During the April 08, 2009 Wednesday Forum, Dr. Elaine Kay Swartzentruber emphasized the importance of post-colonial criticism in reading the holy or religious texts. Some religious texts, especially the Holy Bible which is influenced by colonial power, have to be read carefully to make the readers or Christians not trapped in colonial perspectives which are not relevant nowadays.

Swartzentruber explained that there are many perspectives in understanding post-colonial theory since its emergence 25 years ago. By citing R.S. Sugihartarja

‘Symbol and belief’ is our main topic in Wednesday Forum this week based on theme “Water in the Catholic Pilgrimage Place: the Case of Water in the Catholic Temple in Ganjuran Bantul”. We invite you to join this forum. Some information about the forum can be read as follows.

Date: Wednesday, 29 April 2009
Time: 12.30 pm ? 2.30 pm (free lunch)
Venue: Room 306, UGM Graduate School Teknika Utara Pogung
Speaker: Agus Tridiatno,Yoachim

Abstract:

One characteristic of catholic pilgrimage places is the existence of spring or well (Jv: sendang). It is usually believed that in the pilgrimage places happened miracles related to the spring such as health recovery. Then, many people came there for getting health recovery or other hopes.

‘Symbol and belief’ is our main topic in Wednesday Forum this week based on theme “Water in the Catholic Pilgrimage Place: the Case of Water in the Catholic Temple in Ganjuran Bantul”. We invite you to join this forum. Some information about the forum can be read as follows.

Date: Wednesday, 29 April 2009

Time: 12.30 pm

This week Wednesday Forum will provide a discussion topic about music and religion entitled “Selawatan as Musical Reflection of the Islamic Law Interpretation Phenomenon: a Musicological Studies of Islamic Religious Music in the Province of DIY”. We invite you to join this forum. Some information about it can be read as follows.

Date: Wednesday, 22 April 2009
Time: 12.30 pm ? 2.30 pm (free lunch)
Venue: Room 306, UGM Graduate School Teknika Utara Pogung
Speaker: Drs. Andre Indrawan Amin, M. Hum, M.Mus.St, L.Mus.A.

This week Wednesday Forum will provide a discussion topic about music and religion entitled “Selawatan as Musical Reflection of the Islamic Law Interpretation Phenomenon: a Musicological Studies of Islamic Religious Music in the Province of DIY”. We invite you to join this forum. Some information about it can be read as follows.

Date: Wednesday, 22 April 2009

Time: 12.30 pm

Wednesday, 1 April 2009. The topic discussed during the Wednesday Forum on April 1, 2009 was about Sufism and Women which was presented by Najiyah Martiam, a CRCS alumna.

Martiam stated that Sufism is a world full of affable thoughts that point to women. This is the result of her thorough research on Sufism. She had interviewed three female Sufis and one male Sufi in Yogyakarta, and some Sufis in Turkey.

For Martiam, Ibn Arabi (1165-1240) and Jalaluddin Rumi (1207-1273), who were prominent Sufis in the past, stated that women are important figure in performing Sufism. Ibn Arabi said that if a man wants to be a Sufi, he should transform into a woman first. His point of view here relates to his perspective in viewing the Divine as feminine. According to Jalaluddin, ?A woman is a ray of God.? She is not just an earthly beloved; she is creative, not created. When a woman controls her feelings and overcomes sensual desires, she leaves the men behind on the path of God and attains truth faster than men. These two male Sufis showed their great care to women in relation to God.