14 Comments on “Beliefs in Spirits & Demons”

1. Odinius says:
   August 17th, 2009 at 7:38 am

   My reaction to this, like to every other “MUI fatwa against ______” thread, is:

   Don’t they have more important things to worry about?

2. diego says:
   August 17th, 2009 at 9:56 am

   Wow, great, some people who believe in superstitions (abrahamic mumbo-jumbos) are now calling other people superstitious?

3. Ross says:
   August 17th, 2009 at 3:29 pm

   Wasn’t it Gus Dur, a leading light of NU, the largest Muslim orgaisation in this country, who said a few years ago that some meeting would be guarded by hordes of djinns?
   And are the MUi now going after all those Jogja people who rever Nyai Loro Kidul? Or boycott the hotel in Pelbuahn Ratu which has a room reserved for admirers of that pre-Islamic deity?

4. madrotter says:
   August 17th, 2009 at 4:09 pm

   still waiting for a fatwa against corruption, still waiting for a fatwa against what’s happening in sidoarjo but looking at these idiotic imbeciles that are the mui i think i got a long wait ahead of me…

5. Oigal says:
   August 19th, 2009 at 3:04 pm

   the MUI had a responsibility to guide Muslims away from superstition.

   Ok thats funny on so many levels..

6. Mike Oxblack says:
   August 19th, 2009 at 4:39 pm

   Actually I remember Gus Dur inviting a rain maker up to the palace. Unusual move for the big fella that one.

7. soap maker says:
   August 19th, 2009 at 7:00 pm

   It’s a grave discussion.haree gene masih percaya.what do you think all people…a 3 years old baby.
   there are 4 kinds of superstition,the 4th is IMPROPER WORSHIP OF THE TRUE GOD.

8. Alice says:
   August 19th, 2009 at 7:08 pm

   Got some questions for MUI: What about them is bothering you? Indonesia is not an Islam country though it has more than 50% muslims. It’s understandable that people want to put faith in these superstitious ideas. Just keep your hands off Indonesian pre-Islamic cultures.

9. Odinius says:
   August 19th, 2009 at 11:00 pm

   What’s funny is that MUI could issue 100 fatwas, and Indonesian Muslims (like other Indonesians) will still believe in ghosts and other spirits.

10. Bas says:
    August 21st, 2009 at 8:59 pm

    I am waiting for a fatwa against MUI fatwas…

11. rima says:
    August 24th, 2009 at 4:02 pm

    Ghosts and spirits do exist.
    I remember the many times I come home from club hopping in Jakarta and seeing various ghosts such as kuntilanak, pocong, tuyul etc at the wee hours.

    I don’t think there are any ghosts in Europe because my sightings stopped when I moved here. But then again, I stopped club hopping and don’t drink anymore since I lived here. Now I’m confused, was it really ghosts or was it mbak mbak pelacur, perempuan berjilbab putih, bocah botak pengemis that I mistakenly took as ghosts while I was wearing my beer goggles?

    In any case, you guys can bet on MUI NEVER issuing a fatwa against something they should (like corruption, intolerance against people of different beliefs, degradation of women, discrimination against homosexuals, stealing, cheating etc) and instead they will continue the long held tradition of focusing on superstition, sekitar selangkangan (crotch area) which they will eventually blame on women. Why? because we are LOS DIABLOS yet they’d like to have as many of us as possible. Very confusing and pathetic, methinks.

12. diego says:
    August 25th, 2009 at 1:01 am

    Seriously, all these events that took place in indonesia make we wonder:

    What is so difficult about making more people stop believing in religions, and start questioning / being skeptics? I don’t remember it took me anything special to become skeptic, so I guess this should happen to anyone without any difficulties. So why are we still in this situation?

13. Janma says:
    August 25th, 2009 at 11:59 am

    What is so difficult about making more people stop believing in religions, and start questioning / being skeptics?

    I used to think about that all the time too Diego…. but now I just think, let ‘em believe what they want to believe.
    Easy. I’m at peace.

14. rustyprince says:
    November 27th, 2010 at 1:59 pm

    Truth confession Time now!
    I’ve had a twilight encounter here.

    Back in 98 in Mataram Lombok, as My good self, my young bro – now employed in a reputable legal firm – two Kiwi pcyscohatric nurses – very delightful – and two clever Irish lassie’s working as accountants in London made our way back to our lodgings we noticed a group of men chatting at the narrow, archway, entrance to our hotel. What drew our attention was that upon seeing us they dispersed in a manner that would give suspicion to any cop. That is except for one figure who took position to the right entrance of the garden accomodation with his last movement to place a cigarette to his lips.

    Just to recap a bit now, I can’t speak for the others but I, at least, had earlier admired the demonic statues standing guard to the complex entrance. And it was with this in mind I joined the chorus of my companions “Are you seeing what I’m seeing?”.
    We were less than 30 meters from the ‘demon’ at this stage on a well lit street and had only consumed two Bintang each.

    So as we gathered around the statue, looking for evidence to restore our rational senses. The ‘demon’. seemed to be mocking us with his piercing eyes and the cig continuing to glow brightly on his lips as if being vigorously inhaled. But alas after a few more mins there was nothing else weird to report and there were some utterances made that its only a statue.
    Then a little into the hotel we found the three men, presumably the same from outside. All were in great distress with one crying uncontrolably. I don’t think I’ve ever seen such a balefully emotional man ever. These men were in their 30s and 40s and completely oblivious to our presence, as we lingered rather long observing this ‘humiliating’ display.

    The funny thing was, as we gathered in the garden, that the previous inexplicable scenes didn’t dominate the flow of discourse and as the beer flowed we’d moved well off on different tangents. It was almost like such encounters were natural in this humid, exotic land.
    But after midnight, and we were very boisterous, a head popped up on the perimeter wall and, as our jaws dropped in shock, with perfect english this man with the same demonic features as the hotel ‘guardian’ at the front entrance informed us forcefully to ‘shut up’.

    Well that’s all folks. Aneh aneh sekali. But a few years later reading the old very informative Yahoo News aggregator for Indonesia, I came upon a report of disturbances in Mataram. In the report the journalist asked the local Iman why they’d attacked the Balienese community, did they have a problem with Hinduism? On the contrary the Iman responded, we have no problem with the Balinese Hindu’s, we razed those particular properties because they were centers of devil-worship!

    Ps I am non religious, believe in science, think I’m rational and Christopher Hitchens is my hero. Also no weird encounters to report since. Plus I’m not condoning any attack on harmless demons.

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