Being Muslim in Eastern Indonesia: practice, politics and cultural diversity

Contestation over public expressions of Islam in Indonesia reflect historical differences in Islamic identity and practice throughout the archipelago. This project explores the poorly understood Islamic cultures of eastern Indonesia, where Muslim populations are linked by trade and mobile histories. Based on ethnographic accounts of contemporary Muslim identity in Sulawesi, Maluku and the Lesser Sundas, we investigate local understandings of Islam; the role of organisations including prayer groups, Islamic schools, political parties; and the relevance of cosmopolitan ideals. The project challenges the normative view of Indonesian Islam based on Javanese studies and political analysis focused only on the national level.