ME101 Lecture #10: Religion and Political Islam in the Middle East and Its Impact on Our Region

Lecture #10: Religion and Political Islam in the Middle East and Its Impact on Our Region
by Norshahril bin Saat [Thursday, 22 October 2020]

9/11 has refocussed analysis of Islam in Southeast Asia towards the security lens. Concerns about terrorism and radicalism dominate academic and journalistic writings, creating many academic positions in universities and think-tanks, and promoting Muslim theologians as the spokespersons for “moderate” Islam. Examination of other equally pressing concerns which can also impede progress and development of Muslims, such as non-violent extremism and quality religious education, are neglected. Lately, contextualization of Islam has become an area of interest. Malays are perceived to import Middle Eastern cultures, practices, and theology at the expense of local ones. Policy makers and academics refer to this process as “Arabization” of Southeast Asian Islam. Some consider this “Talibanization” referring to borrowing of radical ideas from the Talibans in war-torn Afghanistan.

This lecture examines critically dominant images of Southeast Asian Islam focussing on three countries, Singapore, Indonesia and Malaysia. In highlight interaction between the region and Middle East. Applying the socio-historical approach, the lecture makes three arguments: (1) while Islam originated from Middle East, the type of Islam brought to Southeast Asia was predominantly the Sufi type; (2) the heterogeneity of Islam in the Middle East also shapes Southeast Asia differently, depending on which era is discussed, and the country of focus; and (3) Islam and politics take many forms in Southeast Asia, and they adopt and adapt to global and local dynamics, such as capitalism, feudalism, socialism, and revivalism. The impact of Middle East movements Sufism, Shiism, Muslim Brotherhood, Salafi-Wahhabism, Hizmet and reformism will also be discussed.