The Story Of Two Gods And A Satan Goes Viral In The Media

Jakarta Diary By Azeman Ariffin JAKARTA, Aug 29 (Bernama) -- The case of two 'gods' and a 'satan' has been the hot topic in the Indonesian media after the story of a man with the name "Tuhan" went viral in the social media. The so called "Tuhan" is a villager from Banyuwangi, at the Sukabumi district in West Java, where the name in the Indonesian language means god. Tuhan, 42, a village carpenter became popular overnight much to his dismay after someone posted his identity card and picture in the social media. The father of two himself admitted that he owns a unique name, a name given by his father on the advice of a holy man. Tuhan's wife, Husnul Khatimah, said she had never asked her husband of his rather odd or unique name. Even when their marriage was solemnised nobody questioned her husband's name who is affectionately called with the last three syllable of the name, Han. However, the unwarranted attention he received due to his name being posted in the social media prompted the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) to advise him to change his name or add the word Hamba (servant) infront, making him Hamba Tuhan (servant of god). The head of MUI in Banyuwangi, Achmad Yamin opined that it was not proper for anyone to be called Tuhan, especially when looking at the complications it could create. MUI also hoped that the government department that registers the names of people would advice them on the proper names to be given to their children. However, Tuhan is adamant to keep his name in spite of MUI's advice as he believes there is something special in the name. "I will not change my name, it was given by my parents. Apart from that, if I am to change my name, I have to make the changes in all of my documents like my KTP (identity card), marriage certificate, and etc," he said. THE MAN WHO PLAYED GOD The second god is also in Sukabumi. However, it is a different case involving a man claiming to be god and embarked on a deviant teaching that abused the followers physically and mentally. At Kampung Gunungkarang, a jobless man by the name Indra Okta Permana, 35, who also goes by the name Raden managed to convince some people that he is god and that they should pray to the sun. He called his followers to burn the Quran, stop praying as Muslims and held a ritual for them to repent where he beat them up and stepped on their head. Soon the locals realised of the eccentric and abusive behaviour of the so called god and ambushed him at his place of ritual at a nearby hill before handing him over to the police. Sukabumi Kota CID chief Sulaeman Salim was quoted by the media as saying during interrogation Raden claimed that he was god and admitted of asking his followers to pray the sun instead. Raden who hailed from Tangerang is said to have visited a local Agus Wahyudin and his family and gave them some holy water to drink. After drinking, the family of five came under the spell of Raden and they even burned the Al-Quran and allowed themselves to be beaten and stepped on by Raden. Raden claimed that god is in the human psyche and the holy books only serve to deviate mankind. THE MAN WHOSE NAME IS SATAN And the third case is not about god. A man in Palembang, south Sumatera is in a dilemma due to his name that means the devil. Saiton, 39, is a teacher and lives at Taman Mekarsari settlement in Palembang. Though he has been going on with his routine, but he is uncomfortable with his name that in the Indonesian language means "satan". His parents had named him Saiton without realising what it meant. Only much later did they regret that they had named their son 'satan'. When he was three, his parents did attempt to change his name but the new name brought bad omen. He fell sick, and based on the beliefs of the society that the new name could be the cause, thus he reverted to his old name Saiton. -- BERNAMA