THE sun was scorching. Two Muslim women in multicolored clothing placed the traditional Hindu ancak offerings at the Buddhist-style Jiwa temple in Batujaya, Karawang. There were an open-topped young coconut, bottled water, three cigarettes, and smoking incense. As an expression of gratitude to Dewi Sri, because the harvest went well, said 40-year-old Maemunah, one of the supplicants.

In Islam, it is actually forbidden for followers to combine elem