International Food Fair

Jam 1 tengahari tadi, saya telah ditemuramah oleh seorang calon Master Journalism, Jeff Bell. Temuramah ini berkisar penglibatan MUSA dalam International Food Festival yang akan diadakan pada 22-23 Mei akan datang. Berikut adalah sebahagian dialog yang masih saya ingat:

Jeff: Why have you decided to be involved in the food fair?

Saya: The main aim of participating in this event is to introduce to the students within the university about Muslim cultures, social and life style. Through the food fair, it is hoped that people can at least noticed that Islam is actually a religion that welcomes a peaceful social interaction with other communities, besides telling them that this religion also gives a significant focus towards the food and drink that we have everyday and all other aspects of life.

Jeff: What type of food will you be making and why did you decide on these dishes?

Saya: This activity is under Muslim Student Association, University of Canterbury. I was the president until we had our AGM last week, in which the new one has been elected. I have planned and organized a meeting among the committees to discuss about the preparation for the food fair. It is just a coincident, that most of the active members in this club are Malaysian (including me). Therefore, we decided to sell the Malaysian Traditional food (which is satay, curry puff and rice with curry and vegetables at reasonable price). The important point to be highlighted here is that, Islam is not actually belongs to a specific race or people (as there are a lot of people who think Islam belongs to the Arabs). This is because, in Islam, as long as you believe in Allah (Almighty God), you are a Muslim. You can be a Chinese, Kiwi, Russian, German, or any other nationality in this world. So the culture of Islam is actually, global and harmony. Anyone can represent Islam, as long as he practices Islam in the appropriate way.

Jeff: How many of you will be cooking the food and how did this group form (are you friends, do you belong to same club, etc.)?

Saya: We had already set up a committee for the food festival. They are mainly MUSA members. The main chefs are of course, the sisters. But we have divided the works so that everybody can contribute in this event to make it a successful one.

Jeff: What makes Muslim dishes distinct from Kiwi food?

Saya: In my opinion, as I said before, the cultures of Muslim are global and wide. I do not want to restrict Muslim dishes to be so much different from Kiwi food. If we want to compare it based on the dishes that we are going to sell, I can say the difference is due to the Kiwi and Malaysian culture. But there are still some noticeable differences in the food that we eat as compared to the non-Muslim, in general. For instance, we don’t drink alcohol, nor eat pork or any other meat that is not slaughtered according to the Islamic way.

Jeff: What does food "mean" to the Muslim world? Does it play an important social, cultural or family role?

Saya: In Islam, we have our own guideline about choosing the food. Islam teaches us everything, from selecting the food, up to the way we cook and how we eat. Eating plays a big role in the life of a Muslim. For example, although food is important in our life, but we must not be excess in eating, as it will affect our biological system and made us lazy to perform our spiritual obligation and also other work such as study. We agree that bright mind comes from a healthy body. And undoubtedly, healthy body comes from healthy food. Islam pays a serious attention upon ensuring the food that we consumed to be hygienic and good for our body. Therefore, it can be shown here that Islam is actually a religion that suits with the human nature and needs.

Jeff: What is your last word regarding the food fair?

Saya: I personally agree with the event like this, as it gives me exposure about how to manage a team work, and improve my communication and also interpersonal skills. But for me, the more important aim to be achieved here is, to portray a good image and convey the right message of Islam, not only as a spiritual religion, but also as the way of life. In the recent years, Muslims have been busy defending themselves from the wild accusation upon them, in which they didn’t do it at all. As a result, other people couldn’t see the beauty of Islam. And I don’t want to waste my limited time here to do the same thing. In fact, what I’m trying to do is to sketch a good picture of Islam and let the people judge it by themselves. Then will only they know what Islam is all about. Thank you.

Alhamdulillah, Jeff kelihatan seperti berpuas hati dengan jawapan saya. Harapan saya, moga-moga amal kebajikan kami ini dapat dijadikan dakwah bil hal kepada manusia ramai di bumi Christchurch yang permai ini...in-shaa-Allah