September 27, 2025

PERSIAN ECHOES IN THE ARCHIPELAGO: Exploring Shi‘a Aesthetics and Ritual Memory in Indonesian Islam

Key Points

Presence of Persian Shi‘a aesthetics found in rites in Indonesia, showing cultural adaptability in Islamic traditions.
Case studies of the Tabuik festival and Tabok ritual highlight historical connections to Shi‘a mourning practices.
Cultural memory theories help explain the enduring significance of these rituals in predominantly Sunni contexts.
Findings emphasize the plural genealogies of Islamic devotion, deepening our understanding of transregional Islamic culture.

Abstract

This article examines the presence of Persian Shi‘a ritual aesthetics in Indonesian Islam through a case study of two Muharram commemorations: the Tabuik festival in Pariaman, West Sumatra, and the Tabok ritual in Palembang, South Sumatra. Though practiced within predominantly Sunni communities, these rituals retain symbolic, theatrical, and affective elements historically associated with Shi‘a mourning traditions in the Persianate world. Drawing on theories of cultural memory (Assmann, Connerton), ritual aesthetics (Chelkowski, Aghaie, Hyder), and Persianate cosmopolitanism (Pollock, Green, Ahmed), the article argues that such practices are not aberrations but culturally adapted expressions of a broader Islamic memory. By tracing the localized afterlives of Karbala in Indonesia, this study reveals the plural genealogies of Islamic devotion in the archipelago. It contributes to a deeper understanding of Islam’s transregional aesthetic and emotional vocabularies.

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Cite This Study

Maulana et al. (Sun,) studied this question.

synapsesocial.com/papers/68d7b3ddeebfec0fc52367f0 https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.24014/apjrs.v9i1.37847

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