Indonesians are no stranger to debates surrounding the issue of halal certification, which seems to be increasingly common over the past few years. While determining whether food is permissible for consumption by Muslims is one thing, a recent viral tweet brings to light how some people, while on a trip to Bali, seem to have taken the idea way too far.
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Last Sunday, Twitter user @vabyo shared a screenshot of his message exchange in which a friend is asking for a rather disconcerting restaurant recommendation.
Mengerti kok, kalau ingin memastikan masakan halal.
Tapi ini sudah ter la lu pic.twitter.com/dhAgC4S2WT
— Valiant Budi #TukarTakdir (@vabyo) December 22, 2019
“Vabyo, are you in Ubud? I’m taking some people with me … [they’re] a bit fussy. Is there a halal restaurant where all the staff and customers are Muslims?” the friend wrote.
The user, whose real name is Valiant Budi Yogi, gave the unidentified friend a cheeky reply: “There is, head on to Ngurah Rai and buy a ticket home.”
Ever the space for controversial debates, the tweet went viral on the Indonesian twitterverse, with over 6,000 retweets and 5,500 likes at the time of writing. It garnered a multitude of reaction from netizens, many of whom criticized the questionable request.
Agama seharusnya ‘memudahkan’, bukan ‘ mempersulit’.
— Mas janji. (@_f00dporn) December 22, 2019
“Religions are supposed to ease, not complicate [things],” one user wrote.
Gini yaa, ga semua masakan di Bali tuh isinya babi semua. Banyak jg masakan jawa yg jual jg orang jawa. Atau org bali yg jual masakan ayam. Gw gedeg bgt sama turis model begini nih yg ribet sama makanan. Kalo ribet sm makanan halal/haram, mending diem aja deh dirumah.
— chitskie 🐝 (@putuchitra) December 22, 2019
“Here’s the thing, not all food in Bali contain pork. There are many Javanese dishes sold by Javanese people. Or Balinese who sells chicken dishes. I’m so frustrated with these types of tourists who fuss over food. If you are concerned with whether certain meals are halal or haram, maybe it’s better you stay home.”
Coba rekomendasikan wisata ke Aceh aja.
— mbakanggun (@mbakanggun) December 22, 2019
“Maybe they should be recommended to travel to Aceh.”
Bali is currently swarming with many tourists from all over Muslim-majority Indonesia, what with this being the holiday season and all. The Island of the Gods, of course, is certainly used to accommodating a diverse array of tourists, which is why it bothered Budi so much to see such a religiously exclusive request.
“I think the request is just too much. Bali has always been friendly to all kinds of tourists, especially Muslims. When Nyepi coincided with Eid al-Fitr, we were allowed to leave our homes for Eid prayer. Mosques? They have it. Halal restaurants? They have it,” Budi told Coconuts.
“A halal restaurant with an all-Muslim staff? We can certainly look for one, but why is that necessary? A halal restaurant with an all-Muslim staff and customers? Why, this is completely uncalled for; why must it be so exclusive?”
Budi said he is from Bandung, West Java but has been living in Bali for five years. He said the interaction has prompted him to contemplate on how much tourism should influence the local way of life.
“Ten years ago, I worked at a café in Saudi Arabia, where the staff are non-Muslims and the customers are expatriates whose religions are not known – maybe they don’t even adhere to any religion,” Budi said, drawing a connection from his experience in the birth country of Islam.
Budi, who is a Muslim himself, hopes that the tweet going viral will encourage people to be more open-minded and respectful to others.
Though around 90 percent of Indonesians identify as Muslims, the fourth most populous country in the world is home to other religions as well. Indonesia’s constitution guarantees freedom of religion and the government officially recognizes six religions: Islam, Protestantism, Roman Catholicism, Hinduism, Buddhism and Confucianism.
Bali, of course, is a Hindu-majority province, where Hindus make up more than 80 percent of the province’s population. However, as anyone who’s lived in Bali knows – it’s not hard to find a mosque or a halal restaurant on the island, especially in touristy areas.
“Hopefully, whatever religion we practice, we would be willing to socialize and mingle with all kinds of people, so we can be more understanding and respectful,” Budi said.
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