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Inked Muslims attempt ‘hijrah’ with tattoo removal

Banishing the past: A teenager has his tattoo removed using laser technology in front of Cut Meutia Mosque in Jakarta on Jan

The Jakarta Post
Jakarta
Tue, January 30, 2018

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Inked Muslims attempt ‘hijrah’ with tattoo removal

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span class="inline inline-center">Banishing the past: A teenager has his tattoo removed using laser technology in front of Cut Meutia Mosque in Jakarta on Jan. 27. The free-of-charge tattoo removal was organized by the Islamic Medical Service (IMS) as part of a rehabilitation program.(Warta Kota/Henry Lopulalan)

Scores of tattooed men and a few women flooded Cut Meutia Mosque in Menteng, Central Jakarta, on Saturday morning to register for a free tattoo removal service.

Held by the Islamic Medical Service (IMS), an NGO that focuses on running public health programs, the event offered hygienic laser treatment as part of hijrah, an Islamic movement that encourages Muslims to migrate from a hedonistic sinful life to a pious, sin-free one, by following the path of the Prophet Muhammad.

Among the teachings of hijrah is removing tattoos, which are banned according to the Prophet’s hadith (saying). Tattoos are considered to alter the human body, which is God’s creation.

The hijrah movement has gained followers among Indonesian Muslims who have also begun practicing archery and horse riding to follow the Prophet’s way of life.

A man at the event named Bachtiar, 54, said he wanted to remove his four tattoos before his umrah (minor pilgrimage) in February. “I got these tattoos in the 1980s under the influence of drugs and alcohol,” he told The Jakarta Post after receiving his removal treatment on Saturday.

Bachtiar said to receive the treatment, he had to obtain a statement from the local health facility in Tangerang that he was free of HIV/AIDS, diabetes, Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C. After the treatment he was given an antibiotic ointment to prevent infection.

He said he had wanted to remove his tattoos for a long time but he could not afford the laser treatment.

Yuni Cahyati, an IMS advisor, said a tattoo removal procedure such as the one Bachtiar underwent could cost up to Rp 4 million (US$298), comprising fees for the laser treatment, medication and consultation.

“Some of my friends used the cheap method of pressing a hot iron to their tattoos. The tattoos were gone but the skin was damaged. I imagine it would be too painful for me,” said Bachtiar, who hails from Pasar Kemis, Tangerang.

The IMS recorded that 1,100 people attended on Saturday.

Since the 1980s, tattoos have been strongly associated with criminals, as Soeharto’s New Order condemned the practice. The country’s second and longest-serving president stated in a biography that he had ordered the killing of suspected criminals, and many corpses with bullet wounds were found with tattoos.

The civil service, the police force, the military and various professions in the private sector generally do not recruit those with obvious tattoos, making Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Minister Susi Pudjiastuti, who sports a phoenix tattoo from ankle to calf on her right leg, an exception.

Appointed by President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo, the former fishery businesswoman indeed never applied to be a civil servant.

Syafieq Hasyim, director of the International Center for Islam and Pluralism in Jakarta, said the primary reason that Islam forbade tattoos in the first place was because the religion forbade self-harm.

“Meanwhile, the available technology for tattoo removal is harmful. I think the method to remove tattoos violates Islamic laws just as much as the making of the tattoo.”

Syafieq, a member of Nahdlatul Ulama, the largest Islamic organization, said although tattoo pigments could annul ablution, which is required for daily prayers, as the water cannot penetrate the inked skin, “[…] as long as the tattoo removal technology is not harm-free, you should not remove your tattoo to seek salvation.”

He added a commitment to hijrah should focus more on spiritual improvement, instead of physical changes such as removing tattoos.

He noted many urban dwellers were attempting such “migration” by leaving their life as musicians, for instance, as they followed teachings stating music was haram, or by leaving their profession in conventional banks, which applied interest.

“[…] You don’t have to show other people if you really […] want to repent,” Syafieq said.

“Islamic laws are flexible […] Many people claiming to do hijrah are those who read Islam scripturally, without seeing it in a broader life context,” he added.

Ade Erifan, 17, another attendee of Saturday’s treatment event, said a conspicuous tattoo in the shape of a grinning devil on his left cheek meant he had a hard time living in Parung Panjang, Bogor.

“Although I tried to […] go to the mosque and pray five times a day, people still said bad things about me behind my back,” said the street busker.

Ade said he had four tattoos inked on his skin for free by a friend who was learning to be a tattoo artist. Now he wants all of them removed.

“My mother cried when I came home with a tattoo on my face,” he said, adding that his family was afraid he would not be able to get a good job. (gis)

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