Islam in South & Southeast Asia
Islam in South & Southeast Asia
The Religion of Islam
The Mughals XXXXXXXXXX)
Humayun’s Tomb (Delhi)
Agra
http:
www.galenfrysinger.com/agra_india.htm
South Asia Today
Pakistan (220 million/ 97% Muslims)
Partition & Independence (1947)
India (1.38 billion/ 14% Muslims)
193 million Muslims
Bangladesh (170 million/ 83% Muslims)
Independence from Pakistan (1971)
Egypt = 102 million, 90% Muslim; Saudi Arabia = 28 million (30% immigrants); Pakistan = 5th most populous country; Bangladesh = 8th
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British
India
Recent History
1857-8: The Great Mutiny/First War of Independence
XXXXXXXXXX: Direct British rule of India
1867: Deoband School founded in India
XXXXXXXXXX: Life of Ahmad Riza Khan (Barelwi Movement)
1875: Foundation of Aligarh University
1934: Foundation of Tablighi Jamaat
1940s: The debate over partition
1978-88: President Zia-ul-Haq in Pakistan
Bareilly, India
India: Three Paths
Ajmer: Mu‘in al-Din Chishti’s tom
Universalism & Music: https:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=GygmKpGhoWI
Deoband: Aurangzeb (ruled XXXXXXXXXX)
Hanafi Fiqh + Hadith Scholarship
Gender segregation
Technology
Aligarh
Sayyid Ahmad Khan XXXXXXXXXX)
Challenges of being Muslim in India
A Fourth Path: Tablighi Jamaat
Founded by Mawlana Muhammad Ilyas XXXXXXXXXX)
Deobandi roots
Loose organization
Response to Arya Samaj and the Hindu “purification” movement
What is tabligh?
One key book: Faza’il al-a‘mal (“The Merits of Deeds”)
http:
fazaileamaal.com/
NO POLITICS!
No central finances, welfare
society, institutes
Commanding the right and fo
idding the wrong.
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“The Causes of Muslim Degeneration”
Muslims restricted tabligh to religious scholars.
Individuals inco
ectly assume they are secure when they are su
ounded by infidelity.
Muslims have abandoned hope of reforming society.
Most Muslims don’t think they are capable of tabligh.
Muslims inco
ectly assume that existing institutions are sufficient for tabligh.
People wo
ied that Muslim response to tabligh will be unpleasant or harmful.
SOLUTION: Male Muslims must do tabligh.
Part of the Fazail A‘mal
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The “Six Points” of Tablighi Jamaat
Realization of the kalima (article of faith)
Punctual prayers
Religious knowledge & Remem
ance (dhik
zikr)
Love toward all Muslims
What about non-Muslims?
Sincere intention
Freeing up time to travel with a group of ten men.
Do women travel?
Bishwa Ijtema in Tonghi, Bangladesh
https:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=5MkReSU57-s
Third largest Muslim gathering after Hajj and Ka
ala XXXXXXXXXXmillion at jumu’a, 2016)
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Bangladesh Today
4 million garment workers; $0.13 per hou
12
Mosques & Shrines
13
Bangladesh: Bengali or Bangladeshi?
Why did East Pakistan become বাংলাদেশ
Bangladesh?
Four Orientations
Awami League: Sheikh Mujib XXXXXXXXXX) & Sheikh Hasina
Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP): General Ziaur Rahman XXXXXXXXXX)
1988: Islam made the state religion
Allowed Islamic parties to be established
Tablighi Jama‘at
Jama‘at-i-Islami: Initially opposed to 1971 partition
Two Prime Ministers
Sheikh Hasina (Awami)
XXXXXXXXXX; 2009-present)
Khaleda Zia (BNP)
XXXXXXXXXX; XXXXXXXXXX)
Southeast Asia
Southeast Asian History
XXXXXXXXXX: Small Muslim principalities
1511: Portuguese seize Melaka
1570: Muslim kingdom of Mataram (Java)
1619: Dutch found Batavia (Java)
1641: Dutch defeat Portuguese
1749: Dutch conquer Mataram
XXXXXXXXXX: Modern Dutch colonial system in Indonesia
1819: British in Singapore; then Malaysia
1942-5: Japanese Occupation
1949: Indonesian Independence
1957: Malaysian Independence
Sukarno 1945 declaration of independence
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SE Asia Today
Indonesia (273 million/ 88% Muslims)
Malaysia (32 million/ 60% Muslims)
Brunei (365,000/ 67% Muslims)
Singapore (5.6 million/ 15% Muslims)
Philippines (109 million/ 5% Muslims)
President Joko Widoko
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Pancasila Ideology: Five Principles
Belief in the One and Only God
A just and civilized humanity
A unified Indonesia
Democracy, led by the wisdom of the representatives of the People
Social justice for all Indonesians
Indonesia since independence
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Jakarta, Indonesia
10.6 million in metro area (AZ 7.3 million)
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Jakarta: Downtown
Jakarta: Fun!
Indonesia: Two Major Muslim Movements (1)
Muhammadiyah (founded 1912)
Reaction to Dutch colonizers
Founder: Ahmad Dahlan XXXXXXXXXX)
Strong focus on Hadith
Liberal use of ijtihad (initially)
Popularize Islamic knowledge in Indonesian
Women’s Organization: ‘Aisyiyah
Generally shuns politics
Complacency toward gender issues
Dr. Amien Rais: Opposition leader against Suharto
29 million members
Muhammadiyah’s role in Education
“Records show that Muhammadiyah operates 4,623 kindergartens, 2,604 primary schools, 1,772 junior high schools, 1,143 senior high schools, and 172 universities/colleges. It also runs 72 hospitals and many smaller clinics, orphanages, retirement homes, schools for the disabled, and training centers.”
Indonesia: Two Major Muslim Movements (2)
Nahdlatul Ulama (NU; founded 1926)
“The Awakening of the Religious Scholars”
Shafi‘i fiqh (“traditionalist”)
Stress on taqlid of master scholars
Em
aces Sufism & visiting ancestors tombs
Huge network of kindergartens
Engaged in politics
Autonomy for local
scholars (kiai)
30 million members
Campaign against extremism: https:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=aLEi5ED_-Xw&feature=share
Abdu
ahman Wahid XXXXXXXXXX)
Head of NU
Reform
Islam should not be a state religion
Islam should not be a political ideology
First president after Suharto in 1998
Served as president from XXXXXXXXXX
Study of secular and Islamic women activists
Fatayat (NU)
Rahima: egalitarian Islam
Women’s Solidarity: secula
Prosperous Justice Party
Types of agency
Pious Critical Agency
Pious Activating Agency
Feminist Agency
Why is “feminism” a controversial word?
Is women’s agency necessarily an act of liberation?
Feminism in Jakarta?
Rachel Rinaldo, “Islam and Feminism in Jakarta,” in Mobilizing Piety: Islam and Feminism in Indonesia (2013)
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