Distorsi Otoritas Da’i dalam Praktik Pengobatan Supranatural: Studi Kasus Kekerasan Seksual di Pedesaan

Pajrun Kamil (Institut Agama Islam Negeri Curup, Rejang Lebong, Indonesia)
Robby Aditya Putra (Institut Agama Islam Negeri Curup, Rejang Lebong, Indonesia)
Anrial (Institut Agama Islam Negeri Curup, Rejang Lebong, Indonesia)
Dete Konggoro (Institut Agama Islam Negeri Curup, Rejang Lebong, Indonesia)
Dede Sihabudin (Institut Agama Islam Negeri Curup, Rejang Lebong, Indonesia)

Pawarta: Journal of Communication and Da'wah
2026: Vol 4(2)

Supernatural healing practices are still widely found in rural Indonesian communities and are often legitimized through the symbols of the dai. In certain contexts, the authority attributed to a dai becomes distorted when attached to practitioners of supernatural healing, thereby creating space for the abuse of power, including sexual violence. This article aims to analyze how the distortion of a dai’s authority occurs within supernatural healing practices, as well as the social, cultural, and religious factors that render victims vulnerable. This study employs a qualitative approach using a case study method focused on several incidents of sexual violence in rural areas. The findings indicate that sexual violence is not merely the result of individual moral deviance, but is also rooted in unequal power relations, uncritical religious beliefs, and the lack of religious and legal literacy within the community. This article emphasizes the importance of deconstructing pseudo-dai authority and strengthening critical religious education as preventive measures against sexual violence.