End of May in 2003. On the second floor of the editorial office of Gema Baiturrahman Tabloid, I typed something on the media editorial computer published by Baiturrahman Great Mosque until late at night. Some of these media editorial crews have fallen asleep on the green carpet, because they are so tired. Among those I still remember were Irwandi Zakaria and Mukhlisuddin Ilyas. They had just passed the deadline, the deadline for submission of the manuscript, which so tortured the workings of the brain.
I myself continue to type, paragraph by paragraph, to become a read-ready article. Before I turn off the computer, I read the screen again, then print it into two copies. The length of writing is only 4 pages of HVS. One copy I folded neatly and put into a white envelope, which is also available on the editorial table. While one more copy I put on the table.
Before leaving the office located in the west of the Grand Mosque, one by one work facility I turn off. Printer, computer, then room light. I rushed to the office of the Ikatan Siswa Kader Dakwah (ISKADA) to the south of the mosque. The weakened body lay on top of a dulled dome. Before I close my eyes I glanced at the clock on the office wall. The long needle on the rounded clock pointed to the number 2 through 15 minutes. The night is very late.
Three days later, the writing that I wrote late into the night was published in the page of opinion of Serambi Indonesia entitled William Nessen dan Nasib Aceh. As I recall, that was my first article published in Aceh as a Military Emergency (DM). Many of my friends are both surprised and upset. "Do not write any opinions in the paper. You hide it, "they say. Two weeks earlier, our secretariat of Student Activity Unit (SME) SALAM at PKM IAIN Ar Raniry had just been raided. Some of our captured friends have not been released yet. The atmosphere of Aceh when it was still very tense.
As I mentioned in the first article, after sitting in college, my opinion paper began to be published on the opinion page of Serambi Indonesia, a local newspaper in Aceh. I may have been very lucky, because the second piece I sent to the newspaper editor was instantly published. The title, Puasa dari Nafsu Jahat, an article that invites TNI / Police and Free Aceh Movement (GAM) to do a truce welcoming Ramadan, the holy month for Muslims.
As an early semester student, I did write more peace themes. My involvement in student organizations has had a lot of influence on the writing theme. Through writing, I invite warring groups (TNI / Police and GAM) to stop their brutal actions to the public. Everywhere, armed conflicts are always the people who are the more victims. I realized that a writing could not stop the war at all. However, at least we have done one of the social responsibilities as a student.
I never counted the number of peace-themed papers published in Serambi Indonesia (as well as Tabloid Kontras, still a publisher with Serambi Indonesia). My consciousness is clipping when it is very low. Even I assume even the writing that has been published in a newspaper will not be lost. At that time I did not imagine that Aceh would be hit by a tsunami like what happened last December 2004. I'm sure, whenever it takes a published article, I can look in the media office or in the library. However, the Aceh earthquake and tsunami have destroyed many important archives, even the office of Serambi Indonesia was evenly grounded.
Until now I do not keep the archives of writings ever published by newspapers. Usually I just record the title and my published writing date. To me, the published writings are no longer mine, but they belong to the public. If it's important enough, let the public save it. A recent attitude I regret so much.
Later, after I routinely sent text to the media using electronic mail, the archive was neatly stored in the outgoing mailbox. If the writing is not loaded, it can still be read at least edited again to be displayed on personal blogs.
In the past, when writing was typed using a typewriter, and sent to the editorial address using a postal service, we never knew what the fate would be if it were not published by the newspaper. If we attach the stamps in the envelope, then the unloaded text is sent back to our address. However, I almost never use this way. As a result, many of my writings have fared like a lost child. Hard to find where the rimbanya.
Because of the frequent writing of themes of peace, any moment then I see in the framework of peace. During the 2002 World Cup, I wrote an article that connected the game with the fate of Aceh peace. I can not remember exactly how my title is published Serambi Indonesia which links football peacefully Aceh. If not mistaken, the title like Sepakbola dan Perdamaian Aceh. Sometimes, I will look back on my writings that have been published in the newspaper. Generations of the times we will never ever write if there is no evidence of newspaper clippings.
There is one of my peace-themed writings that I wrote to coincide with the momentum of the month of Muharam, the month that became the beginning of the calendar by Muslims. The title, 1 Muharram dan Isyarat Perdamaian, is published one full page in Tabloid Kontras. The idea of writing was even quoted by other authors in Media Indonesia. That was the first time I read my name in the national newspaper. I lie to you when I say I'm not happy with this fact.
After my writing several times published Serambi Indonesia newspaper, my lover as a writer increasingly excited and surge. I am increasingly eager to penetrate the national newspaper. My goal is the Kompas Daily. I almost read the top writers every day on Kompas's opinion page, and I imagine one day my name is also among these writers.
Secretly I began to diligently send one or two papers every month to Kompas newspaper. The theme of the writing I wrote is still the same: the question of Aceh peace. My writing is not loaded. But there is one thing that makes me happy to send writing to Kompas: editorial staff opinion Kompas newspaper always reply to emails from the sender of writing! I think it can be counted on the fingers of the number of homeland media that routinely reply to emails of the authors. There is a sense of pleasure reading their email reply, because they provide an explanation of why the posts we send are not loaded. One more, at the end of their email reply, they often ask us to keep willing to write and post to Kompas. Nature! Which authors do not hover to the clouds read this request.
When I moved to Jakarta, I increasingly routinely sent writing to Kompas. Although I've lived in Jakarta, but the writing I sent to Kompas is still a theme of peace. I also consulted with many senior writers to write tips from them how to make our writing published by Kompas. For example, I asked for advice on Eep Saifullah Fattah, Indra J Piling, Agus Sudibyo even to the newspaper editors like Budiman Tanuredjo (now Chief Editor of Kompas) and Rommy Fibri.
Tips and advice from them is very useful for self-development and improvement of writing skills. From them I also learned that according to them are many other writers who did not directly published his writings when first sent. Some took years to write until the first article was published by the media; there are authors whose writings are published on the 20th post; there are even writers who submit posts more than 50 new and then published by the media.
Learning the experience of other writers, I also became eager to send writing to Kompas. I can not give up. I have not written as much of them, and in terms of age I am still young, and still able to hone skills. Some even suggested that I not only send writing to Kompas, but also to other national media. They name the newspaper one by one, such as Media Indonesia, Republika, Sinar Harapan and Suara Pembaruan. [Actually, I've already sent a post to that mentioned newspaper]
A very reasonable suggestion that I immediately tried. After attending a seminar held by Komnas HAM in Jakarta, I began to write related to the theme of the seminar. I am writing about the vision of a political party towards the realization of a permanent peace in Aceh. After it was completed, I sent it to Sinar Harapan, an afternoon newspaper in Jakarta. I sent this paper via electronic mail. I did not remember anything about this fate anymore, until a few days later I got a short message from a friend. "Congratulations, your writing is in Sinar Harapan."
Like the guy who just won the lottery, I jumped for joy. I rushed to the nearest kiosk that sold newspapers. The first thing I did was not read the page as usual. I immediately opened the opinion page. And, it appears the article Penyelesaian Aceh Pascapemilu, underneath it is clearly written my name as the author: Taufik Al Mubarak. Eureka!
I feel like flying into the seventh heaven, brethren! Fortunately, at that moment my feet still rested on the ground with a solid. It was a relief to read my own writing on the national newspaper's opinion page. This happy news soon distributed to my Aceh friends in Jakarta. Congratulations for unending eternity. At that time, I imagine how if the article was published in Kompas, must be many times the echoes.
For nine months I fell asleep. During that time no other writings were published by Sinar Harapan, nor in other newspapers. I became moody and no longer excited. Toward the end of the year, the earthquake and tsunami devastated Aceh. The world is shocked and grieving. Prayer and relentless help were sent to the victims in Aceh. Again, I tried to write about Aceh in the paper. Early January 2005, my article titled Tantangan Aceh Pascatsunami was published by Sinar Harapan. Then, two weeks later, my other writings were also published. The title, Prospek Dialog RI-GAM Pascatsunami. I hope that the tsunami disaster will accelerate the realization of peace in Aceh.
For information, the article on the negotiations is cited by Farid Husein in his book, To See the Unseen. I saw my name in the bibliography section in a book about Jusuf Kalla's close testimony regarding the peace process between Aceh and Indonesia. A multiplied happiness for Acehnese children who are pioneering career as a writer.
In fact, I began to diligently write on the site acehkita.com, a news site built by Aceh activists in Jakarta. The online media attempting to proclaim Aceh from the victim's testimony soon became the only reference to Aceh seeking to get closer to Aceh's development, especially after the military shut down Aceh from the outside world. In Acehkita.com the theme of my writing was not far from the matter of peace.
If counted, there are more or less 50 articles about Aceh that I send to Kompas newspaper. I am more accepting of rejection. The reasons for my writing were rejected, and one of the most frequently repeated editors of Kompas opinions was "we lack the space to publish your writing." The reason, the discussion is too cliche, too summers and the issues are discussed too local. In essence, the article rejected the brothers.
However, the word "surrender" has long been removed from my life dictionary. Accepting rejection many times does not make me kapok and broken direction. I'm even more obsessed with writing in Kompas. Do you know how the spirit of someone who always rejected his love by a woman? She became ever more loving.
The more often my writing is rejected by Kompas, the more diligent I send writing to their editorial address. If I previously sent two posts in a month, now I raise again into 4 posts. I hope they just read my name every time I open the email editor. However, what can be done, the more writing I send the more they are rejected by them.
The long wait finally arrived. On January 12, 2012, the words Aceh Bukan Lahan Kosong are published on page 7 in Kompas Daily. I do not remember any posts to which they were published. What is clear, more than 50 writings I sent to Kompas, and only one published. I'm not saying it's a remarkable achievement. However, for those of you who have read the article on the Kompas newspaper's opinion page, seeing our name among the writers with the title of professor, it's hard not to say we're happy enough. []