One is a vegetarian, the other a Muslim. Together, they created a specialty pork joint called Panggangin that already developed a cult following in the Greater Jakarta Area.
Derra (not his real name) and Sulung are two close friends from the city of South Tangerang who share a similar, carefree outlook on life. That includes matters related to their faith and dietary restrictions. With Sulung being an occasional vegetarian (for health reasons) and Derra being a Muslim, they launched a business selling meat that neither of them are supposed to even touch: pork.
That is true especially for Derra, whose religion deems pork haram (forbidden) for consumption. But he, along with Sulung, remain steadfast in their philosophy that what one eats does not necessarily have to determine one’s values as a human being.
More pork restaurants have opened in the capital in the past few years, and it’s not rare to see Muslims — often young people — making up part of their clientele. The same applies to Panggangin’s customers, many of whom are Muslims who share Derra and Sulung’s worldview.
But how is this direct disregard of an age-old prohibition in Islam viewed in a religious context? Watch our latest Coconuts TV short documentary below, Muslim Pork Eaters of Jakarta, as we delve into the topic by talking to Panggangin, its customers, and an expert in Islamic studies.
Read more Coconuts Jakarta feature stories here.
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