Chinese Muslims
Oct 17th, 2008, in News, by Patung
A minority within a minority, organization and numbers of Chinese Muslims in Java and North Sumatra.
Masjid Lautze 1
In Pecinan, Pasar Baru, Jakarta is located the Masjid Lautze (or Lao Tze), the centre of the Chinese Muslim community in the city, built in 1991, and, perhaps not inappropriately, being located within a ruko commercial complex.
The mosque is run by the Yayasan Haji Karim Oei, which bears the name of businessman/politician Abdul Karim aka Oei Tjen Hien/Tjeng Hien (Haji Abdurkarim), a man from Padang who converted to Islam in 1929 and was thereafter active in Muhammadiyah and Masyumi. The mosque is run by his son, Ali Karim Oei, who claims that in Jakarta City ethnic Chinese make up about 20% of the 8 million population, and of these he estimates that 5% are Muslim.
Abdul Karim Oei Tjeng Hien.
One reason there is uncertainty over the number of Chinese Muslims, says Ali, is because such people are difficult to keep track of, as they tend to intermarry with other, non-Chinese, Muslims, and thereafter, depending on one’s view, lose their distinctive ethnic identity, or gain a new one/become assimilated.
Nationally, according to the Yayasan Persatuan Islam Tionghoa Indonesia (PITI), which was founded in 1961, there are at the least 80,000 Muslim Chinese, while the vast majority of Chinese are Christian or Confucian/Konghucu.
Since 1991 about 1600 people in Jakarta have undergone conversion at the Lautze mosque, one of the most recent of these being Paulus Prasetya, 32 years old, now known as Mohammad Rizqi. He says when he felt called to Islam he sought out the Lautze mosque in Pecinan, and now after converting attends everyday to pray and receive instruction, and says he feels comfortable there because there are many new converts, who similarly lack much knowledge of the faith.
Masjid Lautze 2
The Yayasan Haji Karim Oei also runs “Masjid Lautze 2”, in Bandung, West Java, on Jalan Tamblong, built in 1997 and located on the ground floor of a rented ruko/shop front building, measuring only 7 x 6 metres and capable of holding 60 people. During office hours it is used by many non-Chinese who work nearby, while the core, regular attendance is about 20.
Muhammad Sultoni of Masjid Lautze 2 says it is best to be located in a business district because most potential converts are business types, and in any case funds are not available to build a “proper” mosque. gatra
In 2004 a special body was formed at the mosque, called Muallaf Networking, and since that time about 70 new converts have been won, it is said. antara
Cheng Hoo, Surabaya
The Muslim Chinese community in Surabaya, East Java is centred on the Cheng Hoo mosque, built in 2002. The caretaker of the mosque, Abdul Halim Muhammad, or Li Guang Lin, claims there are something over 6000 [sic] Chinese in Surabaya, and of these 700 are Muslim. The growth of the community there is the most rapid in Indonesia, he says, increasing by 30 new converts every year.
He adds that the Cheng Ho mosque is expressly intended to receive new converts, and keeps away from doctrinal disputes in Islam by having no specific affiliation with any organisation or stream of thought, such as Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) and Muhammadiyah, or Shia, or Wahabi.
The penetration of Islam into the Chinese community is felt to have advanced the furthest in East Java as a whole, with PITI’s provincial office having 26 branches with 8,000 members, with many members having deep links with Nahdlatul Ulama, some of them occupying senior positions within it.
Medan
Chinese Muslims in the North Sumatra capital are grouped under the Himpunan Pembauran Muslim Tionghoa Indonesia (HPMTI), founded in 1983 by a Mrs Maimunah/Maemunah, and separate from PITI.
According to HPMTI there are about 1,000 Muslim families out of 460,000 Chinese in the city. Head of the organisation, Nuraini aka Wong Sueng, says it is difficult to attract converts because Islam is cursed with a stigma of being violent and threatening, and because families will fiercely resist if one member desires to enter Islam.
She adds, possibly ruefully, that many of her members are still attached to traditional non-Islamic customs, such as visiting ancestors’ tombs/remains at the Festival of the Tombs time (Cheng Beng), but adds that they do not participate in prayers or light candles or joss sticks. gatra
75 Comments on “Chinese Muslims”
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Purba Negoro says:
Indonesia is NOT a multicultural nation.
It is an Indonesian nation. By our Revolutionary 1945 Constitution which is non-amedable we Indonesians are the ancient and true owners of the land- bar none.
It was chosen in the face of British colianilskm and plotting to destroy the Republic as an unchangeable statement of total territorial sovereignty.
It is not “in plurubus enum”.Bhinneka Tunggal Ika
Variety One/Whole ThatThe “Sutosoma” attributed to Empu Tantular:
Mangka ng Jinatwa kalawan Siwatatwa tunggal,
Bhinnêka tunggal ika tan hana dharma mangrwa.
Though diverse they remain truthful to the one Glory of Dharma
Arab, Bule, Indian, Chinese are all visitor- nothing else and never will be anything more than tolerated and occasionally respected and venerated guest- such as the brave Dutch man, who sadly lost his path Prince Poncken.
It is immutable, inarguable.
To paraphrase that one of the now extinct genius that once we admired from Britain:
A mongrel bitch born in a barn does not make a thoroughbred mare him a horse.Barry is yet another English mincer, a petty bourgeoisie with his cheap moral masturbation- trying to save the world over his fairtrade mochachino, Peruvian women’s village hand-knitted shawl and in his Village Voices Bongo-bongo Authentic tribal sandals.
Of course he is far to smug to see his St Paul’s cathedral or Stonehenge and the burial barrows as trite superstitious concepts as physical construct.
This is due to the Blairite nouvoeau riche Briton over reliance on the motive right-hemisophere- due to their elevated oestrogen levels.
The smug moral onanist, teh affectations of superiorty outward projections of his deep seat anfear of being rejected by teh British ruling clases- which as aq social climber par excellence- he will never join (though it remains his hearts deepest desire) as he deludes himself he is one with the Proletariate- the same as that throughly dencet and British Somali fellow whose name is far too difficult to bother pronouncing, who fetches his soy latte.
The Merlot Marxist, the Beaujolais Bolshevik, Camembert Comintern – an utterly foolish and utterly embarrasing spineless refugee-fraud-hugger who so poorly represents a nation once of the very finest men.The world laughs at you, Barry- not at us.
You’re more than welcome to ask an American.Poor Barry- trying to live out his Colonial fantasies, protecting those forelock tugging bent over Chinaman- faithful servant of Empire like the Sikh and your ladyboy Gurkha, from the nasty mad-do Malays.
Inidentally- Malay as in Malay Mohammedite Indians comes from idiots from the Uk who thought we were all Malayalam Indians- and because the English are so stubborn to admit their own obvious stupidity- the name stuck.
The Gurkha- Britains ahem “fiercest” unit with their what is it?
Kukri? That bent Mercedes truck spring?
A kukri cuts as little chaff as those smarmy, smug, utterly vacuous, spineless Blairite Brawn English warblers as our dear Barry can’t cut the mustard.We Pribumi shall never bow before bule. He is our equal or shall bear the grim consequence of his vulgar insolence. as we have demonstrated historically.
Our combat record against the British is undefeated.
Our irregulars annihilated one crack battalion of Gurkha.
Had Sukarno fully committed to Konfrontasi- it is well known Suharto and Nasution would have relished the chance to wiped the hated British and Nepali forever from Indonesia.This is why Britain and Australia sponsor so many flights to US and AUstralia to move our officers from battle command.
This is why you British still fear us- and have 2000 Gurkha in Brunei, 400 in Singapore and another two Ranger division in Malaysia.
But- we have many fierce soldier happy to wear their scalps as trophies: Skadron Raiders, Batalyon Siliwangi, the famous Diponegro, literally thousands all solidly indoctrinated, without wife and family trained as shock combat troop. All seeking a heroes death in battle.
The British did not dare enter Java until the Japanese had agreed to surrender.
We have as did the Jpanese defeated the hereditary enemy the Mongols and Yellow Hordes once- we shall do it again.
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dragonwall says:
What?
Indonesia is NOT a multicultural nation
Indonesia was laready a multinational, multicultural society long, long before your ancestors were born.
and
now extinct genius that once we admired
So you do admire them and called them a mongrel bitch born in a barn! And how about you?
which as aq social climber par excellence
and you think that makes you one of them? My Arse.
The Gurkha- Britains ahem “fiercest” unit with their what is it?
Kukri? That bent Mercedes truck springWith an ahem! I am not too sure if you know these Gurkhas are from. A Kukri is made from Mercedes truck spring? Did you know they were brought up? How they were given the Kukri? How they live?
and your so called
Our irregulars annihilated one crack battalion of Gurkha.
Then can you show us a title to them or your so called regulars. Then why are they called with a royal title. Where is your pengecut. This is where you showed your jealousy
This is why you British still fear us- and have 2000 Gurkha in Brunei, 400 in Singapore and another two Ranger division in Malaysia
So you knwo why they are not placed by the hundred of thousands. That few is good enough against a full force of yours.
and you said
without wife and family trained as shock combat troop. All seeking a heroes death in battle.
Is because most people like you consider lives in Indonesia is cheap.
so
defeated the hereditary enemy the Mongols and
Don’t forget there may be Chinese and Mongolian blood running in traitors like you.
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Andy says:
Correct dragonwall, Indonesia blows with the wind. They pick and choose when they wish to be multicultural. When they are their usual racist bigoted insecure selves the javanese will ride roughshod on everyone but when they want people to like them (oh they are so precious when they want to be loved) they tell the world Indonesia is a diverse, multiracial tolerant society that accepts many religions.
Anyone who knows the place well and speaks their lingo though can see right thru them.
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If Saudi Arabia is within armreach like Australia, our government would have sent in troops and engulfed the whole Arabian peninsular
Crap, after losing Konfrontasi(1965) and Timor (1999) you couldn’t beat time let alone any other country. If that was the case you would have sent troops to my country by now. Some Aussies still think that may happen but as someone who lived in Indo knows your country is cowardly and wouldn’t have the nerve.
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Come one Andy, they won’t admit to that. Like the Nam War who admitted they lost but it was the cause that they prolonged it with something in ind.
Most of the Nam vets are still considered MIA or they still lives in Thailang, Khmer or Vietnam for what..who knows perhaps CIA operative on drugs..or arm deals.A friends brother of mine who got back after his assignment and came back looked like a cuckoo with bloodshot sharp suspicious eyes.
I think after his balls got blasted he behaves the same way except he can only see but cannot enjoy. So when it comes to Chinese, woman and sex he is all but against them.
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DXP says:
aha … now I knew , why there are a few Indonesian chinese converted into muslim … they prepared to embrace the porn bills which was approved as a new law of indecency by Indonesian Parliament.
At least , when all your female family members have covered the aurat perfectly as stated by Islamic teaching .. you are safe in Indonesia,
smart isn’t ? yes … very cool strategy -
No Dragonwall,
dogs born in a barn don’t make a horse.Even a Hokkien retard like you should figure that one out.
Send my love to those yummy Singapore soldiers/ladyboys.
They’re more willing than your slutty Fujianese women.Andy- We have 40,000 crack troops with latest weapons- you have less than 2000.
You forget we do not have the hand of US or UK up our rear as puppet- unlike Australia- forever shamed by its’ oppression of the Vietnamese and now latest colonial sortee in Iraq.The days of under-funded Indonesian military with no domestic military industrial complex are over- our weapons produced in Indonesia are more technologically advanced than Australian-produced weapon. The Garuda rises again.
Konfrontasi was not won by anyone- it was stalemate then
Suharto. If anything UK-Australia win the heart-mind conflict of the Malaysian villagers as the Communists were Chinese traitors- who attack Borneo farmer and Sarawak Dayak people.Maybe ask why Australia sponsor flight to America of our officers?
Maybe now you ask why your SAS now best friend forever and beg to come on field exercise with us- especially in Irian.
Perhaps they are training for Bougainville assault for your Jew owned mines?Frankly- the SAS want to know our facility, strength and tactic- we’re not as stupid as they like to think we are. WE know what they seek.
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Right you are darn right!
“dogs like you born in a barn don’t make a horse.”
Even a retarded Hokkien like me should figure that one out. Sure! Is because you do not know what you are talking.
Well just too bad I have not been in that country for a long time, but perhaps I will “Send my love to those what your so call yummy Singapore soldiers/ladyboys.” by thinking that the Indonesian army is great?
And as to ‘we do not have the hand of US or UK up our rear’ is because Indonesia choose not to, so who to blame! Others choose to be is because they want to maju.. Tapi with you..MUNDUR….
Can’t even feed yourself and dare you claimed that the ” days of under-funded Indonesian military with no domestic military industrial complex are over-” and “our weapons produced in Indonesia are more technologically advanced than Australian-produced weapon.” like Of rusty nails and gun metals and With only 40,000 cracked ( I mean all cracked up) troops?
And with “The Garuda rises again” you mean flying like a burong? Made up like paper kite?
And by saying “They’re more willing than your slutty Fujianese women” pea brains like you can’t even differentiate between Hokkian and Fujian. ha.ha.ha. How dare you talk about the chinese when you know nothing talk all nonsense.
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By saying these, like
Maybe ask why Australia sponsor flight to America of our officers?
Simple. Because you guys were BOKEK.
Maybe now you ask why your SAS now best friend forever and beg to come on field exercise with us- especially in Irian.
That shows that you are a trying to be smart kind of guy in no way an army guy, when you say
Frankly- the SAS want to know our facility, strength and tactic- we’re not as stupid as they like to think we are.
You dare say that you are well funded but lack the knowledge of what is technology, like Satelite?
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ET says:
@ Kiwibali
PN you seems to be quite an educated and well-read fella, im interested in finding out more about Bali (in more particular its caste system and its pre-1900’s monarchies)
Purba Negoro said
And specifically on Balinese- an exhaustive fantastic book:
“The People of Bali”, By Angela Hobart, Urs Ramseyer, Albert Leemann [ISBN 0631227415]Pn is right. This is one of the best scholarly and yet concise and readable books about Bali. But you won’t find in it the particular and unsavoury features that characterize Balinese caste system like manak salah, in which lower caste people are punished for giving birth to twins of different gender by banishing the couple to live with their children for more than a month in a hut on the graveyard, whereas for high caste people this same kind of birth is considered a blessing and a reason for rejoicing. Although forbidden by the Parisada Hindu Dharma (the highest Hindu religious body) since the fifties of last century, the practice still goes on in the more remote villages.
Another uncanny feature is the fact that lungsuran, i.e. the remnants of the gebogan (offerings in the form of a tower carried on the women’s heads and containing all kinds of fruits, cookies, even entire roasted chickens) after they have been consecrated in the temple and then are shared and eaten, are not allowed to be shared with lower caste people, even children, when these offerings have been made by higher caste people.
Books don’t teach you everything.
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ET-
yes willful omission of some unsavoury aspects of the illegal caste culture.
Although such discrimination is outlawed- the “adat’ is exceptionally strong amongst the Balinese.Actually also in Javanese culture- if male and female twin- one was usually sent away to an Aunt or such relative before the reach puberty. Now- in Madura and East Java- the male is not allowed to be alone or talk to the female twin- aside from very basic necessity.
The Balinese will always use their own customary law above Indonesian Law.
So- I assume the issue of incest or too much playing doctor is the issue here.
The English language books also omit the bestiality and sodomist practices of the forest dwelling Irian, use of pigs and wives as currency etc – but it is in most Indonesian anthropological texts as merely objective fact.
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Ajeng says:
PN, your hatred toward chinese is very obvious, conceivably you have your reason but don’t even bother to tell coz the answer will very likely to be a racist rather than logical one.
PS. I’m a fan of your writings (only when they are devoid of racism and rudeness).
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PN said
So- I assume the issue of incest or too much playing doctor is the issue here.
As to ‘manak salah’ the issue of incest or playing doctor in the womb is a smokescreen pretending only twins of the lower caste commit such vile acts while those of the bangsawan are already in their fetal state above such abominable behaviour. But as even the parents are punished the real issue here is something entirely different. Manak salah is supposed to be an act of impudence, of – even involuntarily – putting oneself on a par with the nobility for whom having twins of different gender is considered a godsend blessing.
In the end it all boils down to hantam kromo and “keepin’ the niggers down”.
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Like what Patung say of alte your posting lacked something and is deteriorating but
I had really missed out something likeChinese who do convert to Ilsam do so for these reasons:money, economic gain and greed
How true is that by converting it would bring a person money. How nice and
status, Gengsi
How about the status wearing a peji, sarong walking around meant status or gengsi? Hmm must be kind of interesting. Kind of airy I thought must be, but
occasionally marriage into a warelthy or powerful pribumi family almost a rule- the woman).
So how warelthy or powerful pribumi family almost a rule-the woman is that. Who are those people in the pribumi family that is warelthy and powerful? I guess not and with
conversion offers money and business opportunities previously unavailable to them.
must be some kinda hard to come by nowadays. AQnyway I guess
It also is a handy means of anus licking hard line Muslim military and bureacrats to gain money and gengsi
is sort of well thought of.
Now this is interesting
Diamond Hotel in Solo run by the criminal fugitive owner of Sritex, a Chinese- hosts nightly huge banquests for the local police and military.
Do you know him personally? So he is a Chinese that hosts nightly huge banquests for the local police and military. Maybe you could help enlightened me on this.
The Chinese line up, jostling to form ques to kiss the hands in “saleman” of the brig-jens, Bupatens, etc
This is surely if not exagerating, interesting and…so
I personally know the leader of the Surakarta Chinese-Muslim association- a former military man. He is sadly sxuffering a slow deathh from stroke- but his thrid wife and former mistress is a CHinese, who converted to Islam. He spoke openly and frequently about his disappointment and lack of enthusiams from either the CHiense community and the Javanese for attracting Chinese converts.
By the way do you have a name for this guy?
He is completely ostracised from his family for marrying a Chinese- even his sons refuse to see him as he dies. entral Javanese, have a very long memoy of Chiense exploitation, predation, usury and collaboration.
Must be hard having been ostracised even if they tried to assimilate. Susah juga ya?
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Coming back from a break, I see that Barry Prima has mutated. For Christ’s sake, you are better off sticking to your original character – the Punk Rocker turned Newly Convert.
2 misleading sentences oozing out of an ignorant Whitey who thinks he knew better.
For centuries, Chinese traders were well received. It was only when the ‘White Buffaloes’ came and subdued us; and our ‘trusted’ Indon Chinese betrayed us that the relationship was stained. So, the distrust of local Chinese is a later phenomenon.
The Arabs were welcomed just as any other migrant or trading group. The mass conversion to Islam had more to do with the loyal citizens following in the footstep of their rajahs marrying Arab princesses – not that Javanese had seen any ‘truth’ in the quran. Parameswara was one example. The dislike of the Arabs is a more recent phenomenon as news of physically and sexually abused maids spread like wild fire. If Saudi Arabia is within armreach like Australia, our government would have sent in troops and engulfed the whole Arabian peninsular. We would have done America a favour by converting the Arabs to kejawen. Now we just cope it in the chin, but the day will come.