Traditions Clash
Apr 22nd, 2006, in News, by PatungA demonstration today in Jakarta against draconian public decency laws with the marchers dressing up in traditional costumes of various regions in Indonesia.
Several thousand people marched in the event, most of them colourfully dressed in “ethnic” costumes, some of which are just too revealing for the drafters of the Rancangan Undang-Undang Anti Pornografi dan Pornoaksi (RUU APP), the anti-pornography and indecency law.
A number of celebrities took part including Franky Sahilatua, Ratna Sarumpaet, Adi Kurdi, Butet Kertaredjasa, Jose Rizal Manua, Rike Diah Pitaloka, Miss Indonesia 2005 Nadine Candrawinata, Rima Melati, and Inul Daratista.
Inul Daratista, who I had cast aspersions on for caving into a Muslim mob recently, was back in good form and is seen in the picture pushing the wheelchair of former president Gus Dur’s wife Shinta Nuriah.
The wearing of the traditional apparel makes an obvious point, one which was reinforced in what was written on some of the banners carried such as “True, Indonesia is not America, but it’s also not Saudi Arabia”. Arab or Indonesian, which tradition will win the day?
16 Comments on “Traditions Clash”
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So you expect us wear ‘koteka’ as well?
Shame on us. -
Tomaculum says:
Hanin,
I don’t think, that some one expect us to wear koteka. But isn’t it a part of Indonesians beauty and glory, that you have these unity in diversity?
The beautiful baju bodo, kebaya and sarong, the Balinesse adat wear, Batak dress etc, etc and not least: koteka.
Why should our sisters and brothers in Irian be ashamed about it, should they be ashamed about their identitiy?
Some months ago I read in an Indonesian newspaper about an Islamic leader who said, that when the Islamic law is already established in Indonesia, then the Indonesian women have to wear Islamic dress and the adat wears or dresses should be showed in a museum, so that the next generation will know about the passed time and kultur of Indonesia.
Masya Allah!!!
If your heart tell you to wear jilbab, I will admire you. If a woman likes blue jeans, I don’t think that she is automatically amorally.
Which dress should the Indonesien women wear: Burka, niqab, tchador, Jilbab or aba (abaja)?
There are many different “Islamic” clothes:burka, tschador etc., etc. Why: I think because the Islamic influence is very large and involve many many nations and cultures. So it is naturally, that the Islamic wear in Kashmir influenced by their origin cultur. The same with Turkey, Usbekistan, China, India, Sudan and others.
Quo vadis Indonesia??? -
Karlira Kanakahuko says:
Wearing Islamic dress among Indonesians triggers narrow-mindedness and oppression among Indonesians itself. I criticize Indonesia if promoting Islamic costumes in Indonesia. Islamic culture is an subjugal and oppressive culture makes the hell exist personally in Earth by the personality/aspects of Islam in Indonesia.
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ikhwan says:
To karlika kanahuka, your comment just show narrow minded and stupidity of anti Islamic people like you, How dare you to say Islamic dresses promote NARROW MINDEDNESS. The Islamic dress in other hand protect women dignity by not showing their body to evil eyes, It is the revealing clothes that is narrowminded and turn women will become sexual object for man. Sometimes I think I’m just wasting time telling this to people like you because you already dislike Islam and you are enemy of Islam, of course you will not believe it and you ll find another excuse to attack Islamic culture.
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1ndra says:
Wearing Islamic dress among Indonesians triggers narrow-mindedness and oppression among Indonesians itself. I criticize Indonesia if promoting Islamic costumes in Indonesia. Islamic culture is an subjugal and oppressive culture makes the hell exist personally in Earth by the personality/aspects of Islam in Indonesia.
If promoting Islamic costumes if criticised, then so be it with jeans, tank top and other ‘western’ stuff including tuxedo, jazz, dasi bla bla bla. 🙂
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Narrow minded people is how people couldn’t think the side effects on how they’re acting.
That’s included in dressing too. -
Rayhanna says:
I personally think there should be a freedom of dress in any country. I live in the UK and their is a diverse number of people who dress modest, or don’t, and wear veil, and don’t. But its a choice. By enforcing the islamic dress on non believers is only going to make them lash out and dislike islam more. And if the men are doing it because they feel women make them think bad thoughts they should do as allah decreed and learn “to lower their gaze” it amazes me how women oblige themselves to follow the quran and men blame women for their sins. I’m Muslim, but I’m not stupid. Free will was what we agreed upon when allah offered us the choice, and free will should only be taken by allah, not other people, and certainly not a government. If I lived in Indonesia I would encourage every woman to go outside in her undies and say “change the law or we’ll go about our business like this” then see how the levels of modesty changes. Just to clear things up- I like both Muslim and Indonesian dress, but it’s your choice to wear either or both, nothing to be ashamed of. This is why women should run the government.
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mingo says:
I like both Muslim and Indonesian dress, but it’s your choice to wear either or both, nothing to be ashamed of. This is why women should run the government.
I like the way you think, but on the government issue I think both sexes should have a rule here.
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Khusnul Khotimah says:
You are what you are, you believe what you believe what the point wearing something if you are not comfortable with. Try to open mind little bit to be born Muslim there are roles to fallow same as another religion different roles.But there are limit to fallow it is different when the time you have everything but example for majority poor people they just think how to survive today for tomorrow as long as they wearing clothes doesn’t mean they are bad people because cannot cover their face is because of the economy problem. Now days some Muslim women are more independent and yes they are success in their career we should not press the issue about what you wear or what religion you are on there are so many other important issue which are need to be focus on. How about Muslim man in Indonesia are they all perfect? This is the problem, they said women should cover their aurat but when they see other women wearing jeans they’ve got green eyes. Shall we tell the women not to wear jeans? What if you found out she is Hindus? How about TV entertainment they cannot denied it, little bit open aurat is not a bad thing. I think we are women should dress up to tackle this problem. Well both are no problem depends which site you are on. Every one have purpose in live we shall living in harmony wether you wear jilbab or not.
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Aluang Anak Bayang says:
Assalamualaikum mbak Khusnul Khotimah,
Thank you for your contribution, but you have to understand that before Islam, our ancestors were dressing and behaving indecently like the Jews. It is by the grace of Allah Subhana Wata’ala that He gave us moral instruction through the Quran that women should cover up. The reason why we have disasters hitting our shores was that our Muslims dressed up like our foreparents. May Allah swt bless your soul.
Salam.
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And covering the body may protect the women against violence and raping? Ha, ha, ha. Read news from your TKWs in Saudi Arabia.
And: are the delinquent being persecuted? Ha, ha, ha.
If the “evil eye” want to see, it will see everything, even the breast behind the clothes. If the “brain” between the legs is in rage, no covering can stop it.“Thank you for your contribution, but you have to understand that before Islam, our ancestors were dressing and behaving indecently like the Jews.”
Which ancestors do you mean, Aluang?
Some of your/our ancestors in Indonesia wore Koteka (some of them do it currently) and some other walked topless around. Maybe it is interesting to know the rate of raping cases at this time. Or do you Arabian descendant? -
our ancestors were dressing and behaving indecently like the Jews.
Question 1. How does one behave indecently like the Jew, I must be a bit slow on the uptake here so A.A.B can you explain this one to me
The reason why we have disasters hitting our shores was that our Muslims dressed up like our foreparents. May Allah swt bless your soul.
Question 2. Would that be dressing up as an Indonesion who,s culture as far as i can asertain goes way back before the time of Allah, Or would that be dressing up as an Arab who,s years of influence on Indonesiacan can be counted on one hand
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Janma says:
Thanks for saving me from typing out that one Tomalculum, I was going to and then I thought “what’s the use??? Aluang is either too far gone or just trying to mimic the art of parody and none of us are getting it…. well at least I don’t get it.
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Ass.wr.wb
I am sure theway Indonesian Muslim dressing (not wear jilbab) so far are not disaster as mas Aluang said. Well, where I live if I want to go to the market or go to the school we used to walk along the river and most of the villages used the river for daily used as having a bath.What advise will you give to those peoples, as far as I know all of them Muslim.Do you think you can change the way they live? What advise for us who walking everyday because that the only safety road . Don’t get me wrong these accident hapen every time suddenly you see something that you don’t espected to see who’s fault.
At the moment many people greating each other seeing your neighbour very often.thats the way Indonesian live many2 years but you can imagine when we have to wear veal that won’t hapen anymore because you will not know until close to the person I won’t even know she smile or angry or please. oh no that is not my cup of tea.
I agree with Tomaculum in the case of raping it could be drugs used, drinking, mental problem but dress.
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Enny says:
Interesting discussions.
I am a muslim myself but I would not like to be called immoral just because I do not cover up the way a moslem woman is expected to. To me there seems to be a discrimination between women and men. The argument that by covering up women might/will protect themselves from the dirty minds of men’s. If that is the case, maybe we should enforce men to wear some sort of metal pants with locks that only wives and mothers have the keys for (with some sort of pocket for leakage from the bladder). Why are women to be blamed for something that is clearly men’s weakness. However, I would not suggest that women dress like tarts either!
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Will the Arab desert “culture” become dominant?
What a pitty.