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ec. 20, p12

Acha Septriasa and Abimana Aryasatya return to star in Bulan Terbelah di Langit Amerika (Split Moon in the American Sky), the latest movie adaptation of one of Hanum Salsabiela Rais and Rangga Almahendra'€™s novels.

Acha Septriasa and Abimana Aryasatya mark their return to the screen after starring in 99 Cahaya di Langit Eropa (Ninety-nine Lights in the European Sky) and its two sequels '€” the predecessors of their latest film, Bulan Terbelah di Langit Amerika (Split Moon in the American Sky).

The latest film, Bulan Terbelah, gives a glimpse of life as a Muslim in the US following the 9/11 tragedy.

The film, directed by Rizal Mantovani, begins with an American Muslim family celebrating the birthday of the daughter, Sarah Hussein, a day before the tragedy. (by Novia D. Rulistia)

Your comments:

Of course you will be discriminated against if you insist on being different.

Everywhere you go, common sense dictates that you keep to the cultural norms and practices of the locality, at least outwardly.

Why else would we have this ancient counsel: When in Rome, do as the Romans do?

There'€™s a very similar maxim in Indonesia too: '€œMasuk kandang kambing mengembik; masuk kandang kerbau menguak.'€ Roughly translated it means: '€œBleat when you enter a goat pen; bellow when you enter a cattle yard.'€

Lastly there'€™s the Koran itself, that ultimate guide of Muslims: '€œAllah intends for you ease and He
does not want to make things difficult for you.'€

WS

As an American who attended college in the US during the Islamic Revolution in Iran, I remember the hurt inflicted on Iranians in the US who opposed the fundamentalists as much, if not more, than anyone else.

My Iranian friends had a rough time here and for all the wrong reasons. They more than anyone in the US had the highest stake in their opposition to the fundamentalist madness, violence and killing, just as Muslim-Americans do now.

Brad Cecil

As a non-Muslim, I actually got enlightenment after knowing about the dhimma system. Really, the Muslims should have told the non-Muslims about their historic attitude toward non-Muslims.

Although dhimma has no legal basis in Indonesia, social discrimination does occur against non-Muslims when the Muslims are the majority.

I think dhimma could explain a lot the difference between Muslim minorities and Muslim majorities. When they are the majority, you can expect discrimination to occur, at least socially, although you will be lucky if it doesn'€™t.

Wildau

The dhimma, the contract, was a feature of the Pact of Umar, itself a clone of the Code of Justinian and not truly the Koran. The Koran certainly puts emphasis on the jizyah, but not on a dhimma for subject populations. That came a bit later.

Do you similarly fault Orthodox Christians for the historic use of the Code of Justinian? Probably not.

Danina

Synopsis of this flick in a few words: A completely exaggerated story stirring the already latent anti-US (anti-Western) emotions of Indonesian Muslims by purposefully excessively magnifying '€œdiscrimination'€ of those '€œpoor and suffering'€ Muslims in the US, which helps them play the victim role (and sell this movie).

In addition, there are excessively used product placements in this movie to pay the bills since nobody wants to invest in such a type of story line and badly pronounced English mixed with the Indonesian language.

Anais Gudd

The problems with Indonesian cinema can be summed up in an analogy: Indonesian cinema is like a doctor who uses big words to describe a cramp, which scares the hell out of a patient, while downplaying it while talking to another.

Alex

Being a follower of the Islam faith in the US is no problem and one'€™s constitutional right within the local framework of regulations under the secular law.

Nevertheless, making a jilbab out of the stars and stripes represents what America does not stand for.

Suwiwi

What discrimination of Muslims in America? How about making a local film about Indonesian minorities being discriminated against like what is done against the GKI followers and Ahmadis?

Indonesian Watch