Da’wah in Multicultural Society; Struggling between Identity, Plurality and Puritanity: an Empirical Study of Cheng Hoo Mosque of Makassar, South Sulawesi

This article focuses on research on the role of the Cheng Hoo Mosque in the multicultural da'wah movement in Makassar City and the challenges it faces. This study uses a qualitative method with a sociological and da'wah approach. The purpose of this paper is to analyze the existence of multicultural da'wah at the Cheng Hoo Mosque in Makassar City and the challenges it faces from aspects of identity, plurality, and puritanity. Data were collected through interviews, field observations, and documentation studies. The research findings show that the Cheng Hoo Mosque is a religious and cultural identity of the Chinese Muslim community in Makassar City. The challenge faced by multicultural da'wah is plurality, especially in the field of religion and religious puritanism which leads to division. The multicultural da'wah movement at Cheng Hoo Mosque is carried out with three approaches, namely non-mazhab mosques, mosques that are open to all groups, across cultures and religions, and acceptance and respect for local culture. The opening of the Cheng Hoo Mosque for the implementation of local religious traditions as long as it does not contradict the values of Islamic teachings and does not violate the rules set by the mosque management shows the awareness of the Cheng Hoo Mosque about the plurality of the people of Makassar City. With this awareness, the mosque manager accommodates the local culture of the Bugis Makassar community inside the Cheng Hoo Mosque, which ethnic Chinese Muslims characterize. The description above shows three indicators that show the role of the Cheng Hoo Mosque in multi-cultural da'wah in Makassar City. These three idealizers play an essential role in carrying out da'wah from a multi-cultural perspective. Multi-cultural da'wah does not only tend to carry out da'wah alone but can also create harmonious relationships between the various cultures found in the da'wah field. The Cheng Hoo Mosque management policy that does not link the implementation of worship at the Cheng Hoo Mosque to certain mazhab is a strategic step to create a mosque that is open to all Muslims. Cheng


A. Introduction
Makassar is a multi-cultural city with residents of various ethnicities.
Not only from the native ethnicities of South Sulawesi such as Makassar, Bugis, Mandar, and Toraja but also ethnic groups from outside South Sulawesi such as Papua, Maluku, Java, Kalimantan, Sumatra, Aceh, Gorontalo, Arab, India, and even Chinese. It can be said that the people of Makassar themselves come from various ethnicities, from Sabang to Merauke. 1 Makassar has long been known as a religious city because the two main tribes that inhabit this city, namely the Bugis and Makassar tribes, are known as devout Muslims, with various other tribes who are Muslim who also inhabit this city. Even so, the religious activities of other religions also continue to run normally without any disturbance. This condition reinforces the position of Makassar City as a multi-cultural city.
As a city inhabited by the vast majority of Muslim people, the dynamics of the Islamic religion are felt in the city of Makassar. In addition to Islamic religious ritual activities, Islamic religious, social activities can be easily found in people's lives in Makassar City, one of which is the da'wah movement.
Da'wah Islamiyah is one of the vehicles for the religious development of the Islamic community, which usually takes place in the Muslim community, as is the case in Makassar City.
As a multi-cultural city, the dynamics of Makassar City's community activities adjust to the multi-cultural reality itself. Likewise, da'wah activities must always be able to adapt to the conditions of a multi-cultural society. In a context like this, a multi-cultural da'wah approach is necessary. Multi-cultural da'wah itself has several indicators, including a). recognize and respect the uniqueness and diversity of ethnoreligious, b). recognizes points of commonality in ethnoreligious diversity. 2 This definition shows two main factors that must be respected, namely diverse religions and cultures. This study uses a qualitative method with a sociological and da'wah approach, which will attempt to find descriptive data, a systematic, factual, and accurate description of the facts, properties, and relationships between the observed phenomena. Data were collected through interviews with informants, observation at the research location, and documentation study.

B. Cheng Hoo Mosque: Religious and Cultural Identity
The existence of the Cheng Hoo Mosque cannot be separated from the existence of Chinese people in Indonesia, including in Makassar. In general, Chinese people are divided into two, namely "totok" and "peranakan," according to Afif, the term "totok" is an ethnic Chinese who is still original, in the sense that it still maintains Chinese culture and avoids mixed marriages This condition is of concern because the existence of the Cheng Hoo Mosque should not be identified with certain religious groups, and this will become an obstacle to the da'wah carried out by the Cheng Hoo Mosque in the multicultural existence of Makassar City.

D. Multicultural Perspective as Way of Da'wah
The Cheng Hoo Mosque has now positioned itself as an icon of the Mosque in the multi-cultural da'wah movement is a manifestation of a long struggle to affirm their identity as part of the Muslim community in Makassar City amidst challenges that come from the plurality of society and Islamic purification movements, which sometimes lead to divisions among the Ummah.
The multi-cultural da'wah approach has become a middle way concept of a plurality of society.

E. Conclusion
The Cheng Hoo Mosque, as a depiction of the identity of the Chinese Muslim community in Makassar City, has played an essential role in da'wah activities in a multi-cultural society. This dakwah approach is vital to be developed in a multi-cultural society in the midst of a multi-ethnic and multireligious society and awakening a spirit of religious purification, leading to social division. The multi-cultural da'wah movement played by the Cheng Hoo Mosque is carried out through three approaches, namely non-mazhab mosques, mosques that are open to all groups, cross-cultural and cross-faith, and acceptance and appreciation of local culture. All multi-cultural da'wah approaches carried out at the Cheng Hoo Mosque play a role in connecting multi-cultural societies, uniting various potentials to build an Islamic civilization. The multi-cultural da'wah activities at the Cheng Hoo Mosque have described the Chinese Muslim minority group playing an active role in the development of Islam in the majority Islamic community in Makassar City.