to have idols worshipped in the same breath as my prayer to THE ONE...would a Hindu want the same for his temple??? Everyone can worship whatever they want, I'm not stopping them... but Muslims..please stop being bloody apologetic for our beliefs.

    Maybe we can design a temple which blends into the local architecture? Hmmmm....what a furore that would cause.

    ReplyDelete
  43. dear everyone,
    thank you for the birthday and raya wishes.

    and yes, Roxanne, i think i am fit still. but really need to work harder on it. hope you are well. i can see you are kicking ...

    Moderator,
    yep, i would like one. looked for the lemonheads at bangsar village he other day, they didn't have it.

    ReplyDelete
  44. and sharing & suaramalaysia, nuraina, pasquale, sheih, and all:

    merry xmas to you.

    ReplyDelete
  45. Selamat Hari Raya AidilAdha and Merry Christmas.
    Happy Birthday too.

    For once I actually agree with tekhsin mukhtar. Biarlah mesjid tu rupa macam tu, bukanya ada orang mati ke apa ke. LoL!

    What's with this petronas advertisement unity multicultural crap. We don't need to go as far as changing the architecture of a mosque or making sure a temple,church and mosque is in one street for the sake of "Unity" or "Multicultural tolerant society!"

    As long as we can sit in one table , drink teh tarik and complain at how suck our national football team is I think is good enough.

    Duduk satu meja, watch EPL and talk cock itu kira malaysian lah, Just like Shebby Singh man!

    ReplyDelete
  46. Anonymous5:39 pm

    Rocky, this is even better - within a 100 meters of each other, there is a Indian Muslim Shrine, a Chinese Temple and a Mosque right next to it. See link to Telok Ayer Street in Singapore.

    http://www.streetdirectory.com/asia_travel/travel/travel_id_21841/travel_site_1/

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nagore_Durgha

    ReplyDelete
  47. Anonymous6:20 pm

    i dont get it. Takkan ramai tak perasan kot. There are so many mosques in Malaysia are used as an education hub / community centre. Singapore is not the first. For example, Masjid Seri Petaling, siap ada sekolah dalam compound masjid. There are lots and lots of masjid are used as a community centre. Even at most kampung, masjid is used as THE place where the people would held programmes like mesyuarat kampung, akad, belajar mengaji, kenduri, berzanji etc and not just religious programmes.

    Another thing, i agree with tehsin, why muslim always have to be so apologetic. Why must muslim has to be the one that has to be so humble. It should be both ways. I agree with what he said that how come theres no other prayer house applies other cultures too in their design? why cant churches, buddhist temple and hindu temple do the same. I agree tehsin, muslims should stop being so apologetic. Its pathetic. Being apologetic is 2 ways or in malaysia - multiways. Have your prayer house do it?

    ReplyDelete
  48. Anonymous8:47 pm

    zzzzzzzzzzz 'Flip-Flop' Abdullah Ahmad Badawi Government says Allah is not God!

    If God is not Allah than Allah is not God! So says zzzzzzzz AAB.

    ReplyDelete
  49. better late than wayyy too late. happy belated birthday, bro!

    ReplyDelete
  50. Hey Rocky, in Austria, in the Tyrol, the churches there have onion domes, a leftover design from the Ottoman empire, and in Istanbul, the Hagia Sofia Mosque was, for 1000 years a Basilica of the Eastern Orthodox Church until 1400s when the Turks conquered and converted it to a mosque, sadly, now its a museum.

    ReplyDelete
  51. happy belated birthday and hari raya aidil adha.
    so that makes you a sagi too!

    ReplyDelete