Mosque’s and Imam’s Dynamic Roles

Abstract

Compared to Java and Sumatra, the discourse of Islam in Eastern Indonesia is understudied. The academic studies on Eastern Indonesia has not touched significantly Islam and Muslims in the areas inhabited by more than twenty five millions (25,083,901) Muslims who widely disperse in Sulawesi, Nusa Tenggara, Moluccas, and Papua islands. This was the main reason of a long-term Discovery research project entitled “Being Muslim in Eastern Indonesia: Practice, Politics, and Cultural Diversity” led by Kathryn Robinson, and funded by the Australian Research Council (DP0881464). This edited volume is the result of a conference organised within this five-year research project.