Published online by Cambridge University Press: 22 June 2011
One of the classical accounts on the coming and first establishment of Islam in Indonesia runs as follows: Already a long time before the birth of Islam a mighty stream of colonisation started from Hindustan towards Java and surrounding islands. This stream definitely dominated the culture of this area and its influence is felt until today. After part of the Hindus had accepted Islam, these Indian Muslims were active in the trade with the archipelago and part of them also settled in this area. These traders and emigrants brought Islam into the Indian Archipelago. It is true, that already before this period some other Muslim nations sought articles of trade from the East-Indies and even established small settlements there: surely there resulted no permanent religious influence from these settlements. Islam, such as received by the Indonesians, therefore already experienced a process of adaptation towards the world of Hinduism. This made it easier for this new religion to accommodate itself once again to a degenerated Hinduism. Islam in the East-Indies unmistakably shows the signs of this Indian origin.
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5 Cf. Risalah Seminar Sedjarah Masuknja Islam ke Indonesia (without references), printed report of a Seminar, held in Medan, 17–20 March 1963, where finally was concluded by the leaders of the meetings, that Islam came to Indonesia in the seventh/eighth century of the Christian era and straight from Arabia; Hasjmy, A. ed., Serajah masuk dan berkembangnya Islam di Indonesia (Bandung 1981)Google Scholar, report of a conference, held in Banda Aceh, 10–16 July 1978 on a similar topic and with similar conclusions. The then minister for religious affairs, H. Alamsyah Ratu Prawiranegara held a speech with the title ‘Our ideas on history are still dominated by colonial presuppositions’, while the head of the organising committee held a keynote speech with the title: ‘The history, such as written down by the colonisers is poison for us’. In November 16th 1986 the Majelis Ulama (Highest council of Muslim scholars in Indonesia) published a document with the title: Amanat sejarah ummat Islam Indonesia (the lessons of history for the Muslim community of Indonesia): also here the early coming is stressed in a very strong way. These publications may indicate that strong feelings underly historical studies in this field.
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