Islam in Southeast Asia

Abstract

This book is a revised version of the proceedings of a conference of the same title held in Singapore during 2002. The papers comprising this highly relevant and timely text cover topics from the history of Islam in Southeast Asia to Islamic doctrine, politics, civil society, gender, modernization, globalization, and the impact of 9/11. However, Islam and politics are the central themes, with special attention given to the challenges of the recent context for Southeast Asia’s Muslim-majority societies. As such, it is of interest to scholars of diverse fields, including history, political science, international relations, religious studies, sociology, and anthropology. The introduction, “Understanding Political Islam Post-September 11,” criticizes the inequality and militarism of western-dominated globalization and the violent responses of political Islam or radical Islamism. Clear definitions of these pivotal terms used throughout the collection would sharpen the argument about the particular kind of political uses of Islam that the authors view as a threat. The editors provide an adequate and enticing overview of this interesting collection of papers. However, it would be helpful to acknowledge that they focus on Malaysia and Indonesia, with the exception of one paper on the Philippines. Addressing the situation of Muslim minorities in the mainland Southeast Asian countries of Burma/Myanmar, Cambodia, Thailand, and Vietnam, where they live under the hegemony of Buddhist or communist majorities, would add an important comparative dimension ...