The Jakarta Post, January 14, 2006
Idul Adha marked by body piercing in Maluku village
M. Azis Tunny, The Jakarta Post, Tulehu, Central Maluku
On the 10th day of the Muslim month of Zulhijah, Muslims around the world
commemorate Idul Adha, or the Day of Sacrifice, by saying prayers and sacrificing
animals, with the meat given to the poor. In a village in Central Maluku, the day is
marked by a unique and exotic ritual.
Tulehu village in the district of Salahutu in Central Maluku regency is the site of this
ritual, in which at least 300 males, from adolescents to adults, run and jostle each
other, all in an effort to touch a flag.
Some of the braver ones climb over fences or houses, and push their way through the
crowd, to reach the flag.
Separately, a small group of youngsters pierce their chests with large nails, shaped
like the point of spears, until the blood flows profusely.
Both performances are part of the abda'ru and dabus rituals. Those who take part
claim they feel no pain during the rituals, while spectators wince with pain just
watching the spectacle.
This traditional event is performed each year during Idul Adha at Tulehu Jamie Mosque
in the village. A number of other events also take place to enliven Idul Adha in the
village, inhabited by a majority Mus! lim population.
Thousands of local residents, as well as some from neighboring villages and Ambon,
the provincial capital, assemble in Tulehu village, located 24 kilometers from Ambon.
The ritual begins when the abda'ru performers meet the Raja Negeri (local ruler) of
Tulehu, currently Jhon Ohorella, at his home, where the ruler reminds them of the
meaning of the celebration, which has been performed for centuries in the area.
"Abda'ru is an annual ritual of Tulehu. It is full of religious and traditional influences,
and must be preserved," said Jhon.
After addressing the group, the ruler and the imam of Tulehu Mosque hand over a
green flag, inscribed with Koranic verses, to the group. The flag normally hangs on a
wall in the mosque, and is only taken down during the ritual. It will be fought over by
the group later during the event.
The traditional ruler and t! he imam are then escorted by the group to the main stage,
where the governor of Maluku and a number of provincial and Central Maluku regency
officials await.
In his speech this year, Governor Karel Albert Ralahalu said the event, rich in local
traditions, had to be preserved for the sake of religious unity and tolerance.
He said the people of Maluku consisted of many diverse tribes, as indicated by the
117 dialects still actively spoken in the area. "This is the wealth of Maluku we must
preserve," he said.
After a parade, the abda'ru performers rush to the backyard of the mosque where
three goats wait to be sacrificed.
After the animals are slaughtered, the performers smear the goats' blood all over their
bodies. The men who take part in the ritual believe the goats' blood makes them
stronger.
Hundreds of people who participated in this year's ritual jostled among themselves to !
get to the blood, which was in limited supply.
According to a Tulehu community figure, Mochtar Ohorella, 60, during a conversation
with The Jakarta Post at his residence, the abda'ru ritual began after the victory of
Islamic troops over the Quraish tribe in Arabia. The fighters leapt and tried to touch a
flag inscribed with Koranic verses, reveling in their victory.
"The abda'ru ritual has existed as a Tulehu tradition since our forefathers. Its
connection with Idul Adha is nothing other than sacrifice or struggle," said Mochtar,
who is also head of the Tulehu district branch of the Indonesian Ulema Council.
He added that the ritual was religious in nature and had become part of Tulehu's
customs.
A Tulehu religious figure, Hasadia, described abda'ru as a victory celebration. In
Arabic, it means the beginning, thus it can be translated as a beginning or starting
point for anyth! ing.
He was, however, doubtful of the ritual's origins, as was a former dean of the Usuludin
school at Ambon Alaudin State Islamic Institute, Hamadi B. Husen, who conducted a
study on the history of the abda'ru. He did not finish his study due to a lack of
information about the origins of the ritual.
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