Papua Muslims hold first congress

Jayapura, NU Online
Papuan Muslims will hold an inaugural three-day congress in Jayapura beginning Tuesday, which is slated to attract 260 participants from 29 regencies and mayoralties in Papua and West Irian Jaya.

Congress steering committee member Sayid Fadhal Alhamid said the Papua Muslim Solidarity group was established on Nov. 21, 1999, in Jayapura.<>

Members had originally planned to organize a congress in 2000, but due to various reasons the realization of this assembly took six years to occur.

A key focal point for the meeting will be the strengthening of ties between various religious organizations, the public and the provincial and local administrations in Papua.

According to the book Papua Dalam Angka (Papua in Figures), the province is home to 1,154,420 Protestants, 409,722 Catholics, 341,057 Muslims, 4,267 Hindus and 1,625 Buddhists.

The Muslim congress will involve interactive dialog between the Papua GKI synod, the Jayapura diocese, the Baptist synod, the World Church Council, tribal leaders, cultural observers and state and security officials.

During the congress, the official name of the group will be changed from Papua Muslim Solidarity to Papua Muslim Council.

The organization, said Fadhal, was also open to non-Papuan Muslims. It is not sectarian in nature and aims to boost ties with traditional Papuan Muslim communities, as well as promote human rights, education, health and improvements in the community's economy.

Muslims are a minority group in Papua. They generally live in coastal communities from the west to the south. These include Raja Ampat, Teluk Bintuni, Babo, Inanwatan, Kokosa, Kokas, Fakfak, Kaimana, Teluk Arguni and Kayu Merah, all of which are in West Irian Jaya.

Those living in Papua province predominantly reside in Walesi, Hitigima and Air Garam in Wamana regency, as well as in Jayawijaya and scantily in Okaba and Asmat in the southern Papua.

Fadhal said that although Muslims were a minority in Papua, sectarian disputes had never occurred there.

Papua Governor Barnabas Suebu is scheduled to open the congress April 10, while West Irian Jaya Governor Bram Atururi will close it on April 12. (tjp/dar)