Practicing Rituals
In the chapter Celebrating Religion and Nation, Rasmussen writes about the Sayembara Azan: The Call to Prayer Contest. This is a four day contest in which men perform the Azan in public in front of a panel of judges who are evaluating them based on six criterium.
Like Rasmussen says, I agree that it was strange to learn that this sacred practice, the Azan, was performed in such a way that it seemed to take away from its significance, sacrilegious as Rasmussen says. Rasmussen brings up four points about this practice and the last one was the most interesting to me. She said that by having this contest in the public, it separated it from its religious significance. By doing that, the practice was made more available for both people like her (a woman, non-muslim, researcher), and more importantly, for native Indonesians who might not be active participants in the religion. These public events are a way to draw them into the community.
I think this is an interesting point especially in regards to many of our conversations in class. So much of what we talk about is in regards to community and how religion and religious experiences are felt the strongest and most often when experienced with others who are also experiencing it. By having this contest for the Azan, a very meaningful aspect of Islam, be a public event, it can strengthen the connection Indonesians feel towards their religion and their community.
Like Rasmussen says, I agree that it was strange to learn that this sacred practice, the Azan, was performed in such a way that it seemed to take away from its significance, sacrilegious as Rasmussen says. Rasmussen brings up four points about this practice and the last one was the most interesting to me. She said that by having this contest in the public, it separated it from its religious significance. By doing that, the practice was made more available for both people like her (a woman, non-muslim, researcher), and more importantly, for native Indonesians who might not be active participants in the religion. These public events are a way to draw them into the community.
I think this is an interesting point especially in regards to many of our conversations in class. So much of what we talk about is in regards to community and how religion and religious experiences are felt the strongest and most often when experienced with others who are also experiencing it. By having this contest for the Azan, a very meaningful aspect of Islam, be a public event, it can strengthen the connection Indonesians feel towards their religion and their community.
Isn't it a bit like preparing for a Bar or Bat Mitzvha? Extensive, lengthy preparation for a a ritual, makes its into something significant, a "performance," in the best sense.
ReplyDeleteI do agree in that sense, that there is a lot of preparation and practice in order to make it a performance. But the difference that I saw was that this contest was such a public performance, but at the same time it wasn't the final performance, it was still practice and a way to find the best chanters, who might then go on to become professionals and then perform the Azan regularly.
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