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Rain Catcher
[Indonesia] RAIN CATCHER: Bujang (b. 1967; 黄志良, right) used to be a Confucius believer. Around eight years back, he dreamt of the adzan (prayer call) and converted into Islam. All the religions are the same, says the Hokkien businessman. It is the same way to heaven. He continues: "I didn't convert to have better business. I think Islam is a very deep religion and I really like the idea of zakat (alms-giving to the poor)." He admits quite openly that he doesn't perform sholat (five daily Islamic prayers) regularly and that he only fasts occasionally because of gastric pain. And yet, he drinks almost every night.
"If you sholat five times a day but your heart is rotten, what's the point of the prayers?" asks Bujang. "Similarly, if you give food willingly to the needy, you will receive credit from Allah. But if do so while cursing behind people's back, what use is it to give food in the first place?" His justification is rather peculiar because it seems possible to argue away anything with that reason.
His Sino-Palembangese wife Sumiati (b. 1969) was brought up by a Chinese relative, which was why she was a Confucius believer before converting into Islam with Bujang.
The Chinese Muslim lives around 14km away from the town centre of Palembang in a house bought by his family in 1988. While he was growing up, his family was quite poor. His eldest brother died in his 30s when he drank beer with an empty stomach. His second elder brother died at three when the kerosene stove exploded. Nowadays, Bujang earns a living by buying used chemical containers from places like Singapore and Jambi, and selling them to clients around Palembang. He earns about US$0.50 for each "unprocessed" container sold. If he cleans and repaints each container, Bujang stands to earn around US$1. Indonesians normally use the containers to hold water for bathing and other purposes. The business was started by his China-born grandfather. "It is very easy to earn money in Indonesia, so long as you are not lazy," adds Bujang.
A new shipment of used containers has just arrived this Saturday afternoon. The sudden downpour has given the workers and the Chinese Muslim the perfect excuse to take a smoking break on the verandah. Meanwhile, Bujang is seen trying to collect some rainwater with the older containers that he has already cleaned.
Rain Catcher
[Indonesia] RAIN CATCHER: Bujang (b. 1967; 黄志良, right) used to be a Confucius believer. Around eight years back, he dreamt of the adzan (prayer call) and converted into Islam. All the religions are the same, says the Hokkien businessman. It is the same way to heaven. He continues: "I didn't convert to have better business. I think Islam is a very deep religion and I really like the idea of zakat (alms-giving to the poor)." He admits quite openly that he doesn't perform sholat (five daily Islamic prayers) regularly and that he only fasts occasionally because of gastric pain. And yet, he drinks almost every night.
"If you sholat five times a day but your heart is rotten, what's the point of the prayers?" asks Bujang. "Similarly, if you give food willingly to the needy, you will receive credit from Allah. But if do so while cursing behind people's back, what use is it to give food in the first place?" His justification is rather peculiar because it seems possible to argue away anything with that reason.
His Sino-Palembangese wife Sumiati (b. 1969) was brought up by a Chinese relative, which was why she was a Confucius believer before converting into Islam with Bujang.
The Chinese Muslim lives around 14km away from the town centre of Palembang in a house bought by his family in 1988. While he was growing up, his family was quite poor. His eldest brother died in his 30s when he drank beer with an empty stomach. His second elder brother died at three when the kerosene stove exploded. Nowadays, Bujang earns a living by buying used chemical containers from places like Singapore and Jambi, and selling them to clients around Palembang. He earns about US$0.50 for each "unprocessed" container sold. If he cleans and repaints each container, Bujang stands to earn around US$1. Indonesians normally use the containers to hold water for bathing and other purposes. The business was started by his China-born grandfather. "It is very easy to earn money in Indonesia, so long as you are not lazy," adds Bujang.
A new shipment of used containers has just arrived this Saturday afternoon. The sudden downpour has given the workers and the Chinese Muslim the perfect excuse to take a smoking break on the verandah. Meanwhile, Bujang is seen trying to collect some rainwater with the older containers that he has already cleaned.