"According to data from the Organization for Ecocomic Co-operation
and Development (OECD), the reading culture of Indonesian society is the lowest
rank among 52 countries in Asia. In 2012 Unesco reported that a child has an
ability to spent 25 books in a year, while Indonesia reached the lowest point:
0 percent. It means, from 1,000 Indonesian children, only one is able to spend
one book in a year. This is a substansial issue, this critical case. The roblem
of interest in reading probably is not as significant as about energy or food.
But how to prepare the country's future if the literacy rate of the society is
so low?" Said Najwa Shihab in Kompas
Daily, August 18, 2016 coincided with the international literacy day.
Without us knowing our country
was ranked the lowest in reading and writing. This is not a trivial issue
considering a country can be seen whether developed or developing from the
interest of literacy. If the easiest things such as read only still low, how to
improve the country itself? If people are lazy to read how to improve
governance itself? If society is more fun to play gadget and shopping branded
goods rather than read a book, how to fix the country's economy itself?
Reading did not make that hunger
be satisfied, but more than that reading a book can add insight to someone how
to address economic problems such as poverty so he/she can fix it in a real
life with the ways written in the book.
Perhaps, one of causes of the low
reading habits in our country is the mindset of people who think that reading
is not important. Better work hard to make money rather than sit comfortably
while reading a book. Yes, this mindset is casual glance. But of course it's
not as casually like that.
We are familiar with Soekarno,
BJ. Habibie, Gus Dur, Quraish Shihab, and other great figures who live in our
country. They are the ones who appreciate science. Give them a book they love.
They’re reading so many books so they can be a great figures be like. So we
are? Only ordinary people how dare to say that reading is not important? Don’t
we look arrogant to say such a thing?
The first revelation which Allah
revealed through the angel Gabriel to His Messenger Muhammad is 'Iqra' which
means 'read'. This one word is a verb without a subject or object before and
after. Thus, in the Arabic language itself it refers to the command line. Why
is the first verse revealed not the word 'worship' or 'go pray' maybe? Of
course, God sent down His verses with the word 'Read!' Is not without reason.
Actually reading habit is an
early foundation for creating a civilized men and faithful. Civilized men means
society who have an intelligent mindset, knows the value and meaning, can
distinguish between which is the true and false one, and make anything useful to
the people and environment around them. And faith means believing what is not
visible to the eye. The climax of faith of civilized man is when he realized
that he was created by The Great One, when he realized there is something
greater than him and it’s the Highest one, it is God.
The reading habit actually can
not be enforced for granted especially to the adults. But it is not mean
impossible to do. Never too late to learn and so something goodness. And for
parents should be better to introduce books to children from an early age, so
that the children will get used to read later.
Speak means cultured. Cultured
means it has civilization. Great civilizations are formed because of a strong
culture. A strong culture reflects the intelligent human being. Intelligent in
science, social, education, economy, and religion. And all of them will happen
if the people have a high interest in reading.
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