Rencana untuk menziarah masjid al aqsa di al-quds @ baitul maqdis yang terletak di old city of jerusalem di wilayah tebing barat palestin dirancang hampir 6 bulan lalu. Setelah sekian lama menunggu akhirnya permohonan group visa serta security clearance untuk memasuki wilayah tebing barat telah diluluskan oleh pihak keselamatan israel pada akhir januari 2010. Kami memulakan perjalanan ke damuscus, syria sebelum ke amman, jordan.
Perjalanan ke sempadan jordan palestin mengambil masa lebih dari satu jam dari amman. Kami memasuki tebing barat melalui Allenby check point @ king hussain bridge. perasaan berdebar dan khuatir mula terasa selepas kami melintasi security check point pertama pihak keselamatan israel yang lengkap bersenjatakan M-16. Walaupun kami tiba di imigresen check point sebelum 10.00 pagi, sudah berbaris panjang warga palestin dan pelancung asing. Sungguh aneh, tebing barat milik palestin tapi urusan imigresen dan keselamatan di kendalikan sepenuhnya oleh yahudi israel. memandangkan pihak imigresen israel telah dimaklumkan akan kedatangan kumpulan kami,maka mereka membuka satu laluan khusus untuk kami. Tidak pernah terfikir di hati saya, untuk melepasi pihak imigresen sahaja kami terpaksa melalui enam pasport control. Proses pasport control agak lancar dan memakan masa satu jam setengah. Tuhan saja yang tahu betapa resahnya kami apabila dua orang ahli kumpulan kami dipanggil untuk soal siasat hampir 2 jam oleh pihak keselamatan israel. Yang menakjubkan saya hampir kesemua warga yahudi yang mengendalikan soal imigresen dan keselamatan di check point tersebut dilakukan oleh anak anak muda mereka yang saya anggarkan berumur dalam dua pulohan sahaja.
Pemandu kami di tebing barat adalah seorang warga palestin beragama islam. walaupun dia sudah berumur 69 tahun tapi masih terpaksa bekerja bagi menyara kehidupan keluarganya. Sebelum ke jerusalam kami berhenti makan di Jericho.Kami terpaksa melalui 2 lagi security check point sebelum tiba di east jerusalem. di setiap check point kami di minta menunjukan pasport dan visa yang asal.Di sepanjang perjalanan saya dapat melihat beberapa penempatan yahudi yang didirikan atas tanah milik rakyat palestin serta tembok concrete yang didirikan oleh pihak israel yang memisahkan bumi palestin. Tembuk tersebut seakan akan tembuk berlin yang memisahkan german barat dengan jerman timur. cuma bezanya di tembok yang didirikan oleh yahudi itu tidak terdapat lukisan lukisan grafiti.
(pemandangan hadapan masjidi al aqsa di al-quds @ baitul maqdis. masjid asal terletak dibawah bangunan masjid ini)
Memasuki baitul maqdis untuk ke masjidil al aqsa adalah impian saya sejak sekian lama. Masjid al aqsa banyak disebut dalam al quran dan pernah dikunjungi oleh Nabi Muhammad s.a.w semasa peristiwa israq dan mi'raj. Masjid al aqsa boleh dimasuki dari beberapa pintu yang dikawal ketat oleh pihak keselamatan israel. Kebetulan semasa kunjungan kami, penganut yahudi sedang merayakan passover holiday, maka bandar jerusalem dipenuhi oleh ratusan ribu penganut yahudi yang datang dari setiap pelusuk benua. Ini ditambah pula dengan penganut kristian yang berkunjung ke holly land mereka. pada waktu solat waktu kebenaran untuk memasuki pintu kota baitul maqdis untuk ke masjid al aqsa hanya diberikan kepada warga palestin yang berumur lebih 50 tahun dan pelancung beragama islam. Untuk melepasi pihak keselamatan israel, saya terpaksa menunjukan pasport. saya juga diminta membaca surah al-fathihah oleh pihak keselamatan israel bagi membuktikan saya seorang islam.
saya begitu sayu dan terpegun kali pertama melihat masjid al aqsa dan doom of the rock @ qubbah al-sakhrah. Ini mengingatkan kesayauan saya kali pertama melihat kaabah lebih 10 tahun lalu. Saya mengambil kesempatan melakukan solat tahiyatul masjid dan solat sunat dhuha di dalam masjid al aqsa yang asal yang merupakan seakan akan sebuah gua (masjid al aqsa sekarang dibina diatas gua tersebut). semasa kumpulan kami sedang berbual dengan imam di dalam masjid, seorang askar yahudi lengkap dengan senjata M-16 memasuki masjid untuk meninjau perbuatan kami didalam masjid. sementara menunggu waktu zohor saya sempat berbual dengan imam tersebut serta beberapa warga palestin lain.sedih mendengar tentang penderitaan serta kekecewaan rakyat palestin kerana tidak mendapat pembelaan dari pemimpin pemimpin negara islam lain (mungkin saya akan ceritakan tentang keluhan, kesengsaraan, kehampaan, penderitaan serta harapan rakyat palestin dalam tulisan saya yang lain). kesempatan menunaikan solat maghrib dan isyak di masjid al aqsa dan doom of the rock tidak saya lepaskan. Yang menyedihkan pihak yahudi tanpa menghormati umat islam yang sedang sembahyang berpesta riuh dengan music yang kuat di kawasan dataran di bawah masjid al aqsa sehingga menganggu jemaah yang sedang solat. Ini kerap dilakukan sewaktu umat islam sedang melakukan solat terutamanya pada waktu maghrib dan isyak.
(doom of the rock @ qubbah al-sakhrah dilihat dari hadapan masjid. semua bangunan di kawasan ini termasuk masjid utama, doom of the rock, masjid Al-Buraq dan masjid Umar merupakan komplex yang dipanggil masjidil al aqsa. pihak yahudi sekarang sedang membuat propaganda dengan mengatakan bahawa doom of the rock bukan merupakan sebahagian daripada masjidi al aqsa. orang yahudi percaya tapak dome of the rock merupakan tempat paling suci agama mereka dan berhasrat untuk memiliki tapak tersebut)
Sepanjang pemerhatian saya, pelancung yang bukan berugama islam (yahudi dan kristian) hanya dibenarkan melawat perkarangan masjid al aqsa dan doom of the rock (tempat nabi muhammad s.a.w memulakan perjalanan ke langit ketujuh. batu tersebut merukan batu yang ingin mengikuti rasullullah ke langit tapi dihalang oleh baginda) di waktu umat islam tidak mengerjakan solat waktu. mereka hanya dibenarkan ke perkarangan masjid dalam kumpulan yang kecil dan akan diiringi oleh pihak keselamatan israel yang lengkap bersenjata.
(pemandangan di satu sudut di dalam masjid al aqsa yang asal yang dipercayai merupakan tempat nabi muhammad s.a.w melakukan solat sebagai imam bersama para nabi yang lain semasa peristiwa israk dan mi'raj)
sesungguhnya saya rasa sangat bersyukur kerana telah dipilih menjadi tetamu Allah menziarahi masjid ketiga tersuci ini. beberapa hari sebelum kedatangan kami satu kumpulan dari indonesia telah dihalang oleh pihak keselamatan israel daripada memasuki masjid al aqsa.
Saturday, April 3, 2010
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
My Next Stop
Sunday, January 24, 2010
The Soro & The Boyo
Overslept & woke up late for the flight to Surabaya this morning. The trip was planned well in advanced. Paying airasia Rm 182.00 for the return trip for 2 person is what I call an exceptionally super bargain. Reached LCCT just in time for the check-in. Being fairly busy over the last couple of weeks, I must have forgotten to book the hotel on line. And as usual, the flight was delayed by almost 40 minutes (a trade mark of airasia I suppose). Just a couple of months ago I was cursing when my flight to phuket was also delayed by almost 4 hours.
Reaching Juanda International airport 2 hours 30 minutes later, I was presently surprise to see that the airport was fairy big and modern (according to indonesian standard). Booked the hotel through the local travel agent at the airport. We settled for Surabaya plaza hotel, a 4 star smoking free hotel (knowing how well the Indonesians smoke, i do really need some breathing space !). I’m fairly surprise that JW Marriott in Surabaya is not a smoke free hotel!. The thing I always admire about Indonesia (medan excluded) is their taxi drivers. First and foremost, they make you welcome, they are generally polite, proud of their profession, uses the meter and hardly cheat on you (apply to the bluebird group of company). This is in sharp contrast to our very own breed of taxi drivers (of course the government of present has to share some responsibility for indirectly protecting this unscrupulous and selfish bunch of homo sapiens).
According to the local myth, this city witnessed the great battle between the white shark (suro) and the white crocodile (boyo) who fought each other to gain the title of the strongest and most powerful animal. Being the second largest city in Indonesia, the city is undergoing rapid transformation with a lot of modern high rise buildings in the making. Fairly typical of Indonesian cities, the only set back is the traffic congestion (macet). Like most other cities in Indonesia, I must say as a whole there is nothing unique about Surabaya. Tunjungan Plaza is perhaps the largest mall with a lot of internationally branded outlets. Opps, I just love the freshly chilled avocado juice from excelso.
(the land mark of the city)
One thing that excites me about this once glorious majapahit kingdom is the abundance of small street kiosks trading in gold jewellery. No wonder the people from east Indonesia is so obsessed in buying gold jewelleries as they can easily disposed them off without hassle for quick cash at the numerous buying back street kiosks.
( if only our ah longs can set up kiosks like this to render their service !)
On a different note we were quite dismayed as our intention of bringing back our second domestic helper did not materialize. It seems that 10 days is still insufficient time for our embassy in Jakarta to process all the required travel documents.
Reaching Juanda International airport 2 hours 30 minutes later, I was presently surprise to see that the airport was fairy big and modern (according to indonesian standard). Booked the hotel through the local travel agent at the airport. We settled for Surabaya plaza hotel, a 4 star smoking free hotel (knowing how well the Indonesians smoke, i do really need some breathing space !). I’m fairly surprise that JW Marriott in Surabaya is not a smoke free hotel!. The thing I always admire about Indonesia (medan excluded) is their taxi drivers. First and foremost, they make you welcome, they are generally polite, proud of their profession, uses the meter and hardly cheat on you (apply to the bluebird group of company). This is in sharp contrast to our very own breed of taxi drivers (of course the government of present has to share some responsibility for indirectly protecting this unscrupulous and selfish bunch of homo sapiens).
According to the local myth, this city witnessed the great battle between the white shark (suro) and the white crocodile (boyo) who fought each other to gain the title of the strongest and most powerful animal. Being the second largest city in Indonesia, the city is undergoing rapid transformation with a lot of modern high rise buildings in the making. Fairly typical of Indonesian cities, the only set back is the traffic congestion (macet). Like most other cities in Indonesia, I must say as a whole there is nothing unique about Surabaya. Tunjungan Plaza is perhaps the largest mall with a lot of internationally branded outlets. Opps, I just love the freshly chilled avocado juice from excelso.
(the land mark of the city)
One thing that excites me about this once glorious majapahit kingdom is the abundance of small street kiosks trading in gold jewellery. No wonder the people from east Indonesia is so obsessed in buying gold jewelleries as they can easily disposed them off without hassle for quick cash at the numerous buying back street kiosks.
( if only our ah longs can set up kiosks like this to render their service !)
On a different note we were quite dismayed as our intention of bringing back our second domestic helper did not materialize. It seems that 10 days is still insufficient time for our embassy in Jakarta to process all the required travel documents.
Saturday, January 2, 2010
Dearest Alumni
It's been almost 25 years since we left the medical school. The chance to meet long lost friends and former teachers and mentors was an opportunity not to be miss. A few former teachers flew in all the way from Jakarta for the auspicious night. Little did i realized that 13% of our total alumni are consultants and specialists in their respective fields. and to Tan Sri Dato' Dr. Sharifah, I'll always remember you as my physiology lecturer (sorry, i never did like the subject anyway!) and not the present vice chancellor of university kebangsaan malaysia.
(these girls has grown up.....none wore skirts any more i suppose!)
professor freda meah, a world renowned endocrine surgeon. i was very much indebted to this great lady. needless to say many top surgeons in the country has benefited from her unselfish guidance. she has instilled good and meticulous surgical skills in her trainees.Thank you prof.thank you, thank you, thank you
(somehow our teachers appear younger than us !)
And thank you Jack @ Major General Dato' Dr. Razak for organizing the event. and not forgetting my good friend Din snake @ Dato' Dr. Zainuddin Wazir for donating RM 1 million ringgit to our alumni(so proud of you bro!).unlike the present day medical students who can afford to tour Europe with their scholarship money, the amount we received then were barely enough for our basic needs. well bro,i'm sure you still remember the hard days when we had to swallow maggie mee for lunch & dinner and the days the three of us had to share one nasi bungkus from our favourite warong bamboo.
(these girls has grown up.....none wore skirts any more i suppose!)
professor freda meah, a world renowned endocrine surgeon. i was very much indebted to this great lady. needless to say many top surgeons in the country has benefited from her unselfish guidance. she has instilled good and meticulous surgical skills in her trainees.Thank you prof.thank you, thank you, thank you
(somehow our teachers appear younger than us !)
And thank you Jack @ Major General Dato' Dr. Razak for organizing the event. and not forgetting my good friend Din snake @ Dato' Dr. Zainuddin Wazir for donating RM 1 million ringgit to our alumni(so proud of you bro!).unlike the present day medical students who can afford to tour Europe with their scholarship money, the amount we received then were barely enough for our basic needs. well bro,i'm sure you still remember the hard days when we had to swallow maggie mee for lunch & dinner and the days the three of us had to share one nasi bungkus from our favourite warong bamboo.
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