Boasting its rich biodiversity, the eastern part of Indonesia also shows a fast-growing population in the past few years. The population growth is not only due to the better development but also for the religious group that reaches the region. Just like Christian, west Papua also has a minority religion of Islam in its land. But, how does it start? Read on!
The Fast-Growing Religion In The Region
Despite being a minority religion with less than 10.000 followers, Islam is striving in the land of black pearl. Some of the majority Muslims are Sunni and some of them are Ahmadiyya. Again, the development and influence of Muslims and Islam in the region are pretty significant. The majority of the Muslim Papua are indigenous.
Talking about the development of Islam, the starting line dated back to the 15th or 16th century when the Tidore kingdom from North Maluku embrace Islam. The first king, Sultan Ciliaci is the first Muslim who later expand its coverage to other areas including FakFak. It said that FakFak is the first regency and the starting point of Islamization in Papua.
The Start Of Tidore Influence
Tidore kingdom’s influence and Islam goes through the long market route. As Islam reach Maluku, the influence and Islamization went to the West Papua regency. It spread across Raja Ampat, Sorong, and Onin peninsula, in FakFak regency. Not only from trade and market, but the Islamic history also traced from education, politic, and cultures (marriage).
During that expansion, Sultan Bacan one of the kings from Maluku also spread its business to the Papuan tribes in the west part of Waigama, Salawati, Wigeon, and Misool. As the local tribes follow the king, Sultan Bacan expands his power to Onin Peninsula in 1606. With his influence and Muslim traders, some local community leader starts to embrace Islam.
While some community leaders are Muslims, many local tribal communities remain animistic. It happens even in the current years and days. The local tribe is mostly animistic. While it cannot reach the bigger and deeper community, Islam’s influence is pretty massive and significant. It also spread across areas, which include Papua in general.
The Role Of trade and missionaries
As trade helped open more influence and missionaries in the West Papua, Islam keep gaining more followers during the 15-16th century. Trades allow Islam traders to reach more areas and spread their beliefs. On the other hand, missionaries introduce Islam through education, culture, and community. Merchants bound with locals to later embrace Islam through marriage.
No formal education is sprouting as a center of the Islam study center. Mosques and mubaliqh settlements are erected during the time, thus ensuring a bigger reach of Islam influence. Politic-wise, Islam power appears from the kingdom’s reign and leaders. The royal families’ beliefs and religions are also taking part in the Islam development.
Many documents traced Islam influences from different periods. One of them is the historical book that recorded Islam’s introduction to the FakFak regency during the 1360s. It was the time when Abdul Ghaffar, an Islamic figure from Fatagar Lama Aceh alive. It said that Abdul Ghafar introduce Islam for more than 14 years in Rumbati.
FakFak and Papua
From data in 2010, there is a significant trace of the huge influence of Fakfak on Islam development in Papua. West Papua Muslim population has a bigger percentage compared to many other regencies. It said that in FakFak the population is about 60% and Kabupaten Sorong 50%. Some other places are less than 50% but still prominent in number.
As Islam reached Fakfak and the surrounding region, the religion also spread to New Guinea or Papua. It is said that the Muslim trading network started from the 16th to 19th century. Between the 17th to 18th reach Seram and arrived in Papua through trade. During this time, the contact with Seramese Muslims and trades help introduce Islam in the broader community.
Other than from FakFak, Muslim merchants from Makassar and Muslim laborers in southern Papua New Guinea were also in contact during the 19th and 20th centuries. Even though there is no record of religious practices, it still allows someplace and development. In many cases, the Islamic cultures and religion are considered pretty little in Papua New Guinea.
Muslim population in a number
West Papua might be the first area in contact with Islam, but it is still less than Christian and Protestantism. In the recent census, 41% of the population are Muslim, and more than 52% are Protestantism. And the rest are roman catholic (7%), Hinduism, Buddhism, and Confucianism. The region is also known for its Mansinam island, the land of the first European missionaries of local Christian.
Even though Islam is a minority religion, it has a stout historical trace. The development of its culture and religion still stay strong even under the pressing Christianization during colonialization. Islam and Muslims are also still part of the community.
