Thu, 31 Jan 2002

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."