The special district
of Aceh is located on the northern most top of Sumatera island, covers
an area of 55.390 square kilo meters, include 3 mains islands on the north
shore. Actually there are many small islands still not mentioned here.
Aceh is one of the areas in Indonesia that already introduce writing.
Their writing is called Arab-Malay and was used by older generations,
while younger generations do not know this writing anymore since in school
they study Latin alphabets.
The nature anger that devastated Aceh in 2004 has been living a great
missery to the people of Aceh, which religious piety has been the most
strongest in the world. We belive that the people of Aceh are really obeyed
the religion from the deepest heart, not like other coutries that hold
Muslim as only the outer mark to get the sympathy of the illitrate. The
strong obedience of Aceh to Muslim do not bear terrorists like other countries
or areas. Yet we as a human being do not understand why such a religious
ethic must be punished by mother nature not limited to the Aceh provice
only but Yogyakrta and South Kalimantan, South Sulawesi, Central Lombok
where Muslim are planted soo deep. In Aceh, based on language that exists,
can be grouped into 4 dialects from the same great parent of Autronesian.
Those 4 dialects have been developed so far, so each other do not understand
by their own language.
- Gayo - Alas dialect; is spoken by Gayo land people in central Aceh,
- Aneuk Jamee dialect; spoken by group in South and West Aceh,
- Tamiang dialect; spoken by people scattered along the border of Aceh
and North Sumatera at the east side,
- Aceh dialect; spoken by 70% of the total Special District of Aceh,
those are living in East, North, Pidie, and part of West Aceh.
The shape of their houses
is called high house, as it is built on a wooden poles to avoid animal
attack and flooding. Their basic subsistence are rice, but their irrigation
system is still not yet developed and largely depend on season which is
only once a year. They also grow catles such as cows and buffaloes. They
know also trading intra provinces such as with North Sumatera with Medan
as the center of the economic activities. Other farming products such
as coffee and rubber are all exported to Medan. In the past Aceh is also
famous for their spice, but with the monopoly of Dutch East Company, their
prices were always valueless and the farming was neglected by the people.
See from their traditional organization Aceh showing a democratic organization
which is manifested in an organization called Gampong. Beside the
head of Gampong and his assistants there is a people representative elected
from senior peoples who have vast experiences to sit in the element of
Gampong organization and involve in the society's affairs. Aceh is the
first Indonesian region to receive the influence of Islam and has been
developing into loyal Moslem devotees, and take every efforts to establish
Islam in all life's aspects. That is why Aceh is often called " the
gate of Mecca ". But Acehnese is not a religious extremists, nor
a terrorists, they are Malay people sharing common virtues and wickedness
with all of Indonesian. Due to the bad management of Indonesian government
in the past they are now requesting an independency.
ACEH HAS BEEN DEVASTATED BY TSUNAMI ON
SUNDAY 09.00 WIB 26 DECEMBER 2004 OF 8.9 RICHTER SCALE EARTH QUAKE WHICH KILLED 228.000 PERSON INCLUDING
ACEH PROVINCE, AND NORTH WEST BEACHES OF NORTH SUMATRA, NIAS AND THE WEH ISLAND. AS A RESULT NIAS COULD NOT
BE VISITED UNTIL THE TIME IT IS RECOVERED. SECOND QUAKE ON 28 MARCH 2005 OF 7.5 RICHTER SCALE HAS
KILLED AT LEAST 8.000 PEOPLE OF NIAS AND LEFT HUNDREDS HOMLESS AND INJURED. The beautiful island and
it's people in Nias has been put in trial by the nature despite the fact that their life from
beginning has been very difficult only based on the sea product managed traditionally and also their
farming is not favourable. This is real an irony of the nature that giving people the missery
unlimited for their burden. It is the same as what has happened in Aceh. Aceh people is the most
obedient Muslim people to the god ( Allah ) in the world. Might be they need to review what they
have been so far.
|
