New Year Celebration?

New Year's Eve! Old n New Party! Dance all the night! Dance till you drop! Dance with your loved ones.

On December 26th this year (2003), we humans had amazing catastrophe in South and South East Asia. Just last year, at the same day (26th December 2004), we had another catastrohpe in Bam, Iran. Many people lost their loved ones. Many people become homeless. Many people can not even take a refreshing bath for days.

The question that arise in my mind is, why then some humans celebrate the New Year's eve by partying all night? Along the years, there are people throughout the world who suffering of hunger. Palestinians are still dominated by Israelis (which is supported by US government). Iraqi people's freedom are taken by US troops (which are ordered by US government). Many people suffered. Many children lost their parents, wives lost their husbands, husbands lost their wives, parents lost their children. Still there are many people partying in many place in other side of the globe. Ironic? You think.

Why should some humans celebrating New Year by partying? January 1st is just like ordinary day throughout the year. It is quite special because we humans start counting from 1. If you celebrate New Year this evening, then why don't you celebrate it at February 1st? Just because the year changes, increased by 1. What is so special then about New Year's Celebration? For me, every single day is new day. It is a new year too. Last year on 31 December I did something. This year, I must do something better than last year. So every day is New Year. It only depends on when you start counting. Every day is New Year, so why celebrating December-31st-to-January-1st-change by partying all night long? Why don't humans partying every night then? Celebrating new days.

If you still insisting on partying this evening, I wonder.. what will you do if in the middle of the party, you die? What will you do? Can you predict when the tidal waves comes in Aceh? Do you know exactly when and where will you die? Are you prepared for it?

Wise man says, life is all about option. We choose to do whatever we want to do. Tonight is New Year's Eve. Many people are still suffering from hunger, cold, clotheless. They are thirsty. They are still trauma from the catastrohpy that just happened. Are we still resist to party this evening? Are we dare enough while our friends, our families still homeless tonight? You may choose. I may choose. But I choose not to have a party tonight. I will not celebrating New Year's Eve in my entire life, because there are still many people in this world who need our help, care, and love. Loving is not partying.

Dan apabila lautan dijadikan meluap

Apabila langit terbelah,

dan apabila bintang-bintang jatuh berserakan,

dan apabila lautan dijadikan meluap,

dan apabila kuburan-kuburan dibongkar,

maka tiap-tiap jiwa akan mengetahui apa yang telah dikerjakan dan yang
dilalaikannya.

Hai manusia, apakah yang telah memperdayakan kamu (berbuat durhaka)
terhadap Tuhamu Yang Maha Pemurah.

Yang telah menciptakan kamu lalu menyempurnakan kejadianmu dan
menjadikan (susunan tubuh)mu seimbang,

dalam bentuk apa saja yang Dia kehendaki, Dia menyusun tubuhmu.

Bukan hanya durhaka saja, bahkan kamu mendustakan hari pembalasan.

Padahal sesungguhnya bagi kamu ada (malaikat-malaikat) yang mengawasi
(pekerjaanmu),

yang mulia (di sisi Allah) dan yang mencatat (pekerjaan-pekerjaanmu
itu),

mereka mengetahui apa yang kamu kerjakan.

Sesungguhnya orang-orang yang banyak berbakti benar-benar berada dalam
surga yang penuh kenikmatan,

dan sesungguhnya orang-orang yang durhaka benar-benar berada dalam
neraka.

Mereka masuk ke dalamnya pada hari pembalasan.

Dan mereka sekali-kali tidak dapat keluar dari neraka itu.

Tahukah kamu apakah hari pembalasan itu?

Sekali lagi, tahukah kamu apakah hari pembalasan itu?

(Yaitu) hari (ketika) seseorang tidak berdaya sedikit pun untuk
menolong orang lain. Dan segala urusan pada hari itu dalam kekuasaan
Allah.

(Surat al-Infitar ayat 1-19)