Environmental Conservation of Muslim Minorities in Raja Ampat: Sasi, Mosque and Customs

Abstract

The form of symbolic understanding of religion and the rules reflected in symbols for their own circles. Three terms used in this research are sasi, custom, and conservation. Sasi is a practice of adaptation to the nature that is run as part of interaction between Raja Ampat society and their environment. This qualitative research using in-depth interviews and non-participant observations were employ to assits the data collection. Interviews were conducted on a series of subjects consisting of Muslim community leaders, mosque imams, mosque administrators, village heads, members of political parties, and district governments in Raja Ampat Regency, West Papua Indonesia. Meanwhile, the observations were carried out in several opening and closing activities and attending several deliberations in mosques. The study lasted for six months, starting from April to October 2014. To meet the objective of data triangulation, the time was extended until December 2014. This study also conducting directed discussions with experts and researchers in the college environment as much as three series. The series of discussions involved experts from the Polytechnic of Maritime and Fisheries, State Islamic High School (STAIN) Sorong, and Muhammadiyah University of Sorong. These three forms were repeated and also with sufficient frequency to ensure the reliability and accuracy of data already obtained. This article shows that there is a dynamicization between religious practices and more technical applications in the form of environmental conservation, thus giving birth to sasimosque which has uniqueness in vernacular architectural design as well as an institution to leads the native ritual. In the end this study also found Sasi Mosque serve as institutions to support the preserving of the environment.