Letters: The shocking fatwa

I refer to an article titled "Clerics warn Muslim women against sinful hairdos, photo shoots," (The Jakarta Post, Jan. 15). I am an ordinary Muslim woman. When I read this article for the first time, I could not believe the clerics of East Java had issued this fatwa (forbidding Muslims from dying and straightening their hair and from holding pre-wedding photo sessions).

I am trying very hard to understand the reasons for the issuance of this fatwa, but I still don't get it. The most annoying fatwa that I have read in the related article is: Clerics forbid Muslim woman from being an ojek driver and, Muslim woman cannot take an ojek because it is haram.

What if being an ojek driver is the only way for her to earn the money? Have you had other better solutions for them? I really feel this edict prevents women from what they want to do with their life. My rights are being limited because of my condition as a woman. This edict is being issued in order to eliminate the possibility that immoral acts are committed. Frankly, as a woman, we know exactly how we should take care of ourselves.

We know how we have to live our lives as Muslim women. In the religion, nobody can control the followers, even the clerics. As believers, I try to do my best in my life based on my own religion.

Muslims always try very hard to follow and to apply all life's norms and values from the right sources: the Koran and Hadiths. Nobody knows what you have done in your life. Nobody can control those kinds of things. Nobody knows about all your good deeds and worship.

Allah is the one and only who knows whether your deeds have been accepted or not. Allah is the only one who can make the right judgment, not the people. Clerics of course can issue new edicts to guide followers in carrying out a normal and good life in accordance with Islam's norms and values.

But please, do not be afraid if the Muslims are not going to do things in their life in accordance with the appropriate norms in Islam because the good Muslims know their rights and obligations. At the end, all the edicts issued by clerics raise big questions for people in the world.

It looks like Islam is not applicable to modern life. This is of course not true. In my opinion, Islam is still applicable to my daily life in modern times. As a follower, I hope that in the future clerics made edicts that are more rational and understandable.

Rapalex
Jakarta