Challenges of Da’wah in Singkawang, Indonesia: A Context-Sensitive Policy Agenda for Islamic Da’wah Institutions

Abstract

Singkawang is frequently celebrated as one of Indonesia’s most tolerant cities, but high tolerance does not eliminate the challenges facing Islamic da’wah; it changes their form. This article examines how da’wah institutions can strengthen Muslim religious life while protecting trust in a city shaped by Malay, Chinese, Dayak, and other communities and by multiple religious traditions. An integrative documentary review synthesized official statistics, policy documents, Singkawang-specific field studies, wider Indonesian research, and theoretical literature. Evidence was differentiated by geographic scope so that national or comparative findings were not treated as direct evidence of local conditions. The synthesis identifies six analytic domains: culturally intelligent communication; ethnoreligious boundaries; sustained and non-coercive convert accompaniment; digital religious learning; institutional coordination; and the transition from activity-centred programming to measurable social benefit. Local evidence is strongest for multicultural relations, religious moderation, and convert care, whereas digital and citywide organisational claims remain policy propositions requiring field validation. The article proposes a Context-Sensitive Islamic Da’wah Model linking da’wah bil-hikmah, cultural competence, convert accompaniment, digital literacy, institutional collaboration, and da’wah bil-hal to trust and social cohesion. Policy recommendations include coordinated governance, preacher competency standards, a confidential convert-care pathway, locally grounded digital content, service-oriented programmes, and outcome monitoring. Effective da’wah in Singkawang should therefore be theologically clear, culturally respectful, voluntary, institutionally accountable, and publicly beneficial.