Hinduism meets Islam on paradise island

Hinduism meets Islam on paradise island

Rita A. Widiadana, The Jakarta Post, Denpasar

It was a bright and sunny morning when Amien Rais, Speaker of
People's Consultative Assembly, and a number of Muslim community
leaders from Kepaon village, one of several Muslim communities in
Bali, entered Puri Pemecutan, the palace of one of the oldest
noble families, in the center of Denpasar last week.

They were greeted warmly by the caretaker of the palace, Ida
Cokorda Pemecutan, and were presented with enchanting cultural
shows -- Rudhat (a traditional dance rich in Islamic elements)
and the Sekarwati dance from Gianyar. A perfect performance
symbolizing both Islamic and Hindu cultures.

Both Amien and the host called the meeting a "cultural
exchange" -- far from any political nuances. Most people in Bali
know Amien as the chairman of the National Mandate Party (PAN),
while Ida Cokorda was previously a prominent figure in the Golkar
Party.

Amien said his visit to Bali, which was in conjunction with
the recent annual meeting of Muhammadiyah here, was only aimed at
strengthening the relationship between the Islamic and Hindu
communities.

Muhammadiyah is the second largest Islamic organization in the
country which claims 30 million members.

"Interreligious and intercultural relations could certainly
serve as glue to hold the nation together," said Amien.

Meanwhile, Ida Cokorde was quoted as saying," the Balinese
people regard Muslims as Nyama Islam (Muslim bothers)."

The families of Puri Pemecutan and the Kepaon Islamic
community are tied historically by the marriage of Islamic leader
Raden Sastroningrat from Madura island and a princess from
Pemecutan Anak Agung Rai hundreds of years ago. It is believed
that the Islamic community in Kepaon are the direct descendants
of Raden Sastroningrat and the princess.

During the meeting, Ida Tjokorda also showed a sword given by
the Makassar (Bugis) kingdom to his ancestor as a symbol of
friendship. Ahmad Sastra, the direct descendant of the Bugis
kingdom in Bali, was surprised. "I really didn't know that Puri
Pemecutan had kept the sword," said Ahmad.

The harmonious relations between Hinduism and Islam were
illustrated in a special exhibition entitled "Hindu and Islamic
Culture in Bali" which was held parallel to the annual meeting of
Muhammadiyah last week.

The four-day exhibition, held at Natour Hotel, was a reminder,
especially to Bali's young generation, that Hindus and Muslims
have been living side by side on this island peacefully and
harmoniously for more than five centuries.

The exhibition displayed ancient inscriptions from the Koran
which were written on Lontar (palm leaves) and an old Koran which
was written by hand and was found in Buleleng regency in the l6th
century. Flags, spears, swords and pictures of several Islamic
villages and old mosques in Bali were also on display.

Islam is believed to have entered Bali between the 15th and
16th centuries through the arrival of traders from the Middle
East and Gujarati traders from India. But, there is also one
theory that there was a special mission who arrived in Bali to
spread Islamic teachings on the island.

Another theory has it that some Muslim communities in Bali
came here upon the invitations of a number of kings.

A. A. W. Wirawan, the author of Sejarah Masuknya Agama Islam
di Bali, The History of Islam in Bali, wrote that King Dalem
Ketut Ngulesir from the Gelgel kingdom (1380 to 1460), visited
the Majapahit kingdom in Java. When he returned to Bali, he was
accompanied by around 40 Muslims who later established an Islamic
village called Kampung Gelgel. The arrival of Muslims in Bali
could be regarded as a sign of friendship between the kings of
Bali and Java.

Under the reign of Dalem Waturenggong (1460 to 1550), an envoy
from the Islamic kingdom of Demak in Central Java, wanted to
disseminate Islam in the Hindu island of Bali, but the king and
his subjects refused to convert to Islam. Based on a thesis of
C.C. Berg, there was already an Islamization process in Bali but
that it failed to materialize.

There was also migration of Muslims to Bali. In the 17th
century, numerous Bugis soldiers and traders from Makassar, South
Sulawesi, fled to Bali after they were defeated by Dutch troops.
The Bugis people landed in several places in Bali including in
Serangan (Badung regency) and Loloan in Jembrana, West Bali.

There are a number of other Islamic villages in Bali such as
Kepaon in Denpasar, Pagayaman in Buleleng regency (North Bali)
and in Loloan, Nyuling and Kecicang villages in Karang Asem (East
Bali).

Muslim migrants also brought their traditions and ways to
their "new land" and assimilated with local residents and their
culture through social and trade relations.

Ahmad Sastra, an executive of Bali's chapter of Muhammadiyah,
said, "We feel safe and happy here. Although we are a minority,
the Balinese people treat us as their own brothers."