Londo iha: Elopement and bride kidnapping amongst the Muslims of Monta, Bima, Indonesia

Abstract

Londo iha is a form of bride kidnapping practiced by the Muslims of Monta, a district of Bima, Indonesia, that violates sharia (i.e. Islamic law). In this practice, a man steals away with a young woman, often for the purpose of marriage. Although marriage is strongly recommended by Islamic law, such an approach to marriage is considered to be against Islamic norms. This article seeks to explain why londo iha continues to be practiced by the Muslims of Monta, even though it violates Islamic law. Observation, in-depth interviews, and document analysis are used to collect data. The observation is for Muslim wedding activity in Monta. The interview is designed to gather useful information by interviewing eight people who are involved with londo iha. Furthermore, document analysis is managed by obtaining some documents from Bima’s Ministry of Religion Office that show londo iha’s involvement in several districts. Based on the collected data, this article finds that londo iha continues to be perceived as facilitating marriage and its continued practice is driven by various customary and religious norms. However, this practice has been controversial, as its validity is only recognized under customary norms. As it lacks religious validity, this practice has thus been detrimental to the social structures of Muslim-majority Monta. This article applies a simple socio-religious perspective, and covers a relatively brief period of time; as such, it is necessary to conduct further research using a multi-disciplinary perspective and covering a broader range of cases.