KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 14 – Fans of France-based Indonesian singer Anggun Cipta Sasmi can look forward to seeing clips of the singer performing once again at the annual Christmas concert on Dec 21st at the Vatican, Rome this year.
With news of her singing at the Vatican, two Tik Tok videos are making their rounds in the social media circle, one is of the Jakarta born Anggun singing “Oh Holy Child of Bethlehem” at the Vatican last year and another a clip of her interview with an Indonesian television station.
Anggun, who has been invited again to sing at the Vatican is seen replying an interviewer in the second video on whether she was a Muslim and why she was continuing to sing Christian religious songs in church when some Muslims in Indonesia may be uncomfortable with her singing such songs.
Asserting that she was a Muslim, Anggun also expressed surprise that her singing a Christian song was a controversy.
“Singing a church related song is a reflection of my positive attitude. I would like to set positive examples and tolerance especially in the matters of religion is something positive and we should always give it credence.
“As such, should I be invited to sing church songs again at the Vatican, I will do so as this will reflect on my tolerance as a human being. Because for me, even before I can say that I am Muslim, Hindu, or a Buddhist, I am a person, a human being and therein is the difference. Every day when I decide to do something or make an announcement, it is never made in the name of religion but rather from the point of being a human being or my own personal judgement.
“Yes I am from a Muslim family. Born and bred in the largest Muslim country of the world. But my education was in a Catholic school as my father wanted it. All my siblings, we were Muslims but we all went to a Catholic school where we did learn about the Bible. But at home we all studied Koran. “
She said her father wanted his children to be not forced into accepting anything but to keep their religious matters a private matter between them and the Creator.
“What was important was that whether you were a good person. Religion does not assess the goodness of a person, only the actions of the person can do that,” she said.
Meanwhile, Anggun’s heart-warming rendition of the “Oh Holy Child of Bethlehem” in the Roman Vatican church, continues to touch people around the world who strive to see actions that go beyond race, religion and cultural barriers or the mind-forged manacles as English poet William Blake would have put it.
So, sing it again Anggun.
–WE