The Mosque and religion
The people in Jurug have one major social venue, which is the Mosque. The Mosque is not only in use for the sole purpose of prayers and Muslim ceremonies. It is also an important meeting place for the locals to come together to discuss local problems and happenings, and on Sundays between 11 am and 1 pm, the mosque is off limits for the men, so that the women can pray alone, be taught the different prayers, and of course talk between themselves.
An informant in the area was proud of the fact that they did not mix religion and politics in the village. However, the fact was that the man had a role in the Mosque that resembles the role of a Kyai, tough he did not call himself that. Less than one year ago, he was also the Kepala Dusun in Jurug. Also the Kepala Desa in the area is a Kyai.
Muslim religious leaders rejected the existence of syncretism in the area. However, many local people attended a ceremony at the Parantritis beach in honour of the Queen of the Sea. And we were also told by other people in Jurug that it occurred, if not often, ceremonies in the many caves in the area. Those ceremonies could not be called Muslim.
The myth of the Queen of the Sea
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