Circumcision ritual honors children

Circumcision ritual honors children

Text and Photos by Filomena Reiss

SUKABUMI, West Java (JP): Circumcision is one of the most
important rites of passage in Indonesian Muslim communities, and
a time for great celebration.

In the village of Cicemet in Cisolok, Sukabumi, there is an
annual circumcision ceremony consisting of three days of nonstop
cooking, blessings and entertainment. The village is situated in
the foothills of Mount Halimun, surrounded by paddy fields and
reached through rugged terrain.

Every community has its own time-honored manner for such
ceremonies, and the Cicemet celebration held in September is
typical of the Kasepuhan people of South Banten. Boys aged from
six years to nine years and girls from two years to four years
undergo the operation (female circumcision is today a
controversial issue internationally. The method widely practiced
in Indonesia, unlike that in some northern African and Middle
Eastern countries, is relatively mild, consisting of a snip to
the clitoris. Opponents argue, however, that there is no
religious justification for female circumcision; advocates
counter that it is hygienic and keeps girls from becoming binal,
or promiscuous).

The village becomes a hive of activity for the ceremony. Rice
is pounded, cakes baked and houses decorated. Special sedan
chairs are prepared to parade the children through nearby
villages, a three-hour journey over 10 kilometers.

Relatives from surrounding villages, often a five to six-hour
walk away, come to the village to congratulate the children on
the first day. They bring with them food and presents for the
families, and also help in preparing for the big day.

The next day, the children and their parents visit elderly
relatives and village elders to ask for their blessings.
Relatives who offer uncooked food are given cooked fare in
return.

On the third day the children are dressed in their finest
clothing for the parade, which is led by the village head and
heralded by musicians and clowns playing angklung (bamboo
instruments). There were 12 different floats this year, with the
children sitting alone or with their mothers. The procession
stopped at the home of tribal elder Abah Anom where the children
received presents from his wives.

The parade ended at the alun-alun (village square) where the
local religious leader blessed the children. They were then taken
to the river and, to the accompaniment of gongs and bamboo
instruments, they were bathed by their parents.

In the evening the village was treated to entertainment of
wayang golek (puppets) and three different groups of singers and
jaipongan dancers. The village was alive all night with the
merriment.

Big day

The music halted at 4 a.m. with the sound of women pounding
rice in the public square, accompanied by the angklung and the
gongs. The children were carried by their mothers to help pound
the rice; the parents became involved in some light-hearted
wrestling matches.

At 6 a.m the boys were marched down to the river for a quick
cold bath in its crystal-clear waters. At the public square, the
local medicine men prayed and prepared for the circumcision of
the boys, which was performed without anesthetic. Curiously,
mothers quieted their sons, even though the boys were well past
infancy, by giving them a breast to suckle on.

The girls were then taken to the river to be bathed by two
women midwives before being taken to the house of one of the
women. The midwives then performed the girls' circumcision,
which would likely be a gristly and shocking sight for
foreigners. A razor was used to nick the girls' clitoris; after
they bled, Rp 1,000 notes were applied to the cuts.

Half an hour later it was all over, with the parents and their
children returning to their homes. It was a strangely subdued
ending to what was a rich and fascinating insight into the
circumcision tradition of one Sundanese village.

Getting There: Take a public bus from Jakarta or Bogor to
Pelabuhan Ratu, transferring to an angkot (public minivan) for
the two-hour ride to Cisadane. Then walk one kilometer to a small
jeep depot; they ferry passengers to Cicemet, about a three-hour
journey.

Bring with You: Food if you are a fussy eater (rice, chicken and
other staples are available in the village); basic first aid and
insect repellent; plus a lot of patience to deal with the
lackadaisical jeep drivers (you go when they are ready).

Accommodation:Nothing formal to speak of but ask around for
villagers who will be willing to open their homes for a short
stay (a payment of Rp 10,000 will be sufficient).

Side Trip:Great trekking in Mount Halimun National Park.