Paper short abstract:

The popular narrative that the tsunami was an act of God to bring about an end to the conflict in Aceh reveals contemporary Acehnese meanings of the term 'trauma' and current attitudes and expectations about Aceh's post-conflict environment.

Paper long abstract:

In post-conflict/post-tsunami Aceh, the term 'trauma' signifies a fragile and temporary state of being in which a person is unable to accept hardship or loss as an individual's predetermined destiny (qadha). 'Trauma' inducing events are commonly described as 'that which cannot be accepted' as qadha, leaving the sufferer in a perpetual state of fear (ketakutan) and sadness (kesedihan). 'Trauma' is said to be deepened by ongoing 'disturbances' (gangguan) which remind people of Aceh's history of conflict and relieved primarily through religious practice aimed to 'strengthen the self' (menkuatkan diri-sendiri). While 'trauma' and its relief are expressed most strongly in the language of Islam, 'trauma' is equally informed by the Acehnese ideal of being strong and brave, and always discussed in direct relationship to the political context through which it was induced and which makes it seem necessary for Acehnese to be continually 'strengthening themselves'.

Here I discuss the ways in which Acehnese people commonly compare 'trauma' in relation to the tsunami, with 'trauma' in relation to the conflict. The popular narrative of the tsunami as an act of God to stop the conflict informs the ways that people experienced the tsunami, understand the current peace agreement and ascribe meaning to ongoing 'trauma' in the post-conflict environment. Here I explore this narrative as a means through which to illustrate the current meanings of 'trauma' in post-conflict Aceh and the ways that Aceh's fragile political environment and the emotional and religious lives of Acehnese people continue to inform each other.