The cultural attitudes of a funeral ritual discourse in the indigenous Torajan, Indonesia

Batu Qulhu-The stone of death: Harmonizing traditional funerals in the Mandailing community of North Sumatra

Death and funeral rituals hold significant cultural and spiritual importance in traditional communities worldwide, including within the Islamic faith. This study focuses on exploring the unique funeral ritual known as Batu Qulhu in the Muslim Mandailing community. Employing a qualitative approach, the research utilizes field observations and interviews with ulama and imams who have practical knowledge and understanding of this traditional ritual. The study reveals two origin stories of Batu Qulhu: one attributed to the first Imam in the Mandailing community and the other associated with parents, ulama, and village malims (religious teachers) without specifying an individual source. Batu Qulhu refers to the white river stones utilized by the congregation during the ritual to count the number of prayers offered. The procession of this tradition follows a strict protocol, encompassing prayers, recitation of the Quran, and seeking forgiveness for the deceased and their family. The efficacy of Batu Qulhu serves as a testament to the cultural values of spirituality, tradition, and the preservation of cultural identity. While Batu Qulhu remembrance is specific to the Mandailing community, similar cultural practices can be observed in other regions, highlighting the universal human need to honor and remember the deceased, find solace in collective rituals, and uphold cultural traditions as an integral part of identity and social cohesion.

Biodiversity of Indonesian indigenous buffalo: First review of the status, challenges, and development opportunities

In Indonesia, the buffalo is important for small and marginal farmers' livelihood and economic development as a source of food, working animal, and tourist attraction. Therefore, an in-depth study is needed to examine challenges and opportunities for buffalo development in Indonesia. In Indonesia, the buffalo is divided into two types: swamp buffalo and river buffalo. The buffalo population in Indonesia has declined significantly. A decrease of approximately 39.35% was recorded from 2022 to 2017. The decline occurred due to low reproduction rate and suboptimal rearing management systems. There are three buffalo-rearing systems: Intensive, semi-intensive, and extensive. The productivity of buffalo is diverse and closely related to the characteristics of the regional agroecosystem, consistent with existing natural resources and rearing management systems. The diversity of buffalo productivity provides a good opportunity to improve productivity. Improvement of buffalo genetics is urgently needed, by improving mating management, etc., especially to reduce potential inbreeding. In recent years, genetic and molecular research on Indonesian buffalo has made progress, including use of molecular markers, such as microsatellites and single-nucleotide polymorphisms, to evaluate genetic diversity within and among buffalo populations across Indonesia. In addition, studies are being conducted on the relationship of genotype mutations that contribute to appearance and phenotypic performance (heat stress, reproduction, behavior, coat color, and production attributes) in buffaloes. Identification of genetic diversity in local buffaloes can be improved using various genetic and genomic techniques. These findings will form a basis for the targeted conservation of local buffaloes in Indonesia. This study aimed to collect information on the genetic resources of the local buffalo, particularly its status and production system and provide recommendations for developing buffalo production in Indonesia.

Burial or cremation? Factors associated with preferences among patients with cancer in Brazil: a cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND

People living with life-limiting illnesses and their family caregivers consistently emphasize the importance of preparing for imminent death, with planned funerals being a common aspect of this preparation. Few studies have described the funeral rituals or post-mortem preferences of patients with cancer.

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the percentage of patients with cancer who wish to be cremated and to identify the factors associated with this preference.

DESIGN AND SETTING

Cross-sectional study conducted at Barretos Cancer Hospital.

METHODS

A total of 220 patients with cancer completed a Sociodemographic and Clinical Questionnaire, the Duke University Religiosity Index, and burial or cremation preferences. Binary Logistic Regression was performed to identify independent variables associated with cremation.

RESULTS

Of the 220 patients, 25.0% preferred cremation and 71.4% preferred burial. Talks about death with family or close friends in their daily life (odds ratio, OR = 2.89; P = 0.021), patients that answered "other" (unsure, tends not be true and not true) for religious beliefs are what really lie behind my whole approach to life (OR = 20.34; P = 0.005), and education 9 to 11 years (OR = 3.15; P = 0.019) or ≥ 12 years (OR = 3.18; P = 0.024) were associated with cremation preference.

CONCLUSION

Most patients with Cancer in Brazil prefer burial after death. Discussions about death, religious beliefs and involvement, and educational level seem to influence the preference for cremation. A deeper understanding of ritual funeral preferences and their associated factors may guide policies, services, and health teams in promoting the quality of dying and death.

Death, Funeral Rituals, and Stigma: Perspectives from Mortuary Workers and Bereaved Families

Deaths caused by COVID-19 have affected bereaved family members in several ways, including the inability to perform funeral rites and rituals. Understanding the dynamics and experiences of death and funerals of bereaved families and mortuary workers can lead to improvements in funeral services and the provision of social support for the affected families and mortuary workers. This study aimed to capture the experiences of mourning family members in Indonesia who lost a loved one due to COVID-19 and of mortuary workers who performed funerals according to COVID-19 protocols. Ten family members and 12 mortuary workers living in West Timor, Indonesia, were interviewed using a semistructured interview approach. Findings of the study show that mortuary workers were able to strictly implement the new funeral protocols. However, the rushed nature of these funerals led to resistance from families and prevented bereaved families from performing the usual cultural and religious funeral rituals. This, combined with stigma from their neighbors, led these families to have poor psychological wellbeing.