JAKARTA: Hundreds of Indonesian Muslims have signed up for free tattoo removal procedures organized by the national alms agency in Jakarta, in a Ramadan program targeting low-income communities in the Indonesian capital.

The initiative, which was first launched by the Jakarta chapter of Indonesia’s national alms agency in 2021, has been held across the capital’s administrative regions throughout Ramadan in partnership with the Islamic Medical Service.

“On this occasion of Ramadan, there are a lot of Muslims who want to get closer to their religion and remove their tattoos,” Nasir Tajang, a deputy chairman at the agency, told Arab News on Monday.

“We have held this program for the fourth year because there’s a lot of interest from the public. This year alone we have seen 600 people signed up.”

The program especially sought to reach those from low-income groups, Tajang said, as tattoo removal procedures were often costly.

“In terms of cost, removing the tattoos can cost millions (of Indonesian rupiah), so this program is aimed at helping the people, especially those from low-income groups, to remove their tattoos,” he added.

“We also want to inspire people, to let them know that even if they have a dark past, the door of repentance is always open.”

In the world’s largest Muslim-majority country, tattoos carry negative connotations due to the common association with hard lifestyles.

Eko, a 30-year-old resident of West Jakarta, was among those who signed up for the procedure last week.

“I removed two tattoos on both my hands … so I can worship solemnly without feeling conflicted,” he said.