PARAGUAYAN AMBASSADOR TO SOUTHEAST ASIA WANTS TO BE A WHITE MUSLIM ROLE MODEL
Jakarta, 14 Muharram 1435/18 November 2013 (MINA) – Ambassador of the Republic of Paraguay to Southeast Asia region based in Jakarta, Cesar Esteban Grillon wanted to become a role model as a Muslim for his country, a Christian-majority country in South America, that will attract Paraguayans to become Muslims.
“I want to become a Muslim role model in my country that will inspire my fellow countrymen to become Muslim,” said a new Muslim convert, Cesar Esteban Grillion in an exclusive interview with Mi’raj News Agency (MINA) in his apartment in Mega Kuningan, Jakarta, Monday.
Cesar Esteban Grillon was born in Asunción, Paraguay in 1957. He was the first Consul General of Paraguay in Miami, the United Staes. He served in this position from 1986 – 1993. He promoted his country and greatly increased the diplomatic, commercial, and cultural relationship between the United States and Paraguay.
Grillon was mentioned in a South Florida Business Journal article while he was Consul General. The article states: And the country’s 31-year-old Consul General in Miami, Cesar Esteban Grillon, is receiving much credit for softening Paraguayan government policy that leaned for decades towards protectionism. “Cesar does in fact represent the new Paraguay,” says Miami attorney Margaret Kent, a member of the law firm Feinchrieber & Associates. “I think he is knocking down the doors that need to be knocked down.”
Cesar Esteban, who became the first Paraguayan official to convert to Islam, is currently the first Ambassador of Paraguay in the Southeast Asia region, based in Jakarta, Indonesia.
Two months ago, Cesar Estebon Grillion decided to make a hijrah from a Catholic to convert to Islam and officially became a Muslim. Muslim Endorsement of Cesar with two sentences ‘Shahadah’ (Islamic creed) pronunciation to convert to Islam is done after Friday (September 27, 2013) prayers in front of thousands of worshipers in the presence of Religious Affairs Minister Suryadharma Ali.
The Shahada pronunciation of Cesar Estebon Grillion tutored by the Istiqlal Mosque Grand Imam, KH. Ali Mustafa Yaqub. With a little haltingly Cesar pronounced shahadah in Arabic: “Ashhadu an la ilaha illa ‘llah; wa ashhadu anna Muhammadan rasulu ‘llah” (I bear witness that there is none worthy of worship except Allah and I bear witness that Muhammad is His servant and messenger) and immediately greeted “Alhamdulillah” (All praises belong to Allah), by the thousands who witnessed the converting procession in Istiqlal mosque.
“My decision to embrace Islam is not because of pressure or because I would marry a Sundanese Muslim woman from West Java, Indonesia, but it is due to the guidance of God (Allah SWT)” Cesar told an Editor of MINA in an interview.
Cesar admits it has long been interested in Islam. However during that time, he has not yet dared to express his desire to be a Muslim.
He explained, God Allah SWT has shown me a ‘hidayah’ (guidance) through a soul mate he got. That is, a Muslim from Indonesia named Yulie Setyohadi. From here he will establish Islamic study. During the interview, in responding to some questions, he often exclaimed ‘Alhamdulillah!’, ‘Insha Allah’ and ‘Allahu Akbar!’ Answering a question whether he is comfortable with Islam, he also said: ‘Alhamdulillah!’
Cesar seriousness in entering Islam can be seen when he decided to study Islam from the great figures of Indonesian Muslims directly namely: Prof. KH. Quraish Shihab and the Grand Imam of Istiqlal Mosque, KH. Ali Mustafa Yaqub.
“I believe that everything in this world was created has a purpose. This is an important decision in my life,” said the 56-year man. He said, had been interested to know Islam since a few months ago. Quoting what President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said when he met him last August, after Ramadan month, “Indonesia has not only been undergoing a development process through a reform, but also the transformation.”
“I’m doing the transformation myself – a spiritual ‘hijrah’ (transformation) from Catholicism to Islam. Allahu Akbar! (Allah is great!)” he exclaimed enthusiastically. He said he has studied Islam from some of the renowned Muslim figures in Indonesia such as Religious Affairs Minister Suryadharma Ali, Grand Imam of Istiqlal Mosque and Prof. Quraish Shihab. Once he felt that he understood enough, he finally decided to convert to Islam.
“This is not just a mere ceremony, or just merely a white converted to Islam. But I will do my best to become a Muslim role model at least in my country, Paraguay,” he said.
Paraguay – a Roman Catholicism majority country
Paraguay (pronounced: US /pɛərəɡwaɪ/, UK /pærəɡwaɪ/), officially the Republic of Paraguay (Spanish: República del Paraguay [reˈpuβlika ðel paɾaˈɣwaj], Guaraní: Tetã Paraguái [teˈtã paɾaˈɣwaj]), is a landlocked country in South America, bordered by Argentina to the south and southwest, Brazil to the east and northeast, and Bolivia to the northwest.
Christianity, particularly Roman Catholicism, is the dominant religion in Paraguay. According to the 2002 census, 89.9% of the population is Catholic, 6.2% is evangelical Christian, 1.1% identify with other Christian sects, and 0.6% practice indigenous religions.
A U.S. State Department report on Religious Freedom names Roman Catholicism, Evangelical Christianity, mainline Protestantism, Judaism (Orthodox, Conservative, and Reform), Mormonism, and the Baha’i Faith as prominent religious groups. It also mentions a large Muslim community in Alto Paraná (as a result of Middle-Eastern immigration, especially from Lebanon) and a prominent Mennonite community in Boquerón.
Paraguay lies on both banks of the Paraguay River, which runs through the center of the country from north to south. Due to its central location in South America, it is sometimes referred to as Corazón de América (“Heart of America”) with total territorial area of 406,752 km2
As of 2009, Paraguay’s population was estimated to be at around 6.5 million, most of whom are concentrated in the southeast region of the country. The capital and largest city is Asunción, of which the metropolitan area is home to nearly a third of Paraguay’s population. In contrast to most Latin American nations, Paraguay’s indigenous language and culture, Guaraní, remains highly influential.
In each census, residents predominantly identify as mestizo, reflecting years of intermarriage among the different ethnic groups. Guaraní is recognized as an official language alongside Spanish. Both languages are widely spoken in the country, with around 92 percent of the general population speaking Spanish and 98 percent speaking Guaraní.
Paraguay has long been one of the region’s poorest and most isolated countries, although since the turn of the 21st century, it has experienced rapid economic growth. In 2010, its economy grew by 14.5 percent, the largest economic expansion in Latin America, and the third-fastest in the world (after Qatar and Singapore).
By 2011, economic growth had slowed to 6.4%, but remained far higher than the global average. Nevertheless, income inequality and underdevelopment remain widespread.
A book about Islam opens his eyes
As someone from a Western Country, Grillon admitted not too familiar with Islam. Many public misconceptions in the western countries about Islam, provoking Islamophobia, hatred of religion. Islam is a beautiful religion, full of wisdom and harmony. Islam is a religion of love and peace.
Nevertheless, the West has many stereotypes and misconceptions about Islam that are due to: the media, Prejudice, and Ignorance. Islam is often looked upon as a “extremist”, “terrorist”, or “fundamental” religion. Many people hate Islam and do not want to acknowledge its true teachings, he said.
Up to a point, his son, Andrew, 24, gave a book titled “A BRIEF GUIDE TO ISLAM: History, Faith and Politics–the Complete Introduction” written by Paul Grieve published in March 27, 2006. This book opened his eyes. “You must read this,” said my son. After I read, I found the true Islam.” A true brotherhood,” said widower with four children.
Through this book I found Islam not as described by many western media. “Islam is a beautiful religion, full of wisdom and harmony. Islam is a religion of love and peace. Love is one of the noblest human principles and traits that cultivate the spirit of interaction, solidarity, and cooperation and add affection to human relationships and dealings,” Grillon said expressing his admiration of Islam.
The writer of this book, Paul Grieve is an unbeliever – he is not a born-again Muslim, a proselytizer or a frustrated desert romantic. His aim is to inform. This book was written by an atheist. “That is why I think he must be objective in writing this book about Islam because as an atheist he has no interest to promote Islam and what he is doing is just describing the facts and the truth about Islam,” Grillon.
“I am sure Paul Grieve in this book inform the readers about Islam objectively,” Grillon said. Grillon describing the process of his spiritual hijrah, said that he wanted to get to know more Islam. He met his girl friend Yulie Setyohadi, an artist and owner of an art gallery in Cilandak and told her about his interest to learn more about Islam.
Finally, the woman suggested me to try to live a life as a Muslim first. “The month of Ramadan, I performed fasting. A month I just canceled two times,” said Grillon .
One day, I visited the Masjid Dian Al-Mahri or popularly known as the Golden Dome Mosque in Depok. As I was admiring the magnificent architecture of the mosque, a photographer approached me. It was from him, Grillon admitted that he compelled to embrace Islam. “The photographer asked him: ‘Sir, are you Muslim? ‘. He was like an angel that God (Allah SWT) sent to me. He guided me about Islam. After that encounter my faith is getting stronger to be a Muslim,” said Grillon.
Participating iftar with the other worshippers in the mosque, Grillon felt their warm reception – a true brotherhood. He said, the people were very friendly with him, made him felt comfortable around them. He did not feel as a foreigner, even though he himself was the only Caucasian in the mosque.
Since pronouncing the shahadah, he was committed to inform his fellow countrymen and would show them that Islam is not like that reported by western media so far. “I will do my best to show Islamic way of life. I must be an example – a Muslim role model,” he said . Through Islam too, the Grillon and Yulie love story begins. The plan, the couple would be married this month. (T/E1/P03)
Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)
