RELIGIOUS HARMONY IN EAST NUSA TENGGARA: INSIGHTS INTO LOCAL TRADITION AND VALUES OF MUSLIM COMMUNITIES

Kupang City, located in East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) province, stands out for its notable success in fostering tolerance among religious communities. Its significance lies in (a) being the largest city in NTT, (b) having a longstanding history of Islamic development, and (c) the proclamation of local leaders demonstrating a firm commitment to preserving Kupang as an exemplar of religious harmony. In light of these aspects, the authors conducted qualitative field research on Muslim village communities in Kupang to explore how harmony is maintained among religious groups. This research is based on the theoretical assumption that understanding the world requires a native point of approach, relying on the researcher's perspective. The findings reveal that a crucial foundation for harmony among religious communities is the residents' highly tolerant attitude, reflecting the active tolerance embedded in local wisdom. This local wisdom is further reinforced by the recognition of diversity as a defining feature of Kupang City's identity. The actualization of this value is evident in religious and cultural traditions, exemplified by the Siripuan tradition in Airmata Village. The dynamic nature of harmony among religious communities is underscored, with one contributing factor being the lower positive feelings experienced by minorities compared to the majority. Addressing this discrepancy is crucial for anticipating and mitigating potential challenges among Muslim minorities.


INTRODUCTION
In 2010, the inaugural World Interfaith Harmony Week was established by the UN General Assembly and is observed annually during the first week of February.The resolution emphasizes the crucial need to foster mutual understanding, harmony, and collaboration among individuals globally, irrespective of their diverse beliefs and religions.This essential message remains pertinent, especially in light of the documented impact of religious disparities on numerous global conflicts, including instances in Indonesia (Thomas 2000;Regus 2020).In this context, it is valuable to explore the expression of local wisdom, serving as the social capital for communities to address conflicts and cultivate harmony amidst diversity.
East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) is one of the provinces in eastern Indonesia with various natural and cultural exoticism.In this province, there are many beautiful panoramas of the beach, even "virgin ones," nobody has visited the areas yet, which are ready to be enjoyed with their waves, the beauty of its natural scenery, and the cleanliness of its air.It is not an exaggeration because of its natural exoticism; Rita Harahap (2015) mentioned NTT in the title of her e-book, NTT Hidden Paradise: Kupang, Soe, Rote, Alor.Meanwhile, its cultural exoticism can be seen through the charm of NTT people, which has successfully built a harmonious life among citizens in diversity (Sanjaya 2012).Similar to other parts of eastern Indonesia, the majority of people in NTT do not practice Islam.According to data from 2010 to 2017 by the Central Statistics Agency (BPS) in the NTT province, over 85% of the population identifies as Christian, split between Catholicism and Protestantism (BPS NTT Province 2019-2021).However, the Christian majority does not oppress minority groups.This is evidenced by NTT's top national ranking in the Ministry of Religious Affairs' 2021 religious harmony index survey (IKUB), scoring above 81 which indicates "very harmonious" relations." (Uzurasi 2022).

As the capital of the province, Kupang
City is important to symbolize the harmony of relations among religious people in NTT.Based on the IKUB data, Kupang is properly considered as one of the cities in NTT that seems to be the most successful in maintaining tolerance among religious groups.The importance of Kupang in the NTT Province is due to the following reasons: Interaction among religious people is dynamic because it undergoes the ups and downs and is never silent from ripples.The statement of Victor Laiskodat, who is currently the Governor of NTT, about the threat of the caliphate state, on the one hand, is considered provocative because it is worried to be a trigger of religious conflicts in NTT (Ibrahim 2017), and on the other hand, is considered an intense alarm of the infiltration of radical Islamic movement into the religious understanding of some NTT Muslims.Elizabeth K. Nottingham (1997), an expert on the Sociology of Religion, argues that religion's social and psychological functions are fundamental.Therefore, it is common when religion is considered one factor that significantly influences people's lives (McGuire 2008) and the formation of cultural traditions (Mujiburrahman 2008;Effendy 2001).This study concludes that the harmony model practiced in NTT is the best and can be used as an example for other provinces in Indonesia.

The notion of
Harmony is interpreted as the community's social capital in building and advancing the region to form a common awareness of harmony for minorities and the majority in NTT.

Conceptual Framework
In terms of terminology, local wisdom is at the heart of community traditions that are seen as communal property, deemed suitable, known for their positive significance, and proven to be effective in sustaining society and protecting it from elements that could be damaging.(Arif 2015;Noorbani et al 2022).This is what is called al-'urf in the concept of Ushul Fiqh (Islamic Jurisprudence), which became one of the foundations of scholars in formulating Islamic law and disseminating Islam.Local wisdom is necessary to foster harmony among community groups and among communities and the natural environment, which has been proven in various religions (Liliweri 2014).
From sociological perspective, each society has three systems: social, personality, and cultural (Sutrisno and Putranto 2005)

RESEARCH METHOD
This article applied quantitative and qualitative field research on the lives of plural communities whose citizens are classified as active involvement in building harmony: the Muslim Village community in Kupang NTT.
Visiting the field for data collection were carried out between August -December 2022.
Accompanied by Kupang Muslim leaders, the researcher visited Muslim communities in that city.Based on the qualitative research mapping of Bodgan and Biklen, in this case, the research was included in Sociocultural Studies since it used a particular framework and is based on the theoretical assumption that the world is not "something that can be known directly" (Potter 1996).Moreover, it requires a native point of view and depends on the researcher's perspective.As a form of sociocultural studies, this study assumes that (a) all social relations are influenced by certain factors that need to be explained in a specific context and (b) all studies depart from theoretical understanding.
In line with these theoretical assumptions, the harmony among religious communities amid a pluralistic society is dynamic.Therefore, the great efforts are needed to maintain it.In such a context, local wisdom is a manifestation of shared-capital and joint efforts of the Kupang Muslim people, as found in Muslim communities in the villages such as Fatubesi, Airmata, and Solor, which are full of meaning and need to be understood from the perspective of informants and their historical-natural settings in order to produce both descriptive and reflective field notes.Field notes are the collected data that are transcribed and interpreted based on the principle of data description and mutual simultaneous shaping analysis (Moleong 2001).Field data were explored from primary and secondary sources through passive participation observation, semistructured interviews, and document studies (Silverman 1993;Moleong 2001;Sugiyono 2006).

Islamization in Kupang NTT Province
NTT is an archipelago area that includes seven large islands, namely Sumba, Timor, Flores, Alor, Lembata, Rote, and Sabu (Harahap 2015).As mentioned in Human and Culture in Indonesia, culturally the people of NTT have at least two prevailing cultures, namely Flores culture and Timorese culture (Koentjaraningrat 2004).Flores is not an ethnic group with a completely uniform culture, since there are   In the life of a plural society, tolerance is very much needed to realize harmony among citizens.Departing from the empirical reality, residents show two types of tolerant attitudes.
First, the passive tolerance shown through the attitude of Muslims to respect differences in beliefs, not to question them, and to allow each group to practice the faith that she/he embraced.

Some Muslims consider that implementing
Pesparani is the right of Christians, especially Catholics, which should be appreciated as a means of selecting regional talented seeds in the field of religious song art and simultaneously as a  On the other hand, the existence of the village of harmony is a symbol of religious "inclusivism" because here religion is required to carry out its public role in natural social and interfaith life as a form of recognition of the visible religious sphere (Casanova 1994).Kampung Kerukunan

Actualization of Local Wisdom Values in Muslim Village Communities in Kupang
The As such, it is only fitting that the Bayt al-Qadim Mosque be recognized as one of the historic mosques of Indonesia, considering its storied history and continued cultural importance (Zein 1999).Realizing its historical value, the  It should be acknowledged that not all societies are prepared to participate in mutual assistance regarding "ritual" matters, as this would violate the principle of tolerance limits.The amount is also much less than the allocation of funds given by the city government for the renovation or restoration of church buildings.
We understand as a minority" (Interview, 22 October 2022).Although the expression of less joyful feelings is still passive, if this is neglected, it will slowly encourage distrust and disobedience of minority citizens towards the government and will stoke prejudice against the majority citizens.
The relationship between majority and minority is also related to the issue of people's plurality, viewed from religion, ethnicity, race, and culture.Analyzing the political theory of recognition, the plurality of people in this contemporary era differs from the previous era, because each group of communities demands rights, and their identity is recognized (Mujiburrahman 2008).In turn, the politics of recognition causes a paradox, considering that, on the one hand, it presupposes the existence of universal values that underlie respect for anyone as a human being.However, on the other hand, it also supposes that each person or group has an equal standing and right to form, maintain, and develop a particular identity that distinguishes them from other groups.From such a paradox, the occurrence of creative tensions may color the relationship between majority and minority in a plural society, reminding us that the relationships among groups or social processes in a plural society can be associative and dissociative (Narwoko and Suyanto 2004).
At least, there are three possible strategies of various social groups in facing the existing plurality (Mujiburrahman 2008), giving rise to possible patterns of associative social relationships/processes or dissociative ones.
First, the strategy of conquest, that is, the dominant group tends to unite the diversity to fit one view that is considered correct.Second, the strategy of self-seclusion through the creation of social barriers to maintain authenticity and counteract the confusing influence of plurality.
Third, dialogue strategies through opening up to differences, appreciating cross-opinions, The harmony between religious groups is dynamic.A root cause is that minorities have less positive feelings, like feeling insecure and uncomfortable, compared to the majority.The labels of minority and majority depend on the identity used, whether ethnicity, religion, profession, language or other.One identity may cause social differentiation, but another promotes integration.The less positive sentiment among the Muslim minority is a latent feeling that can surface when sparked, such as by discriminatory policies or provocation from the majority.
(a) Being the largest city in NTT, Kupang has a diverse population consisting of various ethnic groups and heterogeneous migrants; (b) Islam has a long history of development in Kupang that is intertwined with its progression in other NTT regions, and Muslims actively engage with the non-Muslim majority; and (c) Local governments and religious leaders have strongly committed to upholding Kupang as a model for religious harmony through official declarations.There are many socio-cultural phenomena and historical sites that are local wisdom values of the natives in articulating religious teachings, caring for plurality, and fostering harmony for religious life amid differences, such as Kampung Kerukunan [the Harmony Village] (Jahang 2019a), the Convert (Mu'allaf) village, the oldest mosque in NTT, six places of worship in one location, and the Association of Javanese Family Social Harmony (K2S).
Kupang as an exemplar of religious harmony in urban setting stems from the presence of harmonious villages and Muslim communities that have cultivated concord in religious life.Fatubesi Village, situated in the Kota Lama subdistrict of Kupang, NTT, epitomizes this ideal.This village signifies Kupang and NTT as regions with a robust state of interfaith accord within the nation.Therefore, it is logical for the Mayor of Kupang, Jefrison Riwu Kore, to establish Fatubesi Village as one of the pilot villages for strengthening religious harmony in NTT Province (Goti 2019).Such an establishment is a form of acknowledgement that Fatubesi Village has long been viewed as having excelled in demonstrating harmonious religious life despite the very diverse makeup of the community.Surrounding Fatubesi village are other villages, like Kampung Air Mata, which contains historical proof of the arrival of Islam in NTT and, concurrently, plays an active part in exhibiting harmony amongst people of different faiths.The issues raised in this article include: (a) What are the values of local wisdom that endorse the Muslim Village community in Kupang City, NTT for building harmony amid differences?(b) How is the actualization of those values in their interaction among the heterogenous residents in Kupang City to foster the religious harmony?(c) What are the main problems faced by the Muslim communities in Kupang City, for actualizing those values?Literature Review Studies on local wisdom and religious harmony of the archipelago people have been carried out before.Some of them that need to be described here are: First, Sulanam's article (2018), "Perceptions of Muslim Minorities Towards Models of Harmony in Social Harmony," was originally the result of research on models of harmony in the perception of Muslim minorities in NTT.There are several types of harmony found in the field, namely generic harmony, rhetorical harmony, exotic harmony, and genetic harmony.
, "Gemohing in Lamaholot of East Flores: The Foundation and Pillar of Religious Moderation," discussed the local culture/local wisdom of the Lamaholot community of East Flores, NTT.Like villages in Kupang, Lamoholot is also rich in local culture/wisdom, known as Gemohing, which can be perceived as a pillar of strengthening religious moderation.This local culture underlies the establishment of the principle of living together harmoniously, which departs from the community's belief that all Lamaholot residents come from the same ancestor so that they are still one family.Therefore, harmony and brotherhood are things that are paid much attention to by the Lamaholot community amid religious differences.Third, A. Syakur and Muflikhatul Khoiroh (2021), "Local Wisdom for Civil Religious Harmony in Indonesia: An Ethnographic Inverstigation on Mbah Moni's Grave Ritual in babatan Village, Wiyung Sub-district, Surabaya city, East Java Province."This article discusses the meaning of local wisdom of Babatan Village in Surabaya, namely the ritual procession of Mbah Moni's grave as a means of building harmony among religious people of diverse local communities.Through the earth alms movement to achieve God's grace, they gather with the principle of Babatan guyup-rukun (Babatan get along well), sepi ing pamrih rame marang gawe (in sincerity and hard work), carry out the maintenance of Mbah Moni's grave.Fourth, R. Sinaga, F. Tanjung, and Y. Nasution (2019), "Local Wisdom and National Integration in Indonesia: A Case Study of Interreligious Harmony amid Social and Political Upheaval in Bunga Bondar, South Tapanuli."This article also discusses the local wisdom of the diverse communities in Bunga Bondar, South Tapanuli, namely the tradition of marjambar (giving food during religious holidays).It was concluded that local wisdom was able to become a social glue amid the ups and downs of interreligious harmony in the region.The aforementioned studies discuss the importance of local wisdom, especially in maintaining a harmonious life among religious communities.On the one hand, the results of such studies have a meeting point with the problems raised in this article, which both discuss the meaning of local wisdom for plural harmony of coexistence.Local wisdom can be analogous to an anchor that keeps the rotation of social interactions among religious communities which sometimes causes various frictions because differences remain within the frame of mutual harmony.On the other hand, the results of such studies also have differences with the problems discussed in this article.The difference can be viewed from (1) the location and social setting behind the case study conducted, and (2) local wisdom is constructed from the extraction of local culture through the contribution of community leaders so that it is increasingly recognized its significance in dynamizing the harmony of life among religious people.
. The social system emerges from recurring patterns of people interacting in a society, which can create either conflict or accord.The personality system consists of each person's inherent inclinations that demand satisfaction, like wants, likings, and yearnings.These fulfillment efforts are shaped by socialization and the value system.Regulation is thus required to uphold social order.A cultural system comprises values and symbols that let people communicate, synchronize, and collaborate.Cultural systems have three spheres of influence: the domain of knowledge symbols, the domain of expressive symbols, and ethical standards.In line with these three systems, the results of empirical research confirm the existence of various models of harmony systems that support the maintenance of harmony among religious people (Sulanam 2018), namely: (a) generic harmony in the form of a harmony model driven by the government with various affirmative policies, regulations, legislation, and concrete programs, (b) rhetorical harmony in the form of the embodiment of generic harmony into the life of community religious praxis, (c) exotic harmony in the form of the realization of social attitudes and behaviors based on the spirit of mutual respect, which often feels unique and transcends the formalism of diversity, (d) genetic harmony in the form of harmony passed down in the family for generations, or a sense of "family" that has encouraged mutually bonding behaviors despite differing beliefs.In general, there are three models of strategies applied by religions in the face of the current pluralistic situation (Mujiburrahman 2008), namely (a) religious conquest or revolution strategies seek to unite diversity in one view considered correct, (b) self-exile strategies that try to create fortifications and be exclusive so as not to be swept away by the torrent of plurality, and (c) dialogical strategies that open themselves up to sharing a variety of ideas and willing to interact with each other.As a forum for mass mobilization, socio-religious groups in choosing strategies for articulating their understanding and movement in the public sphere are influenced by the values embraced, the surrounding sociocultural context, and other factors that contribute to the continuity of the group.Within the dynamics of community life, where people face diverse and complex sociocultural issues, local wisdom is required to serve many functions: (a) as an identifier of the community's identity, (b) as a unifying force connecting citizens, (c) arising internally in a noncoercive manner, (d) providing a sense of shared color and togetherness, (e) facilitating shifts in mindsets and relationships toward common ground, (f) driving processes of appreciation and participation, as well as diminishing factors that undermine social cohesion (Suprapto 2010).Strategic policies are needed to realize harmony and overcome communal conflicts, which can be realized, among others, through (a) functionalization of social institutions, (b) extracting the value of local wisdom, (c) expanding the participation of all levels of society, and (d) developing new institutions that are contributive to efforts to strengthen the harmony of living together.
Informants came from religious leaders, community leaders, and residents of the Muslim village of Kupang City as the subject of research.The collection of primary data was carried out through (a) interviews with relevant informants, namely residents of Muslim villages in Kupang City, community leaders, and local religious leaders, (b) observations, and (c) documentation, with horizontal collaboration, namely internal collaboration among the team of researchers, in the data analysis process which includes stages: recording field data with contextual sensitivity when in the field, analyzing field data after the data was collected through the triangulation process, and moving towards results through analytic induction (Sarantakos 2005) including the description, focus, and selection stages.The primary data was enriched with various secondary data explored from websites and literatures on the socio-religious life of Muslim villages in Kupang City.
differences in physical characteristics and dialects of the language in Flores's culture.There are at least eight sub-ethnic groups in Flores culture, which include (a) Manggarai people, (b) Riung people, (c) Ngada people, (d) Nage-keo people, (e) Ende people, (f) Lio people, (g) Sikka people, and (h) Larantuka people.In Portuguese, Flores means "flower".S.M. Cabot first introduced the name Flores, which refers to the eastern region of the island of Flores.In 1636, the Governor General of the Dutch East Indies Company, Hendrik Brouwer, officially used that name.As an island region, Flores is divided into eight districts administratively: West Manggarai, Manggarai, Ngada, Nageko, Ende, Sikka, East Flores, and Lembata.Meanwhile, historically, Timorese culture includes ethnic groups that were once Portuguese colonies and Dutch East Indies Company colonies and Portuguese colonies (Windiyarti 2006; Interview, 25 August 2022).After the referendum on East Timor's secession from Indonesia in 1999, which marked the birth of the State of Timor Leste, part of Timor's cultural area became part of the territory of the new state.Part of it is still part of the territory of the NTT province.As a former Portuguese and Dutch colony, most of NTT's population adheres to Protestant and Catholic Christianity.When mapped generally, most Flores cultural communities adhere to the Catholic religion.In contrast, most of the Timorese cultural community adheres to Protestant Christianity, as shown by the data on the number of religious believers in NTT in the following table.
Although most experts affirm the Menanga Solor Sultanate as the epicenter of Islamic development in NTT, they differ in opinion regarding the early origins of Islamization there.There are at least three theories about the beginning of Islamization in NTT, namely: (1) the Hadhramaut-Aceh theory, which confirms that the Islam that came, accepted, and developed in NTT is an Islam that originated in such region, brought by traders, preachers (mubalig), and Sufism proponents by the route: Hadhramaut-Gujarat-Aceh-Malacca-Gresik-Makassar-Watanpao-Menanga-Solor, in the 13 th century AD; (2) the Persian-Palembang theory which states that the Islam that developed in NTT was Islam brought by traders, preachers, and Sufism proponents through the following channels: Persia-Malabar-Palembang-Banten-Cirebon-Demak-Makassar-Menanga Solor in the 15 th century AD; and (3) the Bengal-Moluccas theory which points out that the Islam that developed in NTT was the Islam that merchants, preachers, and Sufism proponents brought through Path: Bench-Cantonese-Pharang [Vietnam]-Maluku-Makassar-Lamakera Solor, in the 16 th century AD (Kasim 2018).The various theories demonstrate that the process of Islamization in NTT went through several stages and routes prior to the colonial era.These events were confirmed by a prominent Muslim leader in NTT, A. Malik Usman, who explained, "Islam first arrived in NTT through the Solor Archipelago, consisting of the islands of Solor, Adonara, and Lembata.By the 15 th century, Islam had reached the village of Solor, the oldest Islamic center there.In this village is an ancient tombsite which the locals believe belongs to the first Islamic preacher, commonly known as the "Father of Pandavas" (Interview, 25 August 2022).In line with the coming-accepteddeveloping theory, Islamic preaching eventually succeeded in giving birth to the Menanga Solor Sultanate.The penetration of Western colonialism, mainly Portuguese, was increasing.The King of Timor, another source mentions the King of the Helong Kingdom (Artanegara 2019), as the ruler of Kupang at that time, asked the Sultanate of Menanga Solor to help resist the Portuguese colonial attack.Therefore, many troops of the Menanga Solor Sultanate were sent to Kupang to help the King of Timor fight against Portuguese colonialism.Thanks to the support of troops from the Sultanate of Menanga Solor and several other areas, the King of Timor defeated the Portuguese troops.As a reward, Muslim troops from the Menanga Solor Sultanate were given fiefs from the King of Timor.The location of the fief is not far from the center of government of the Kingdom of Timor and is named Kampung Solor, after the name of the area of the Muslim troops of the Menanga Solor Sultanate.Thus, the name Solor refers to two historical places and has significance for Islamization in NTT.First, Solor refers to the seat of government of the Menanga Sultanate, namely Solor Island, which is about 200 km from Kupang.Second, Solor refers to Solor Muslim Village, about 3 km from Kupang City.Historically, the formation of the Muslim village of Solor began from the fief, which was awarded to the troops of the Menanga Solor Sultanate for successfully helping the King of Timor resist the attacks of the Portuguese army (Interview, 25 August 2022).The process of Islamization continued until the time of Indonesia's independence.Muslims from various regions make Kupang City livelihood destinations such as Java, Sulawesi, Analisa Journal of Social Science and Religion Volume 08 Number 02 December 2023 Pages 174-193 182 and Sumatera.Their arrival significantly increased the number of Muslim populations in Kupang, helping to move the wheels of the economy and expand the spread of Islam.The chairman of the Kampung Solor Mosque Foundation acknowledged the critical role of migrants in the "wave" of Islamization in recent decades (Interview, 22 October 2022).The important contribution of Muslim immigrants, along with others, is demonstrated by the work of the Taklim Forum of Darul Ulum (Teaching of Islamic materials) in Solor Village.This forum promotes Quran recitation for both children and adults of local Muslims and migrants, with over 260 participants.The Taklim Forum already has a fairly representative permanent building on Kosasih Street in Solor Village, holding regular recitation activities every afternoon and evening.The forum also has Islamic teachers guiding the recitations and teachings (Interview, 23 October 2022).Before having a permanent building, it rented a house and is still moving around.Local Wisdom Values of Muslim VillageCommunities in Kupang CityIn the past, Fatubesi served as a stopping point for preachers before they engaged in trade and spread Islam in Kupang.This was due to its proximity to the coastline, which functioned as a port city at that time.Evidence of this includes the tombs of Bapa Balido Khalifa and Atu Laga Namang, who were from the Lamakera Solor Tribe.Their tombs are located on the shores of the Oeba/Fatubesi area.Both figures are said to have successfully fought off the Portuguese army.As a result, they were granted control over the Solor Muslim village in Kupang as a prize (Observation, 22 October 2022).Presumably, due to the movement of the Muslim community from Fatubesi to Solor village, Fatubesi is no longer a "Muslim village," and the tombs of Mr. Balido Khalifa and Atu Laga Namang are not complex Muslim tombs, like the Kampung Airmata Muslim graveyard.Although not a Muslim village, Fatubesi still has an essential meaning for the model of maintaining harmony in life among religious people.Fatubesi Village is plural because diverse residents in tribes, groups, and religions inhabit it.In such context, the Mayor of Kupang, Jefrison Riwu Kore, mentioned Fatubesi village as one of the pilot villages for harmonizing religious harmony in NTT (Jahang 2019b).Its reason is that the population of Fatubesi village is very dense, coming from various tribes, religions, and groups.Nevertheless, their lives remained harmonious and peaceful.Among the essential aspects that underlie the harmony of life are the highly tolerant attitude of the residents and the willingness to help each other.One of the concrete manifestations of tolerant and mutual assistance that is highly appreciated by the Kupang City Government is the establishment of togetherness among religious people in organizing the Choir Party of the National Level of Ecclesiastical Voice (PESPARANI) II in NTT in October 2022, namely the chairman of the committee is from a Muslim and NU of NTT figure, as an example of noble collaboration and diversity work in organizing grand Christian religious events (Anonymous 2022; Makani 2022).
two critical components need strengthening to construct a foundation for tolerance: (a) an inclusive value framework comprising religious/ cultural principles that are open and prepared to exist alongside other religions/cultures, and (b) cultural systems as an conflict resolution establishment when differences cause discord (Tiran 2019).In line with tolerance, other values of local wisdom are the recognition of plurality shown by (1) diversity as the identity of Kupang City (Situmorang 2018), (2) affirmative policies of local governments towards increasing harmony in life between religious people, (3) the existence of a pilot model of harmonious life between religious people, and (4) appreciation of the achievement of the level of harmony of life between religious people.The recognition of plurality is implied in the designation NTT as an abbreviation of "Nusa Terindah Toleransi" [the Best Island of Tolerance] and the existence of another naming of Flobamora for NTT as an abbreviation of Flores, Sumba, Timor, and Alor, which are the names of the four major islands in the province.In that context, Kupang City is the largest city in NTT Province, located on the Island of Timor, a city inhabited by various ethnic groups.With this fact, the Kupang City Government also pays full attention to the efforts to develop Kupang City into the City of Love, which is a sisterly and brotherly home for all religious people.From some exciting facts about Kupang, at least two things deserve to be underlined because they are relevant to recognizing the plurality: Kupang as a City of Tolerance and a City of Multiethnic.Related to the City of Tolerance, Kupang City was in the top five out of 94 cities in Indonesia with the highest score in the 2020 Tolerant City Index (IKT).Meanwhile, related to Multiethnic City, Kupang City is recognized as the largest city in NTT Province, whose population comes from various tribes, such as Timor, Rote, Flores, Alor, Java, Bali, and Bugis-Makassar.During the data collection process in the field, the author had the opportunity to visit a night culinary place in Solor Village, Kupang City, where most of the traders came from the Javanese (Interview, 22 October 2022).The author also had the opportunity to visit Kupang's gift of the trip and souvenir shop, "Ibu Soekiran," which was pioneered by a businesswoman from Bantul, Yogyakarta, and visited the Taklim forum of Darul Ulum, Solor village whose caregiver is from Lamongan (East Java small town).From such visits, it was clear that they could work to scavenge fortunes well, and many of them were classified as successful in pursuing their efforts and actively participating in implementing Islamic activities (Observation and interview, 22 October 2022).Empirically, plurality recognition can be manifested in the existence of harmonious villages in Kupang City, namely Fatubesi Village and Kolhua Village (Makani 2022).On the one hand, a harmonious village indicates a strong commitment with the community, interfaith religious leaders, and the government to present best practices in realizing harmony between religious people, which has become an essential icon of Kupang City.It is recognized that the high acceptance of the community, the significant role of the Kupang City Government, Interreligious People Harmony Forum (FKUB), and the Kupang City Ministry of Religious Affairs strongly support such recognition (Hutapea and Iswanto 2020).

(
Harmony Village) is an identity that is expected to stimulate the process of identifying all residents as tolerant religious adherents following the cultural image of the Kupang people.In that context, identity is a cultural marker/differentiator.At the same time, identification is an attempt to align oneself with identity (Jenkins 2008) and, simultaneously, build an identity to become a positive image known well by the public.According to Riginaldus Serang, the Head of the Ministry of Religious Affairs of NTT Province, the people of NTT possess much local wisdom as seen in their expressions and culture.These include (a) Katong Samua Basodara, meaning "We are all brothers and sisters", which promotes prioritizing living together; (b) Nempung and Kulalabong, referring to meeting for discussion and having heartfelt conversations to find solutions and resolve issues; and (c) Lonto Leok culture, which involves talking about the shared interests and benefits of diverse tribes and faiths, placing common ground above differences (Murtado 2022).Such phrase/culture shows that the practice of deliberation, the priority of common interests, a sense of brotherhood, and positive communication across tribes and religions have gone well, not only in Kupang City, but also in various other areas in NTT (Horsan 2020; Ahmad 2021; Satyananda et al 2013).The concept of culture is integrated in Anthropology, which implies that culture is integrated with various aspects of people's lives and determines a set of core values (Kottak 2008; Kottak 2011), may be relevant to explain that these cultural practices have become the local wisdom of the institutionalized NTT community and greatly influenced their life patterns so that many of the empirical facts are found in the field (Parera and Marzuki 2020).
long history of Islamic development in Muslim villages has given birth to various cultural traditions.One of the famous religious and cultural traditions of Muslim villages in Kupang City is the Siripuan tradition whose procession is enlivened by carnivals and parades to celebrate the Birthday of the Prophet (Maulid Nabi).Implementing that tradition was centered at the Bayt al-Qadim Mosque in Airmata Village, which Kupang City Government officials and the wider community, including non-Muslims, attended.Before the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Siripuan tradition had carried the theme "Unity in Diversity, Diversity in Unity."This theme strengthens the mission of organizing the Siripuan tradition to increase the relationship between Muslims and other religious people in Kupang City.According to Jamal A. Talib, Chairman of the Board for Mosque Prosperity (BKM) Masjid Bayt al-Qadim, "The performance of the Prophet's Birthday celebration involves various mosque administrators in Kupang City.Many Muslims out of the city return home so that they can participate in witnessing the performance of the Siripuan tradition and at the same time celebrate the Prophet's Birthday" (Interview, 22 October 2022).Naturally, the performance of the Siripuan tradition full of excitement and togetherness is highly appreciated by the Mayor of Kupang because it is considered a proud event and shows great unity and togetherness (Jahang 2019b; Kaesmetan 2019).The Bayt al-Qadim Mosque in Kupang is a key location for performing the Siripuan tradition and is one of the oldest mosques in the area.The mosque was originally constructed on land provided by Sya'ban bin Sanga in 1806 in what is now Airmata Village.According to Abdus Syukur, the Chairman of the Bayt al-Qadim Mosque Administrators, and A. Malik Usman, the name "Airmata" has two potential meanings: (a) it could refer to the area being a water source, since Airmata Village is situated around the Kali Dendeng river, which runs through and supplies water to Kupang City (Satriani and Wirasanti 2017); and (b) the place where the fighters' tears spilled due to the atrocities of the invaders.Many fighters were captured by the invaders and exiled to this village until their deaths, including Kyai Arsyad from Banten, Dipati Amir Bahrain from Bangka Belitung, and Sultan Dompu M. Sirojuddin from Bima (Interview, 22 October 2022; Marioyosef.2016).Some sources say that the process of building the mosque for the first time received help from Christians living around Airmata Village.Given the historical context provided, the Bayt al-Qadim Mosque in Airmata Village holds great significance as it represents the arrival of Islam in NTT, which also served as the hub for the spread of Islam across the NTT region.Furthermore, it stands as a unifying emblem between Muslims and non-Muslims alike.In recent times, the mosque has been utilized as a spiritual tourism destination in Kupang City.
renovation of the mosque to a two-floor building carried out by residents until now still maintains the artifact (petilasan) of the mihrab and the pulpit of the sermon located in the first building of the mosque on the ground floor.It is no longer used, but only for historical evidence regarding the existence of the Bayt al-Qadim Mosque, which was established more than two hundred years ago.Figure 1 The Pulpit of the Sermon and the First Mihrab of the Bayt al-Qadim Mosque Source: Personal Documents, 2022 The ornamentation of the sermon pulpit and mihrab of the mosque seems simple when compared, for example, to the Muslim Village Mosque of Pegayaman Buleleng of Bali, established more than two hundred years ago.As shown in the following picture, the carving art of the mihrab and pulpit of the Pegayaman Mosque looks very artistic as a fusion of Balinese carving/ sculpture and Islamic calligraphy.

Figure 2 The
Figure 2The Pulpit of Sermon and First Mihrab of Pegayaman Mosque and initiating alternative solutions to overcome them.The dialogue strategy develops positive communication and collaboration to realize harmony in diversity and difference.Of the three strategies, the dialogue strategy is considered the most appropriate for addressing differences in order to realize harmony.However, this strategy faces a deadlock when the infiltration of religious radicalism is strengthening.A statement by P. Selestinus, General Coordinator of the Indonesian Democracy Defense Team (TPDI), that the Islamization movement in NTT needs to be watched out for because it is increasingly troubling religious people in NTT province (Anonymous 2021), confirms the emergence of widespread unrest among religious people in NTT that has an impact on various dissociative relations in society, such as competition, conflict, and controversial.A similar statement was made by the Head of the Division of Socio-political Issues (Kesbangpolinmas) of NTT province, Sisilia Sona, that three radicalisms are spreading in NTT, namely Gafatar, HTI, and ISIS (Baiduri 2016).Therefore, the Vice Mayor of Kupang City, Hermanus Man, once invited residents to fight against radicalism together because it is suspected that it grows and spread in society (Jahang, 2019c).As a form of concrete steps, the Kupang Police conducted the operation of Bina Waspada Turangga 2022 to prevent and minimize the spreading of radicalism, anti-Pancasila, and intolerance among religious people (Anonymous 2022; Anonymous 2021).CONCLUSION Fatubesi Village has an important history for the spread of Islam in Kupang and the establishment of several Muslim villages.Although no longer a Muslim village today, Fatubesi was named one of the pilot villages for harmonizing religious life in NTT.The villagers' lives are characterized by harmony, peace, and fellowship.One concrete example of the tolerant and mutually supportive attitude that is highly valued is the weaving together of Muslims and Christians in organizing major religious events.This demonstrates the local wisdom of active tolerance that embraces differences.The realization of local wisdom values can be viewed in the religious cultural tradition of Siripuan, where carnivals and festivals are held to celebrate the Prophet's birthday centered around the Bayt al-Qadim Mosque in Airmata Village.The Siripuan tradition represents religious and cultural interaction.As the pinnacle of the Prophet's birthday commemoration, it marks an important milestone in the development of Islam in Kupang.Thus, it does not only preserve inherited traditions but also strengthens cultural pillars in the spread of Islam in Kupang, religious harmony, and institutionalized identification.

Table 1 .
Number of Religious Believers in NTT Province 2019 Source: https://ntt.kemenag.go.idIn line with this data, the Directorate General of Population and Civil Registration (Dukcapil) of the Ministry of Home Affairs (Kemendagri) noted 2 , is divided in detail into Alak District covers 12 villages; Maulafa District covers 9 villages; Oebobo District covers 7 villages; Kota Raja District covers 8 villages; Kelapa Lima District covers 5 villages, and Kota Lama Subdistrict covers ten villages, means that Kupang City is the most populous city and the most diverse condition of its people socio-culturally.With these conditions, it is understandable if the problems faced by the government and the people of Kupang City are very complex compared to those faced by the other city/regency in NTT Province.
Religious Harmony in East Nusa Tenggara: Insights Into Local Tradition and Values of Muslim Communities Mahmud Arif, Sabarudin, Mohammad Kurjum, and Rafidah Binti Abdullah place to maintain harmony among them.Second, referred to as pro-existence.Some Muslims still tend to exhibit coexistence, while others have progressed towards pro-existence.Additionally,

The Main Problems of Muslim Village Communities in Kupang City in Preserving Harmony among Religious People
Religious Harmony in East Nusa Tenggara: Insights Into Local Tradition and Values of Muslim CommunitiesMahmudArif, Sabarudin, Mohammad Kurjum, and Rafidah Binti Abdullah