Universitas Islam Negeri Raden Mas Said Surakarta
International Seminar on Sharia, Law and Muslim Society

Legal Pluralism and Democracy in a Divided Society: The Practices of Sumpah Pocong and Qur’anic Oaths in Resolving Witchcraft Accusations in Banyuwangi after the 1998 Violence to the 2020s

Date Published : 13 October 2026

Contributors

Latif Kusairi, M.A

Author

Dhanang Respati Puguh

Diponegoro University.
Author

Yetty Rochwulaningsih

Diponegoro University
Author

Ferdi Arifin

The University of New South Wales
Author

Keywords

Legal Pluralism Customary Law Sumpah Pocong Qur’anic Oaths Santet Banyuwangi

Proceeding

Vol. 1 No. 1 (2026): 3rd International Seminar on Sharia, Law and Muslim Society

Track

General Track

License

Copyright (c) 2026 Latif Kusairi, M.A; Dhanang Respati Puguh; Yetty Rochwulaningsih; Ferdi Arifin;

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

Abstract

This study examines the practices of sumpah pocong (shroud oaths) and Qur’anic oaths in resolving witchcraft (santet) accusations in Banyuwangi from the aftermath of the 1998–1999 violence to the 2020s, using a legal pluralism perspective. The study employs a qualitative method with historical and socio-cultural approaches through interviews, observation, documentation, and literature review. The findings indicate that sumpah pocong and Qur’anic oaths do not have the status of formal evidence under state law but possess strong social legitimacy as mechanisms of community-based normative justice. Both practices bring together state law, customary law, Islamic values, and local norms in conflict resolution and violence prevention. Collective memory of the 1998–1999 witchcraft-related violence further reinforces the role of these rituals as mechanisms of reconciliation and social restoration. These findings demonstrate that legal practices in Banyuwangi are plural and continuously negotiated between the requirements of formal legal certainty and the community’s need for justice, social harmony, and legitimacy.

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How to Cite

Kusairi, L., Puguh, D. R., Rochwulaningsih, Y. ., & Arifin, F. (2026). Legal Pluralism and Democracy in a Divided Society: The Practices of Sumpah Pocong and Qur’anic Oaths in Resolving Witchcraft Accusations in Banyuwangi after the 1998 Violence to the 2020s. International Seminar on Sharia, Law and Muslim Society, 1(1), 79-95. https://conferences.uinsaid.ac.id/ISSLaMS/paper/view/937