Glorifying Guests, the Glory of the Land of Aceh

ACEH is an area in the archipelago that has a strong characteristic in custom and culture. Nearly in all sides of people's life in the area located on the tip of the island of Sumatra are surrounded by the  customs and cultures.

One of the most glorious cultures of the Acehnese people is to glorify guests. You might be disagree, that other people in the other areas also glorifies guests. But it is unique in the people of Aceh, glorifying the guests is considered part of the religious command, hence it is not important to know whether or not they know the guests, they are their relatives, they are their family.

Therefore, their sincerity in glorifying the guests is pure. All will be treated equally. For them, guests are guests. It is not important whether or not they have any relationship with the guests.

Perhaps you still remember the story of fishing boats from Aceh who came to the middle of the sea to help the ships of the Rohingnya ethnic immigrant in May 2015? While, there was the news of the ban for Rohingya ships to enter the coastline of Aceh and other regions of Indonesia.

However, the Acehnese fishermen who saw that there were people who need help, they did not care about the prohibition of the Central Government. All the  immigrant boats containing hundreds of people, the old, the young and even children were all helped for help.

The concern of these fishermen had become the headlines of hundreds of media in the world. All the media praised and wrote down the courage and sincerity of Aceh fishermen against Rohingyas.

Four female students from communication majors in Nanyang Technological University (NTU) Singapore are even amazed by the Acehnese noble attitude in honoring guests. They also made a documentary film about the Acehnese people who helped the Rohingya people who were evicted from Myanmar. The film was entitled Peumulia Jamee (glorifying guests).

According to news I read in Kompas.com, the four female students, namely Chiewy, Jade, Clarissa and Aileen.

"We read a lot from the media of how the Acehnese fishermen heroically helped these refugees in the middle of the sea and then took them to the mainland of Aceh. Here the other Acehnese people also received with a sense of kinship, welcomed, provided assistance and received them as the guests. The refugees are so glorified, "said Chiewy, one of the four students from Singapore was quoted as saying in Kompas.com on 12 December 2015 edition.

According to Chiewy, the Aceh fishermen's brave in assisting Rohingya refugees is part of the custom of peumulia jamee that grows and develops in the people of Aceh.

*INDONESIA*

Memuliakan Tamu, Kemuliaan dari Tanah Aceh 

ACEH merupakan salah satu daerah di nusantara yang memiliki ciri khas dalam adat dan budaya yang kental. Hampir semua sisi kehidupan masyarakat di daerah yang terletak di ujung Pulau Sumatera ini, tak luput dari ikatan adat dan budaya. 

Salah satu budaya masyarakat Aceh yang sangat mendunia adalah dalam hal memuliakan tamu. Barang kali Anda tidak sepakat, karena semua orang di daearh lain juga memuliakan tamu. Namun uniknya di masyarakat Aceh, memuliakan tamu dianggap sebagai bagian dari perintah agama, karena itu tak penting tamu yang datang itu orang yang mereka kenal, kerabat, saudara atau bukan. 

Karena itu pula, keikhlasan mereka dalam memuliakan tamu tak kenal lapis. Semua akan diperlakukan sama. Bagi mereka, tamu tetap tamu. Ada atau tidak ikatan dengansi tamu, itu bukan hal penting.

Barang kali Anda masih ingat dengan cerita kapal-kapal nelayan dari Aceh yang datang ke tengah laut untuk membantu kapal-kapal imigran etnis Rohingya pada bulan Mei 2015 lalu?. Padahal ketika itu, di media marak berita tentang larangan bagi kapal-kapal Rohingya untuk memasuki garis pantai Aceh dan wilayah lain Indonesia.

Namun oleh nelayan Aceh, ketika mereka melihat ada orang-orang yang membutuhkan bantuan, mereka pun tak peduli para larangan Pemerintah Pusat. Semua kapal imigran yang berisikan ratusan orang, tua, muda dan bahkan anak-anak, semua ditolong untuk kemudian diberikan bantuan.

Kepedulian para nelayan ini sempat menjadi headline seratusan media di dunia. Semua media memuji dan menuliskan keberanian dan ketulusan nelayan Aceh terhadap Rohingya. 

Empat mahasiswi jurusan Komunikasi, Nanyang Technological University (NTU) Singapura bahkan sangat terpukau dengan sikap mulia masyarakat Aceh dalam memuliakan tamu. Mereka pun membuat sebuah film dokumenter tentang masyarakat Aceh yang membantu warga etnis Rohingya yang terusir dari Myanmar. Film itu diberi judul Peumulia Jamee (memuliakan tamu). 

Menurut berita yang saya baca di Kompas.com, keempat mahasiswi itu, yakni Chiewy, Jade, Clarissa dan Aileen. 

“Kami banyak membaca dari media bagaimana nelayan Aceh dengan heroiknya menolong para pengungsi ini di tengah laut dan kemudian membawanya ke daratan Aceh. Di sini masyarakat Aceh lainnya juga menerima dengan penuh rasa kekeluargaan, menyambut, memberikan bantuan dan menerima mereka layaknya tamu. Para pengungsi begitu dimuliakan,” kata Chiewy, salah satu dari empat mahasiswi asal Singapura itu seperti dikutip Kompas.com edisi 12 Desember 2015.

Menurut Chiewy, keheroikan nelayan Aceh dalam membantu pengungsi Rohingya tersebut merupakan bagian dari adat peumulia jamee yang tumbuh dan berkembang di tengah-tengah masyarakat Aceh.

SALAM KOMUNITAS STEEMIT INDONESIA