Hijab-wearing stand-up comic fights Islamic extremism in Indonesia using laughter as her weapon
Inspired by the late Robin Williams and motivated by rising religious intolerance in Indonesia, comedian and activist Sakdiyah Ma’ruf says cracking jokes is one way to open closed minds
As Indonesia’s first female stand-up comedian, Sakdiyah Ma’ruf likes to confront the serious subjects head-on. “Governments around the world are trying and failing to tackle extremism. Now you’re turning to comedy?” she asks from under her hijab.
Sakdiyah was referring to the SEJUK Awards Gala that she will host at Jakarta’s Goethe Haus on March 9, sponsored by the Norwegian embassy. SEJUK is the Indonesian acronym for United Journalists for Diversity, established by 30 prominent journalists, including internationally honoured Tempo magazine founder Goenawan Mohamad.
The biennial awards, first handed out in 2014, offer cash prizes and training fellowships to promote reporting across the media spectrum on diversity issues and minority groups.
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SEJUK arose in response to a June 1, 2008 attack, by violent groups purporting to defend Islam, on a rally by the tolerance advocacy group Alliance for Freedom of Faith and Religion at the National Monument in Central Jakarta. The attack broke up the event and left more than a dozen people injured.
The incident was a stark example of how Indonesian extremist groups wave the banner of Islam while threatening and attacking minorities, including Christians and other Muslim sects. Their targets have extended to activities contrary to their vision of Islam, including nightclubs and the short-lived local version of Playboy magazine.
Sakdiyah, who grew up in an ethnic Arab community in Central Java practising a strict form of Islam, looked forward to living in the Indonesia of Bhinneka Tunggal Ika, a place “where you could wear miniskirts and have boyfriends”.