LOCAL WISDOM BASED RELIGIOUS HARMONY IN WEST PASAMAN AND DHARMASRAYA, WEST SUMATRA, INDONESIA

Abstract

Ethnic, racial,  and religious diversity is the most common issues addressed in various discussion forums on the conflicts that undermine the social harmony within the society including in West Pasaman and Dharmasraya.  Some examples of this religious conflict are Padang Candu church arson in 2002,  the protest against the election of a Christian as the head of West Pasaman district court in 2008, the sealing of Keluarga Kudus Parish Church in 2012, St. Maria Stasi Church Arson in Kinali on May 4 2014, the religious blasphemy in which a youn man stepped on the Quran in 2016, the conflict on the establishment of Wonosari Chapel Kinali,  and the protest held by Forum Komunikasi Organisasi Islam (Islamic Organization Communication Forum)  or FKOI which demanded the regional government to disband the worship perfomed by hkbp congregation in a local resident's house. In additio, interreligious conflicts also occured in Sungai Rambai Dharmasraya such as hate speech and hate crime in 1995 and the sealing of Stashi Anasthasia Sikabau Church in Pulau Punjung Dharmasraya in 2018. This article discusses the local wisdom based practices in establishing religious harmony in two multi ethnic, cultural and religious communities, namely West Pasaman and Dharmasraya, West Sumatra, Indonesia. This study aims to explain the patterns of religious harmony in West Pasaman and Dharmasraya adopted from the local cultural system and wisdom. This study uses a phenomenological approach to provide an accurate condition of the multi ethnic, cultural and religious communities. The results of the study show the patterns religious harmony through settlement of religious conflicts in West Pasaman and Dharmasraya by applying local customs and culture. Some forms of such settlement include the equal distribution of qurbani meat, the attendance of baralek (wedding), the tradition of manjanguak mantah, the tradition of manyiriah, the interfaith cemetery between Muslim and Christian, the application of adat philosophy, and the consensus decision making in Nagari (rural region). This study contributes to the theory of local wisdom based cultural approach in resolving religious conflicts and strengthening social integration of the communities.