Islam emerged as major religion in South Sulawesi when, in the early 17th century, Sultan Alauddin, the King of Goa, Islamized other kingdoms by military force. Islam became a popular religion and mixed with old traditions. At the upper level it was institutionalized by an Islamic official in the court structure and legitimized by adopting Islam as the crown of the traditional custom system. The Torajan are the only one of the four major ethnic groups of South Sulawesi that were not Islamized. There were, indeed, some efforts from the side of the Islamic kingdoms to convert the Torajan by force so as to accomplish Sultan Alauddin’s dream. In the 18th century, the invasion by the Bone Kingdom to Islamize Toraja was resisted in a famous example of Torajan unity under the one vision and commitment of leaders “to uphold together the falling Bone mountain”. Some other campaigns to conquer Toraja political and religiously in the last decades of the 19th century did not succeed. Neither did the Islamic rebellion in the 1950s succeed. In short, there was strong resistance among the Torajan to Islam, especially as it came with a socio-political agenda, and a corresponding determination to keep the Toraja region as a strong Christian enclave. There were, however, a minority of Torajan who converted to Islam, and constitute a segment of Torajan society alongside the community of native Torajan religious.
The recent relationship of Torajan Christianity to Islam should be seen against that historical background, and in the context of sociopolitical changes regionally and nationally. There are two important developments which emerged in the last decade. First, social conflicts in some regions wrapped in ethnic and/or religious sentiments. Armed conflicts in Ambon, Halmahera and Poso emerged with a strong religious sentiment as Christian and Muslim wars took thousands of lives on both sides. Hundreds of Christian congregations did not survive as whole villages were killed or took flight to refugee camps. These conflicts had strong echoes in South Sulawesi where many Bugineese and Makassareese Muslims from South Sulawesi live in the conflict areas as migrants. A kind of emotional solidarity among Muslims in Makassar with their fellow Muslims or fellow Bugineese was at times expressed by harming Christians.
The second development is related to the first; that of a growing understanding of the value of peace and living peacefully. This awareness emerged from experiences of tragedy and suffering in the conflict areas. It was supported by religious teaching and traditional and national values of living in harmony. These factors motivated the religious and community leaders in Makassar to form a forum of community leaders to develop mutual understanding and promote peace and harmony among the different communities. One of the prominent figures in the forum, Mr. Jusuf Kalla, now a great figure in the presidential cabinet, was the leading figure behind two Malino conferences of Ambon and Poso on conflict resolution. The forum even managed to stage a successful national meeting of religious communities last January in Makassar. These two developments of conflict and of peace put Christians in Indonesia (including the Torajans) into two camps: being alert towards Muslims and holding hope for a peaceful future. The first camp gathered proof of the growing influence of radical groups with wide networks, even with international terrorists links, and from systematic programs to convert the nation into an Islamic state by applying Islamic laws (shari’a) to national life. The second camp put their faith in the national ideology of Pancasila and in the future harmony of Indonesian pluralistic society.
Read related posts about Toraja:
The recent relationship of Torajan Christianity to Islam should be seen against that historical background, and in the context of sociopolitical changes regionally and nationally. There are two important developments which emerged in the last decade. First, social conflicts in some regions wrapped in ethnic and/or religious sentiments. Armed conflicts in Ambon, Halmahera and Poso emerged with a strong religious sentiment as Christian and Muslim wars took thousands of lives on both sides. Hundreds of Christian congregations did not survive as whole villages were killed or took flight to refugee camps. These conflicts had strong echoes in South Sulawesi where many Bugineese and Makassareese Muslims from South Sulawesi live in the conflict areas as migrants. A kind of emotional solidarity among Muslims in Makassar with their fellow Muslims or fellow Bugineese was at times expressed by harming Christians.
The second development is related to the first; that of a growing understanding of the value of peace and living peacefully. This awareness emerged from experiences of tragedy and suffering in the conflict areas. It was supported by religious teaching and traditional and national values of living in harmony. These factors motivated the religious and community leaders in Makassar to form a forum of community leaders to develop mutual understanding and promote peace and harmony among the different communities. One of the prominent figures in the forum, Mr. Jusuf Kalla, now a great figure in the presidential cabinet, was the leading figure behind two Malino conferences of Ambon and Poso on conflict resolution. The forum even managed to stage a successful national meeting of religious communities last January in Makassar. These two developments of conflict and of peace put Christians in Indonesia (including the Torajans) into two camps: being alert towards Muslims and holding hope for a peaceful future. The first camp gathered proof of the growing influence of radical groups with wide networks, even with international terrorists links, and from systematic programs to convert the nation into an Islamic state by applying Islamic laws (shari’a) to national life. The second camp put their faith in the national ideology of Pancasila and in the future harmony of Indonesian pluralistic society.
Read related posts about Toraja:
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