The Relation between Democracy and Culture

Human beings possess a variety of sometimes contradictory desires. People want safety yet relish adventure; they aspire to individual freedom yet demand social equality. Democracy is no different, and it is important to recognize that many of these tensions, even paradoxes, are present in every democratic society. According to Larry Diamond, coeditor of the Journal of Democracy and a research fellow at the Hoover Institution, a central paradox exists between conflict and consensus. Democracy is in many ways nothing more than a set of rules for managing conflict. At the same time, this conflict must be managed within certain limits and result in compromises, consensus, or other agreements that all sides accept as legitimate. An overemphasis on one side of the equation can threaten the entire undertaking. If groups perceive democracy as nothing more than a forum in which they can press their demands, the society can shatter from within. If the government exerts excessive pressure to achieve consensus, stifling the voices of the people, the society can be crushed from above.

The answer is that there is no single or easy answer. Democracy is not a machine that runs by itself once the proper principles and procedures are inserted. A democratic society needs the commitment of citizens who accept the inevitability of conflict as well as the necessity for tolerance. It is important to recognize that many conflicts in a democratic society are not between clear-cut "right" and "wrong" but between differing interpretations of democratic rights and social priorities. In the United States, there are many such debates. Is it proper, for example, to allocate a certain percentage of jobs to minority groups that have traditionally suffered from discrimination? Does the state have the right to expropriate someone's home for a badly needed road? Whose rights prevail when the society seeks to prohibit logging in the name of wilderness preservation, but at the cost of job losses and economic devastation to small
communities dependent upon the lumber industry? Are the rights of citizens violated, or are those of the community protected, if the police stop people at random to curtail drug trafficking?

These are not easy questions, and the broad precepts of democracy only provide guidelines for addressing and analyzing these issues. Indeed, the answers may change over time. It is for this reason that the culture of democracy is so important to develop. Individuals and groups must be willing, at a minimum, to tolerate each other's differences, recognizing that the other side has valid rights and a legitimate point of view. The various sides to a dispute, whether in a local neighborhood or national parliament, can then meet in a spirit of compromise and seek a specific solution that builds on the general principle of majority rule and minority rights. In some instances, a formal vote may be necessary, but often groups can reach an informal consensus or accommodation through debate and compromise. These processes have the added benefit of building the trust necessary to resolve future problems.

"Coalition-building ," Diane Ravitch observes, "is the essence of democratic action. It teaches interest groups to negotiate with others, to compromise and to work within the constitutional system. By working to establish coalition, groups with differences learn how to argue peaceably, how to pursue their goals in a democratic manner, and ultimately how to live in a world of diversity." Democracy is not a set of revealed, unchanging truths but the mechanism by which, through the clash and compromise of ideas, individuals and institutions, the people can, however imperfectly, reach for truth. Democracy is pragmatic. Ideas and solutions to problems are not tested against a rigid ideology but tried in the real world where they can be argued
over and changed, accepted or discarded.

Self-government cannot protect against mistakes, end ethnic strife, or guarantee economic prosperity. It does, however, allow for the debate and examination that can identify mistakes, permit groups to meet and resolve differences, and offer opportunities for innovation and
investment that are the engines of economic growth.


Reference:
usinfo.state. gov/products/ pubs/whatsdem/ whatdm6.htm

Bilingualism

Bilingualism is someone who can speak more than one language. I live in Indonesia, my mother tongue is Indonesian language. I always use this language in my daily activity, but when I was in junior high school, I learned about English language. First time I studied it, I hated this subject because it made me bored and confused, but when I was in senior high school, I like English language. I realized that it was very fun, and when I graduated in senior high school, I continued my study in English majoring. I was very interest to learn English language, although I still have difficulties in speak English fluently but I have to try speak English every time and every where. Now I can speak two languages, Indonesian and English language.

What makes teenagers happy?

In my opinion something that could bring a happiness to the teenagers are relationship with their parents, teenager who receive a lot of attention from their parents will makes them happy. we might think money would be clearly tied to a general sense of happiness. But not everyone said money when asked what makes them happy, having highly educated parents is a stronger predictor of happiness than income. the second is i believe that teenagers will happy when they are
spending their time with their friends, for having fun or just sharing about their felling each others, because most of them feel happy and comfort with their friends doing a lot of thing that they can't do with their parents.

Personal Experience

I will tell about my personal experience which had changed my thinking about teacher. When I was in Junior High School, I thought that to be a teacher was very easy, a teacher only explained about material in front of the class and they gave the task to students. If a teacher has bad mood to teach, she/he could ask to the students to learn the material themselves, and did the task. But now, I realize that to be a teacher is not easy, we must have more patience, confidence, can control the students, and have to make the class happy, so the students do not feel bored when they are studying. I think these are not easy to do, and I will become a teacher, to be a good teacher must have these characteristics. I think that is my personal experience which had changed my thinking about teacher.

Stereotypes

In my opinion, stereotype is the assumption from the people about something or someone at the first time and it can be negative or positive. For example is the people always judge that the women who are wearing veil are a kind person, pious, and know anything about religious. But, in the reality it is not always like that. Many women who are not wearing veil have a good attitude and sometimes they have a more knowledge about religious than the women who are wearing veil. So we do not judge someone by the cover before we know him/her closer.

Of My Friend Hector and My Achilles Heel

After I read this story which is written by Michael T. Kaufman, I think this is a personal experience that the writer had ever had in his life. It is about prejudice and stupidity. When he was childhood, he has a friend named Hector. But he did not see him for several years until he entered Booker T. Washington Junior High School. When they were in junior high school, the writer thought that Hector was low achievement child because he was not in intellectually class. And a few years later after they finished college, he thought that Hector was a longshoreman. But after he read on the newspaper in the drama section on the title "The Prisoner of Second Avenue", he realized that the actor was Hector, his childhood friend and it was his stupidity because he ever had bad thinking about Hector. And now Hector more successful than him. Based on this story, we can get the conclusion that we do not belittle someone who has a low achievement, because they can more successful than us.

PILGRIMAGE

Every Muslim's submission to the will of Allah is based on the five 'pillars of Islam', as proclaimed by His Prophet Muhammad (may peace be upon Him) one of them is pilgrimage or we call it hajj, it is the fifth pillar. Hajj literally means 'to set out for a place'. Islamically however it refers to the annual pilgrimage that Muslims make to Makkah with the intention of performing certain religious rites in accordance with the method prescribed by the Prophet Muhammad SAW.

Hajj and its rites were first ordained by Allah in the time of the Prophet lbrahim AS and he was the one who was entrusted by Allah to build the Ka'ba, the House of Allah, along with his son Ismail at Makkah. After building the Ka'ba, Ibrahim AS would come to Makkah to perform Hajj every year, and after his death, this practice was continued by his son. These rites include Tawaf, the sevenfold circling of the Ka'ba, originating from Allah's command that Ibrahim take his wife Hajar and their son Ismail into the desert to entrust them to the protection of Allah. In a desperate search for water, Hajar ran seven times between the hills of Safa and Marwah before
beseeching the help of Allah, whereupon the well of Zam Zam burst forth at her feet. Hajj pilgrims have ever since evoked this story in their sevenfold running between Safa and Marwah. This is known as the rite of Saiy ('striving') . The abandoning of Haggar and Ismail was only one of Allah's many ways of testing Ibrahim's faith. Others are remembered by the three rocky pillars at Mina, about 3.7 miles/6km east of Makkah. Each pilgrim collects seven stones on the slopes of Muzdalifah hill, and uses them in a ritual stoning of the three pillars, which are known as 'satans'. The ritual is known as Jamarat and follows the sacrifice of a sheep by every pilgrim who can afford it. The sacrifice takes place in memory of that offered by Ibrahim at Allah's command. The most important ritual of Hajj takes place at Arafat, 10 miles/16km from the Kaaba in Makkah. This is Wukuf, when the pilgrims spend the best part of a night and a day standing in prayer on the Arafat plain. Here they also meditate and hear sermons, according to the command of the Prophet. The tenth day of Dhulhijjah -- Yaum-an-Nahr, the 'Day of Sacrifice' can, in effect take up to three days, due to the vast crowds gathering around the 'satans'. Sacrifices begin after the Eid prayers in the morning and here the mutawwifs are of great service, helping pilgrims arrange the buying and slaughtering of their sacrificial animals. After the sacrifice, pilgrims perform Tawaf Ifada, the ceremonial hair-cutting or head shaving. The pilgrim then emerges from the consecrated state of ihram which he entered on reaching miqat at the outset of his pilgrimage. Two or three more days `the Ayyam at-tashriq' will be required for the pilgrim to complete his Jamarat, and once this rite has been completed the pilgrim returns to Makkah to perform a farewell Tawaf of the Kaaba.

Pilgrimage is one of five pillars of Islam. It is performed every Dzulhijjah, the closing month of the Islamic year. Performing pilgrimage is not obligatory, except for Moslems who are capable to perform it. They are capable in material and physical. In Indonesia, it called Eid-ul-Adha. For the Moslem who has capability, they are obligatory to sacrifice the animals, such as a lamb, goat, ram or any other animal on Eid-ul-Adha and give the meat to friends, neighbors, relatives and the needy. People who are away from the holy pilgrimage, Hajj, also carry out this traditional sacrifice. Hence Eid-ul-Adha is also known as the Feast of Sacrifice or the Day of Sacrifice. Eid-ul-Adha begins from the 10th day of the 12th Islamic month Dhulhijjah.

In brief, pilgrimage can bring the positive influences in our reality lives. First of all, it can train our patience in facing the ordeal which gives by Allah SWT, such as the ordeal which gives to Ibrahim AS and his son Ismail. Second, it can increasingly our devout to Allah SWT and make us always keep in mind Allah every time. And the last is we became know about the history of Ka'ba and the rites of pilgrimage.

References:
www.missionislam. com/knowledge/ historyhajj. htm.
www.arab.net/ saudi/sa_ hajj.htm.

MOSLEM NEW YEAR (HIJRIYAH)

MOSLEM NEW YEAR (HIJRIYAH)

Muslims measure the passage of time using the Islamic (Hijrah) calendar. This calendar has twelve lunar months, the beginnings and endings of which are determined by the sighting of the crescent moon. Years are counted since the Hijrah, which is when the Prophet Muhammad migrated from Mecca to Madinah (approximately July 622 A.D.). The arrival of Muhammad s.a.w at the city of Medina was the beginning of victory for Muslims. For the first time, Muslims gained the rights to run a country based on Islamic teachings, led by Muhammad s.a.w himself. It came naturally to the Muslims at that age to name the year of Rasulullah's arrival at Medina as the first year. This act was not forbidden by Rasulullah s.a.w.

The Islamic calendar was first introduced by the close companion of the Prophet, 'Umar ibn Al-Khattab. During his leadership of the Muslim community, in approximately 638 A.D., he consulted with his advisors in order to come to a decision regarding the various dating systems used at that time. It was agreed that the most appropriate reference point for the Islamic calendar was the Hijrah, since it was an important turning point for the Muslim community. After the emigration to Madinah (formerly known as Yathrib), the Muslims were able to organize and establish the first real Muslim "community," with social, political, and economic independence. Life in Madinah allowed the Muslim community to mature and strengthen, and the people developed an entire society based on Islamic principles.

After I got the information about the Moslem New Year (Hijriyah), first of all, I think in this situation, we have to reflect upon our self about the problems which is happen in our country. There are many problems which can not solve from year to year, such as about politic, social an economic. Second, natural disaster, it was very apprehensive about natural disaster which was happened in some area. Many people who become a victims. Third, crisis of morality, in this time many people who have a bad morality. It is because the social intercourse which is freer and the people have a less piety to Allah SWT.

In the conclusion, Hijriyah has a relation to the reality. First of all, the movement of the way of our view about something which is happens or will happen. Second, the movement of people attitudes in saves our environment and our nationality. Third, the movement of spiritualization in increasingly the piety to Allah SWT and always avoid the bad habits.


References:

en.wikipedia. org/wiki/ Islamic_calendar
www.geocities. com/bruastronomy /sunmoon_ hijrah_calculato r.htm