TheJakartaPost
Please Update your browser
Your browser is out of date, and may not be compatible with our website. A list of the most popular web browsers can be found below.
Just click on the icons to get to the download page.
Popular Reads
Top Results
No results found. Please check your search term and try again
Can't find what you're looking for?
View all search results
Popular Reads
Top Results
No results found. Please check your search term and try again
Can't find what you're looking for?
View all search resultsIn between childhood and manhood
Circumcision has long been part of the religious and cultural tradition in Indonesia
Change text size
Gift Premium Articles
to Anyone
Share the best of The Jakarta Post with friends, family, or colleagues. As a subscriber, you can gift 3 to 5 articles each month that anyone can read—no subscription needed!
Circumcision has long been part of the religious and cultural tradition in Indonesia.
In the world's most populous Muslim majority country, the custom, called sunat by locals, is mandatory for young Muslims.
The custom is regarded as a rite of passage, marking the beginning of adolescence for young Muslims.
Circumcision is also widely practiced by non-Muslims in the country, as it is considered part of the cultural tradition.
Some parents believe circumcision brings many health benefits, especially genital sanitation, so they send their boys to hospitals to be circumcized.
Some parents host big parties to celebrate their boys' transition into puberty, inviting along friends and relatives.
Many low-income families cannot afford circumcision for their sons, let alone the party.
Mass circumcision ceremonies for boys from low-income families are held in the city by institutions, companies and NGOs.
-- The Jakarta Post
