@riotuasikal

Text and photo by Rio Tuasikal Abu Bakar Hajiali (39) and Ismail Adapun (37) At first, they were staring at us, strangely.  " Assalamualaikum ," said Rudi of Thailand. Then we knew we are one muslim family, broke any border of our 3 different nationalities. We got 30 minutes preaching in arabic and Tagalog here in a small mosque in Tagaytay City, the Philippines, a week ago. Muslim community here is not so big, maybe only 50 families. Originally from Mindanao, now mostly of them work in a market near the mosque. They are really humble and friendly.       Sakareeya (grey) and Foon (black) talked to two muslim boys. Upin Ipin of the Philippines!

Riding tricycle in Tagaytay is adventurous. Tthe driver brings you to the rollercoaster experience of public transportation. Me and John Badawi from the Philippines were riding a tricycle in Tagaytay City, Philippines. We were back going back to Mariapolis.  Tricycle is looks like becak motor in Medan, Indonesia.

For YSEALI delegates from Indonesia, Thailand, and the Philippines "Miiiiiiissssss Thailanddd!" I still remember the way Sahadam Waeyusoh, one Thai delegate, yelling the phrase. His intonation  never failed to initiate laughter among us. Also, the way he was being crowned as a fake Miss Universe 2015. He's the King of Joker isn't it? Five days of togetherness in Mariapolis, Tagaytay, Philippines, has proved that youths of the region have nothing to hate from differences. We are 30 in total, consists of 10 delegates each from  Indonesia, the Philippines, and Thailand. Most of us are students, and also activists, teacher, and journalists that have one same paradigm on how we celebrate our unsimilarities. I remember the way I started learning Tagalog from Maan, one facilitator from the Focolare Movement. " Magandang umaga is good morning," she explained in the airport. "What is good morning in bahasa?" " Selamat pagi ," ...

Untuk Deah Shaddy Barakat, Yusor dan Razan Mohammad Abu-Sahla Tiga mahasiswa muslim amerika tewas di Chapel Hill setelah ditembak tetangganya (hanya karena masalah parkir?) dan media sekaliber CNN baru menulis kejadian tersebut 19 jam setelahnya. Ada tanda tanya besar yang perlu diberikan pada grup media yang berbasis di Atlanta, Amerika Serikat ini. Betulkah jurnalis CNN kesulitan mengakses lokasi kejadian, atau memang pembunuhan ini dianggap tidak punya nilai berita? Kita memang tak bisa membandingkan penembakan Chapel Hill ini dengan penembakan Charlie Hebdo di Paris. Sebab peristiwa Paris menyerang redaksi sebuah media, dan karenanya terhubung dengan isu kebebasan berbicara, sehingga jadi urusan antar-negara. Sementara penembakan Chapel Hill sampai saat ini dianggap sebagai urusan antar-tetangga, dan polisi belum menemukan motif kebencian agama dalam kasus ini. Tapi bukankah nyawa manusia tetap nyawa, dan pembunuhan tetap pembunuhan? Bukankah kedua peristi...

Untuk para penonton televisi Jumat siang pekan lalu, Metro TV mengarahkan lampu sorotnya pada makanan berbahaya–reporternya laporan live dari pabrik kulit sapi busuk di Bandung, lalu mewawancarai Kasatreskrim. Di studio, Metro TV menghadirkan dokter gizi dan menelepon Kepala BPOM. Kasus sapi ini diulik sekitar satu jam. Pangan selanjutnya seperti kebetulan saja. Kementerian Perdagangan menyatakan ada apel jenis granny smith dan gala asal California, Amerika Serikat, yang tercemar bakteri Listeria monocytogenes . Bakteri itu bisa menyebabkan mual, diare, dan flu pada manusia. Kementerian menyatakan sedang melakukan operasi pasar mencari apel-apel itu. Selang sepekan, perhatian kita bergeser (atau digeser?) ke sandang. Masih dari Kementerian Perdagangan yang kali ini memperingatkan masyarakat akan bahaya baju impor bekas yang–lagi-lagi–berbakteri. Kementerian mengklaim ada 210 ribu bakteri berkoloni di baju itu. Kementerian menyatakan baju-baju ini diselundupkan lewat...