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In the outer region of Aljier City, the capital of Algeria, people are preparing themselves to start a new day. However, bustle that took place did not necessarily break the concentration of some people who are diligent remembrance at a mosque.

There were more than 60 people involved in that activity. Sitting cross-legged in a circle while solemnly intoned Tasbih, Takbir, Tahlil, Tahmid, and blesses the Prophet Muhammad SAW, serve Allah the Almighty God and His Messenger.

They are members of an assembly of remembrance. And just like in Indonesia, the number of assemblies of remembrance in this North African country continued to grow from time to time. One thing is important, it is worth to note, the Assembly of remembrance in the Algerian adopted most of Sufism or Tasawuf.

The development is inseparable from the role of government. They want to encourage religious activity as a priority program, especially in order to spread the Sufi teachings.

The question is, what is the urgency of the policy? As is known, this country has long conflict involving government forces with Islamic groups, and has caused huge losses of spirit and possessions.

After going through security approach; raids, detention, and even gunfire, which proved does not give good results, the Algerian government to try a new effort to stop the conflict. Encouraging the spirit of religion among the public, is now the 'guns' of the government.

Incessantly, Sufism has been echoed throughout the country. Sufism is considered as an appropriate solution to overcome the turmoil and at the same time raise awareness of the importance of peace and togetherness.

Several steps unfold immediately. Among other things, the existence of television and radio programs to disseminate Sufism. A number of influential religious figures involved to introduce and provide an understanding of these related to Sufism. These activities of course are in control of the Government.

Basically, Sufism or Tasawuf can be found in almost all Muslim-majority country in the world. Sufi followers will come first of worship to draw closer to God, whether through recitation, remembrance, and other worships. They usually choose to distance themselves from political life.

On the other hand, the Salafi teachings also shared by members of the insurgents who want to change the conditions in the country according to Islamic values. Salafi who was developed the first time in Saudi Arabia is a movement to understand the political Islamism that takes understanding of the ancestors (Salaf) of the patristic period of early Islam as a basic of understanding.

Based on that, Salafi ideology trying to revive the practice of Islam as practiced at the time of the Prophet Muhammad S.A.W. They did not want innovations that have been made and will be added in the socio-religious life of Muslims. However, in Algeria, Sufi has not practiced widely. One of the reason is because most of the mosques is more likely to follow the Salafi movement.

How many followers of the Sufism in Algeria, not known for certain. However, according to George Joffe, a researcher at the research department of the Center of International Study, University of Cambridge, currently estimated there are about one to 1.5 million followers of the Sufi of the total population of 34 million inhabitants.

Government officials believe, Sufism can create a permanent peace in Algeria. Mohamed Idir Mechnane, an official at the ministry of religious, said they worked hard to popularize the traditional teachings of Islam that emphasizes tolerance, peace, and openness.

'And Alhamdulillah (Thank God), more and more members of the public who understand and are willing to follow the Sufi teachings,' he said, quoted by Reuters news agency.

For the success of this program, the government provides a broader role in society to the followers of the Sufi. For instance, organizing events like weddings, helping orphans, teach reading and writing the Al Qur'an, as well as fund for the poor.

'For more than 14 centuries, Islam has been present in this country,' said Hadj Lakhdar Ghania, one member of the Assembly of remembrance, Tidjania Zaouia. 'We're used to living in harmony and peace.' However, he continued, when the followers of Salafi said to the Algerian to practice Islam as they practiced, then began to arise differences of opinion.

How to spread the Sufi teachings actually not a new idea. Since 2007, a study from the Rand Corporation says that Sufism proved to be very effective to promote moderate Islam. 'Traditionalist and Sufism in Islam are an integral part, given the many similarities between the two,''the study said. The Salafi followers react immediately. They can not accept some Sufi ritual practices, such as pilgrimages to the tomb of the clergy.

Instead, they assess that the Salafi doctrine is the only one should be applied. 'The Salafi is very important to counter thought and worship that deviate from Islamic values. We encourage the younger generation to follow the true teachings of Islam and not affected by the Western lifestyle,' said Sheikh Abdel Fatah, one of the prominent Salafi figures. But, why then Salafi usually associated with violent? Sheikh Abdel Fatah denies. He argues, in any countries, salafi teachings always practiced in peace.

To prove his statement, Sheikh Abdel Fatah requested that the public back to the year 2001. At that time, after 11 September 2001 incident, a number of Salafi scholars are immediately condemned the violence. Similarly, other Salafi clerics who now live in Saudi Arabia, Abdelmalek Ramdani, called on followers to avoid violence and hostility.

Other ideas put forward by Mouloudi Mohamed, a local Muslim scholar. He believes, the best effort to stop the violence is by returning to traditional practices of Islam that has taken place in a civilized country since centuries ago. 'I'm not sure we need to 'import' solutions from abroad, but it would be better if we start practicing Islam as a father and grandfather had done first,' he stated.

Source: Muslim Ways

Forty years have passed since we got shocked by the controversial news of successful Apollo 11 landing on the Moon. Is it true that astronauts Neil Armstrong was the first man on history of human kind had set foot on the Earth's satellite? Questions continue to accompany the story of the Apollo 11 mission and its landing on the surface of the Moon on 20 July 1969.

The Apollo 11 mission was the first mission conducted by U.S that to land human on the Moon surface. It was the fifth human spaceflight of Project Apollo and the third human voyage to the Moon. It was also the second all-veteran crew in manned spaceflight history.

Launched on July 16, 1969, it carried Mission Commander Neil Alden Armstrong, Command Module Pilot Michael Collins and Lunar Module Pilot Edwin Eugene 'Buzz' Aldrin, Jr. On July 20, Armstrong and Aldrin became the first humans to walk on the Moon, while Collins orbited above.

Then, astronauts Neil Armstrong and Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin walking on the surface of the Moon. Video depicts Armstrong put the U.S. flag and jump around. This action emphasizes the human success of landing on the Moon.

Several parties dispute the landing. The video clip stated as full of curiosity. Some said that the video was not made on the Moon, but in a special place in the vicinity of the State of Arizona, USA.

Astronom Phil Plait, gave an explanation on the radio program "Are We Alone", which is managed by SETI Institute, a non-profit organization in California U.S., which focus on the explanation of the existence of the other beings in the universe.

Plait said, there are some parties skeptically questioning pictures, photos, images of Armstrong and Aldrin that shows the sky without stars. "There is no atmosphere on the moon so the stars should look brighter than on earth."

The skeptical question is also about the U.S. flag in the video snippets that appear to flapped, the moon does not have air. They also propose a theory that the astronauts may have been seared by radiation when penetrate the Van Allen belt and could not have survived the trip because of exposure to radiation from the galactic ambient radiation in travel to the Moon.

Matter of fact, belief in the moon landing was already weakened in the last few years. This issue emerged again when in 2001 Fox TV broadcast a program titled "Conspiracy Theory: Did We Land on the Moon?"

The Fox TV show, said Dr. Tony Philips, on the Science@NASA site, describing how the US's NASA is not more than simply "the moronic film producer."

All doubt was often answered Directly by Armstrong, Apollo 11 mission commander. Armstrong who was born in Wapakoneta, Ohio, 5 August 1930, with the astronauts Buzz Aldrin admitted enjoying the surface of the Moon for 2.5 hours.

On the moon, they both drive in the U.S. flag and a banner reads "Here men from the planet Earth first set foot upon the Moon. July 1969 AD. We came in peace for all mankind."

Not only Americans are proponents of the hoax theory. A 2000 poll conducted by the Russian Public Opinion Fund found that 28 percent do not believe that American astronauts have been on the Moon and this percentage is roughly equal in all social-demographic groups.

A 2009 poll conducted by the British Engineering & Technology magazine found that 25 percent do not believe that man has walked on the Moon. For the U.S., Apollo 11 landing on the Moon is a great achievement that made the U.S. seems to excel it's main competitor, the Soviet Union, in the space program.

One of the competitors for the U.S. at this time, Russia thought, the conspiracy theory and Apollo Moon Landing hoax in 1969 is becoming increasingly popular. Russia even has created a number of sites and documentary films on television to deliver the Apollo Moon Landing hoax.

Soviet cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova was launched into space aboard the Vostok 6 on 16 June 1963, she was becoming the first woman who visited outer space. Valentina Tereshkova spent three days aloft before returning safely to earth. The outer space flight made Tereshkova a national hero and she was awarded the high honor of the Order of Lenin.

Her flight was considered a scientific coup for the Soviet Union, which also had the first man (Yuri Gagarin) and the first dog (Laika) in space. Before her flight Tereshkova had been an avid amateur skydiver, which led to her selection for the cosmonaut corps.

Tereshkova married fellow cosmonaut Andrian Nikolayev in 1963; they had one daughter together but later separated. She was president of the Committee of Soviet Women (1968–86) and a member of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (1971).

* Name: Valentina Vladimirovna Tereshkova
* Born: 6 March 1937
* Birthplace: Maslennikovo, Russia
* Best Known As: The first woman in space

Ambalat is a block located in the Celebes Sea which is currently disputable between Indonesia and Malaysia. Ambalat block is located off the coast of East Kalimantan / Borneo (one of the Indonesian province) and south-east of the Malaysian state of Sabah. Malaysia refers to part of the Ambalat block as Block ND 6 while part of the East Ambalat Block is referred to as Block ND 7. These sea blocks are rich in crude oil and natural resources.

The Indonesia-Malaysia dispute over the Ambalat Block stretch of the Celebes Sea began with the publication of a map by Malaysia Government in 1979 showing its territorial waters and continental shelf.

This map drew Malaysia's maritime boundary running in a southeast direction in the Celebes Sea from the eastmost point of the Indonesia-Malaysia land border on the eastern shore of Sebatik island, thus including the Ambalat blocks, or at least a large portion of it, within Malaysian territorial waters. Indonesia, like the other neighbouring countries of Malaysia, has protested to the map.

Indonesia on the other hand, has never officially announced the exact locations of its maritime territorial limits. Indonesia declared the islands of Sipadan and Ligitan, which both it and Malaysia once claimed and which Malaysia included as part of its territory in its 1979 map, to be its archipelagic basepoints in June 2002.

This effectively put the entire Ambalat area within its internal waters. During the International Court of Justice case over the sovereignty of Sipadan and Ligitan, Indonesia argued that the Indonesia-Malaysia maritime boundary continued as a straight line along the 4° 10' North after it left the eastern land boundary terminus on the eastern shore of Sebatik Island. This would also have put the entire Ambalat Block Indonesian territorial waters.

Source: Wikipedia