The most real and overt strategy of Satan is to incite people. Remember, the first humans, Adam and Eve, dared to defy God because they were incited by Satan. He said, “So you may have power like God.” They were misled into believing it was their right! Thus, whenever there are conflicts; be it at the level of nations, regions, tribes, religions, or even within families, including conflicts with partners, Satan laughs.
My experience as a Community Development & Peace worker in the conflict areas of Southern Thailand forced me to learn the profound meaning of high-level theology. In layman’s terms, “High meaning of theology.” By studying this high-level theology, I came to understand Buddhists, Muslims, and Christians living there.
My involvement as a Community Development & Peace worker also brought blessings to me as a village person, sometimes as rustic as those from my own village. For example, when we organized seminars to help find solutions for how peace agreements could be realized between the Thai government and pro-independence groups there on June 13-15, 2002.
I was timid, and truly so. Perhaps it was influenced by my environment. Understandable, coming from a nation that was colonized for over 300 years and being a poor rural child. Even my studies were local, not international class.
But I had to compete smartly and portray an intellectual image because I was working with friends from several countries internationally. Yet, when speaking, I stumbled and stuttered. Perhaps my friends needed the power of spirits to interpret difficult words. Because the language used was non-Dayak. Especially since I couldn’t drink alcohol to cure my timidity! And I was most against using water as a cure from witch doctors.
During that seminar, Professor of Anthropology from Harvard University, United States, was invited along with an analysis team from the East-West Institute. There were also intelligent people from Thailand as speakers. One of them, Surin Pitsuwan, Ph.D., former Foreign Minister of Thailand from 1997-2001 and former Secretary-General of ASEAN from 2008-2012.
Incidentally, Surin Pitsuwan was a Harvard graduate with a doctorate in political science and Middle Eastern studies. His dissertation was titled: “Islam and Malay Nationalism: A case study of the Malay-Muslims of Southern Thailand.” Surin Pitsuwan was the son of a Datok Guru. In Indonesia, we call him a child of Kyai, who owns a fairly large and historic pesantren in Nakhon Si Thammarat, Southern Thailand.
Harvard University is indeed famous for producing many great individuals, such as Barrack Obama and Michelle Obama. Dr. Surin studied at Harvard University with support from the Rockefeller Foundation. Because he received a scholarship from the Rockefeller Foundation, Surin Pitsuwan was often called an infidel doctor by coffee shop discussion groups in Thailand. I used to join these coffee shop discussions while eating paye bread (a jar) or chana bread, as the Singaporeans call it. Of course, with the splendid pulled tea.
I burst out laughing when Dr. Surin recounted his experiences of being labeled an infidel. My coffee cup almost spilled as it shook. Thank God I hadn’t sipped it yet. If I had, it might have spilled from my mouth, like when people shout, “Allahu Akbar…!”
This is my personal memory of a great Thai-Malay, who passed away on November 30, 2017. Surin, whose full name is Surin Abdul Halim bin Ismail Pitsuwan, was a diplomat, politician, devout Muslim, and humble statesman in a predominantly Buddhist country.
That memory is firmly ingrained in my mind because of our meeting at the CS Hotel in Pattani, Southern Thailand. He was already a former foreign minister then, while I was nobody. Even now, I am still nobody, except myself as a servant of Allah who continues to learn to surrender to the living Allah, the Creator of the heavens and the earth.
I remember vividly, a Professor of Anthropology from Harvard University sitting next to me, an American of Indian descent, smiling along with Mr. Surin’s story. Perhaps the professor was a bit pretentious, maintaining his professorial image, or maybe that was his temperament.
I suspect, in his intellectual language, “my analysis,” the professor smiled not because of the English accent of Dr. Surin or me, which sometimes had Malay intonations and mixed words. My analysis is that the professor thought, “strange and somewhat crazy.” Why would someone be labeled an infidel just because they studied in America and were funded by the Rockefeller Foundation? Then who is the real infidel? Dr. Surin or them?
Well, if the son of a scholar who becomes a doctor and studies religion from the womb to Cairo University is labeled an infidel, what about me? I could get angry and curse back, but I refuse because anger and cursing are characteristics of Satan. Perhaps those who like to label others as infidels are already possessed by the nature and spirit of Satan. What’s the point of joining in with devilry!
But that’s how society is when its soul is shaken by conflict. A person who excels in their studies and delves into religious knowledge from the womb, still gets labeled an infidel. Conversely, someone who might be a former market thug, a cheat, amoral, and forces people, but loves to wear religious garb and appear like a bright angel, although perhaps a devil in disguise as a bright angel, is accepted as a religious expert.
Only people with high-level theological knowledge and divine purity of heart can understand who the true religious scholars are and who are the tools of Satan to destroy their fellow beings. The hypocritical devils are indeed roaming around like bright angels. Be vigilant!
@Dr.namsi, Ph.D.
