Seminar Series: Abstract

Islam in Papua New Guinea: An analysis of increasing Islamic conversions
Scott Flower

The presentation will explore the factors behind the recent growth in Islamic conversions by indigenous Papua New Guineans. Although Muslims remain a very small minority of the total Papua New Guinea (PNG) population (6 million), the number of indigenous converts has significantly increased over the last eight years from approximately 700 Muslims in 2001 to over 4000 in 2008. Recent hype about the potential for Islamic terrorism in Melanesia due to the region’s weak and failing states has obscured this less newsworthy but equally important development. Islam is examined as a new religious movement in PNG. It is viewed as just one of the growing number of popular religious options emerging in PNGs changing religious landscape. Among the influences of conversion covered are; Muslim migration, Islamic missionaries, International Islamic NGOs, the role of media and international events (such as 9/11), dissatisfaction with Christianity and western modernity. Also discussed are the similarities claimed by converts between traditional ‘Kastom’ and Islamic customs, which they argue are proof that Islam is the only ‘true’ religion. The presentation is based on Scott’s PhD thesis which uses unpublished archival records of the Islamic Society of Papua New Guinea (PNG) and interviews with converts while living in the mosques of PNG in 2007.