Scapegoating

Wal ashr
Innalinsaana lafihusrin
Illalladzina aamanuu wa a'milushoolihaati watawa shoubilhaqqi watawa shoubishobr

There are several things I remember about this surah related to some events I've been trhough this week and the the coming weekend. The first was that I got a new lesson when Sist Helda when she found a bit hard to pronounce the first verse since in the tahsin criteria saying there were two types of pronouncing 'ra' the tafhim and tarkiq (not sure), the thin followed by kasrah and the thick one followed by dhomah - just a note for reminder.

The second thing is I've decided not to waste my time staring on the laptop for blogging. In the beginning, it was fun and seemed to be a liberating agenda having such a media for writing 'grudges' about injustice especially the stupidity and some losers. But then, writing grudges might harm the stability of the peace of the mind and heart. So I quit. Nonetheless, on the second thought triggered by some friend asking me to show how to do blogging, I begin to write again. It's gonna be good sharing what I've got with others anyway. Afterall sharing what we know with the right intention is not wasting time at all as this weekend is gonna be the busy one for a photography workshop, blogging training for the halaqoh sisters and the rumors also said about the farewell party in the park.

Talking about sharing just remind me of the word antonimy, individualist that was recently concerned by friends. It was like a quite contrary between the two. The concerened is that people now are getting more individulist, is that true? Let me check ... Based on the dict, it says Individualism is a term used to describe a moral, political, or social outlook, that stresses human independence and the importance of individual self-reliance and liberty. Individualists promote the unrestricted exercise of individual goals and desires. They oppose any external interference with an individual's choices.

The meaning tends to show how an individualist focus on self-reliance, independent and liberty. This word turned pejoratively since people mixed up with egotism (egoism) which leads to antisocial behaviour and narcissism. Individualist is not necessarily an egotist. In our context, among the indonesian culture, those words are easly mixed up and abused.

Indonesians are well known by its typical 'collectivsm' as they say the 'gotong royong' or sharing which means more or less doing things together or emphasising to community and societal goals over individual goals. I believe the original intention was wonderful to create the philosophy of 'the more the merrier'. But then, the use of this term has been manipulated and abused. People now tend to abused the term over their egotism. I bet everybody involves in the 'gotong royong' - especially the actor of the 'gotong royong' - must have an individual motives. For example corruption, gossiping (pretend to care for others but merely ghibah). The actor manipulates the philosophy for the sake of his self-centeredness. When the actor fails to reach his objective he begin scapegoating. Thus, in a certain case, it is like a kind of scapegoating because self-reliance has never been developed. In Psychoanalitic theory, scapegoating means unwanted thoughts and feelings that can be unconsciously projected onto another who becomes a scapegoat for one's own problems. This concept can be extended to projection by groups. In this case the chosen individual, or group, becomes the scapegoat for the problems.

Now I am in between in the two cultures, Eastern and Western cultures that so-called individualist. This phenomenon allows me to think why such individualist culture can be among the best instead of the gotong royong culture. What's the matter? The eastern concept seems to be better but WHY? There must be a mistaken action upon the philosophy. I am thinking again, the possiblity is that those who are individualist will only concern about the self without interfering others. Given that way of thinking, the society creates the persistent rule to organise each individual for their fulfilment that result a perfect order. Such as being on time that is extremely contrary to the eastern culture. Above all, this doesn't mean that western culture is the best but in this case this might be a thing for reflection. Reflecting back to the surah above. it was wise and precious to think about the importance of time in our life and the important of giving advice to believe in the truth and patience.