As the laser pulses fire against his skin, 30-year-old Teguh Islean Septura winces with each beam. The former musician is undergoing tattoo removal treatment, determined to “repent” during the holy month of Ramadan.
Once covered in tattoos from his back to his arms and legs – marks he got in his youth as a guitarist in a band to appear “cool” – Septura now seeks to cleanse his body in line with his newly found devotion to Islam. He believes that Muslims should not alter the body God has given them.
“As humans, sometimes we make mistakes. Now I want to improve myself by moving closer to God,” Septura said, as a health worker targeted the colorful tattoos with a white laser wand. “God gave me clean skin, and I ruined it. That’s what I regret now.”
Septura’s desire for self-improvement is shared by an increasing number of people in Jakarta who have turned to a unique tattoo removal service offered during Ramadan. The service, provided by the Amil Zakat National Agency – an Islamic charity – aims to give Muslims a chance to “repent” during this spiritually reflective month.
Launched in 2019, the program has grown in popularity, with nearly 700 participants this year. In total, almost 3,000 people have taken part in the initiative since its inception. The program offers free laser tattoo removal sessions, which can otherwise cost thousands of dollars, especially for large tattoos like Septura’s.
“We want to pave the way for people who want to hijrah (move closer to God), including those who want to remove their tattoos,” said Mohammad Asep Wahyudi, coordinator of the program. He emphasized that many participants cannot afford tattoo removal or don’t know how or where to get it done safely.
In some Asian cultures, tattoos are still associated with criminality and gangs, and this view is particularly strong in Muslim-majority Indonesia, where tattooing is often frowned upon for religious reasons. In addition, tattoos, especially on women, can carry a social stigma, with tattooed women sometimes labeled as promiscuous or unmarriageable.
For some, the tattoo removal program offers more than just a physical transformation. Sri Indrayati, 52, regrets the tattoo of her first daughter’s name, inked on her hand when she was just 22. Her two grandchildren frequently ask her to remove it because it now looks like “dirty, thick marker writing.”
“When I take my grandson to school, the other children whisper, ‘Look at that grandma, she has a tattoo!’” she shared.
Evalia Zadora, 36, got a large star tattooed on her back and the words “Hope, Love and Rock & Roll” on her chest as a teenager to gain acceptance into a gang. Now, she wants to erase these symbols of her past, not only as a way to deepen her faith but also for the sake of her family.
“Bad image (against people with tattoos) is not a big deal for me, but it affected my husband and son,” Zadora explained. “They are not comfortable with my tattoos, and I respect their feelings, so I want to remove them.”
As Ramadan continues, more Indonesians are using this time to not only fast and reflect but to remove symbols of their past, making a physical and spiritual fresh start.
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