ABSTRACT
Shopping is an important aspect in Indonesian Muslim and Christian pilgrimages to Israel and the West Bank. This chapter analyzes women’s central role in defining social values through shopping activities and shopping discourses. In line with the Mecca pilgrimage boom, many travel agencies in Indonesia offer alternative ḥalāl travel packages. Besides Mecca, another highly popular destination in the growing ḥalāl tourism industry is Al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem. Strikingly, the Muslim package tours to Jerusalem resemble Christian ‘Holy Land Tours’ to Israel, Palestinian Territories, Jordan and Egypt, which are popular among Indonesia’s Christian minority of 24 million people. While Christian and Muslim Indonesians’ itineraries might overlap, their travel narratives often compete and back home their lives are increasingly separated. However, when it comes to purchases of souvenirs and gifts, Christian as well as Muslim Indonesian women appear to have a similar taste. Yet, the fact that they sometimes buy the exact same products, most prominently Israeli Dead Sea cosmetics, does not mean that they feel united through these commonalities in taste. In contrast, many pilgrims frame their souvenir purchases and charity activities in relation to a specific moral discourse within their religious community. This reveals inter- and inner-religious dynamics among Indonesians.
