The arrival and spread of the Tablighi Jama’at in West Papua (Irian Jaya), Indonesia

Abstract

This paper looks at the spread of the Tablighi Jama'at network in West Papua, the Easternmost province of Indonesia and perhaps the most remote of all provinces in

the country. It traces the early arrival of the Muslim missionary movement and looks

at the methods that were used in its initial propagation and conversion of new members and supporters. The paper also considers the question of whether the Tabligh has been able to convert new pious Muslim followers among the ethnic Papus of West Papua, or whether it remains a predominantly closed missionary network that

focuses primarily on the recent migrants from Java, Sumatra, Madura and other parts of Indonesia who arrived and settled in the province as a result of the transmigration

program.