One Indonesian Greeting

Indonesia’s cultural and ethnic diversity from the west to the east produces countless versions of greetings across the country.

KOMPAS/HERLAMBANG JALUARDI

The Titah Tuanku Art Studio participates in the Gurindam XII Visualization Contest in Tanjungpinang city, Riau Islands, on Thursday (17/10/2019). All participants translated the Gurindam Dua Belas manuscript written by Raja Ali Haji, who also studied Malay, which would later become Indonesian, into the form of theater.

Some of the most famous include horas, which is also responded with horas (Batak Toba), or sampurasun and its response rampes (Sundanese), sugeng or wilujeng (Javanese), tabik (Makassar, Toraja, Bugis and Malay) or tabik pun (Lampung), hari baek (Flores, Halmahera), rahayu-rahayu-rahayu (Javanese religion Kejawen) and the most widely accepted selamat.

All of these greetings, despite their differences in literal meaning, hold the same purpose of wishing good hope and salvation to the people you talk to. As Indonesians, we must be grateful to have such a diversity of greetings while also having a unified greeting, whereas many other nations only have either a unified greeting or many different regional greetings.

Religious greeting

Unfortunately, in recent times, these diverse local greetings have been overshadowed by another greeting in the public sphere. People, including leading figures, campaigners and neighbors are getting used to and may have even adhered to some sort of an unwritten rule of using religious greetings in public meetings. More specifically, these religious greetings are exclusive in nature. They are exclusive in the sense of they are understood only by the adherents of one religion.

Unfortunately, in recent times, these diverse local greetings have been overshadowed by another greeting in the public sphere.

Many greeters nowadays say: assalamu’alaikum or assalamu’alaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh, which is answered with wa’alaikumussalam or wa’alaikumus salam warahmatullahi wabarakatuh (Islam), syalom (Christianity, when in fact some Christians are embarrassed with this greeting), salam sejahtera (Christianity), namo buddhaya (Buddhism, despite this not being a greeting but an expression of reverence to The Buddha), om swastyastu (Hindu) and salam kebajikan (Confucianism).

The complete or long version of Indonesian greetings reads like this: Bismillahirrahmanirrahim, assalamu’alaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh, selamat malam [good evening], syalom, salam sejahtera bagi kita semua [best wishes for all of us], om swastyastu, namo buddhaya, dan salam kebajikan [and greetings of virtue]!

The persons who say the greeting may have well intentions. Perhaps, they aim to endear themselves to religious adherents in the audience. However, let us not forget that these greetings do not represent all religions in Indonesia, let alone its cultures and ethnicities. Furthermore, do these greetings truly represent Indonesia?

KOMPAS/DEFRI WERDIONO

Lulut Edi Santoso, 54, displays a collection of his manuscripts at the Malang City Library, East Java, Thursday (19/9/2019).

Even if we call this long line of greeting a representation of “Indonesianness”, it still does not address all Indonesians who adhere to religions or traditional faiths. What is more saddening is that the word selamat (meaning congratulations or safe in Indonesia) – a simple greeting that can unify Indonesians with their diversity – is often left unsaid.

Greetings are an important part of people’s daily ritual. Arnold van Gennep includes greetings in the rite of incorporation (The Rites of Passage, 32-33). Through greetings, hosts declare that they and their houses are open, their events have begun and they wish to start conversations with guests or strangers coming to their houses or to a meeting.

These guests or strangers are welcomed into a community. Therefore, according to Ronald Grimes, the decorum of greetings enables interactions and invites others to come again (Beginnings in Ritual Studies, 37).

Greetings are found in many cultures, such as asyluum in the Syammar ethnicity (in Arab), salaam in Islam, syalom in Jewish or “blessings and peace from God be with you” in the Jewish-Christianity tradition.

In Christianity, both Protestantism and Catholicism, prayers are begun with a greeting. Prayers in Christianity, since long before they become a ritual service like today, have always been meetings. In a meeting, a person who has just arrived or who wishes to talk would say a greeting.

Greetings are found in many cultures, such as asyluum in the Syammar ethnicity (in Arab), salaam in Islam, syalom in Jewish or “blessings and peace from God be with you” in the Jewish-Christianity tradition. These are all daily greetings. When the Christian meeting was turned into a religious rite, the greeting used is vobiscum dominum (God be with you), which is responded with et cum spiritu tuo (and with your soul). Currently, greetings in church services that have similar meanings to these Latin sayings are Tuhan sertamu (God be with you) and its response dan sertamu juga (and with you, too). It can be extended to salam sejahtera, Tuhan sertamu (Best wishes, God be with you). It is then answered with Dan sertamu juga (And with you, too).

An Indonesian greeting

On Oct. 28, 1928, 91 years ago, youths made the Youth Pledge comprising the following pledges.

KOMPAS/SOELASTRI SOEKIRNO

Two textbooks about the local Abui and Kafoa languages are used by elementary school students on Alor Island, East Nusa Tenggara (NTT), as shown on Tuesday (15/10/2019)

Firstly: We, the sons and daughters of Indonesia, acknowledge one motherland, Indonesia. Secondly: We, the sons and daughters of Indonesia, acknowledge one nation, Indonesia. Thirdly: We, the sons and daughters of Indonesia, honor the language of unity, Indonesian. (Aswab Nanda Pratama, editor; Bayu Galih, “History of the Youth Pledge, Nation’s Youths’ Determination to Unite for Independence”).

Therefore, in Indonesia, with Pancasila instead of religion as its foundation, why do we not choose a greeting that shows our unified motherland, nation and language?

The greeting selamat combined with expressions of time is simple and deep at the same time. It is easy to understand for both the speakers and the audience, especially in a diverse society.

On the one hand, Grimes emphasizes that despite decorum, such as greetings, being conventional behavior, it also signifies equality between people engaging one another in dialogue. On the other hand, Catherin Bell says that greetings can equalize the basic principles of a system of social control.

Saying selamat pagi (good morning), despite its lack of rules regarding which greetings to say first, has no power and influence as social control. Therefore, it does not represent “Indonesianness” compared to greetings according to the five or six major religions.

People should habituate themselves with the greeting selamat in public sphere as a unified Indonesian greeting.

Reciprocity

It is alleged that Indonesians follow their president in their greetings. As far as I know, all presidents in Indonesia use religious greetings, be it just one or many greetings. However, in return, presidents also follow common practices among the people. Who teaches our presidents to say syalom if not influential Christian leaders?

Perhaps, since our independence, there have been one or two presidents or ministers who, in one of two occasions, do not use religious greetings, but their voices and news are unheard. Without effectiveness, rituals are done in vain, especially social control.

There are three things, in my opinions, that we can take from this.

Firstly, Indonesia is still far from getting an exemplary figure that can greet others according to Indonesian cultures, instead of religions or ethnic cultures.

Secondly, the people, including religious figures, should not be satisfied that their religious greetings are used as greetings in public space to replace universal greetings.

Read more : Indonesian Language, a Bridge over Differences

Thirdly, people should habituate themselves with the greeting selamat in public sphere as a unified Indonesian greeting.

Rasid Rachman, Social media and cultural observer.