In this roundtable event, eight speakers present their findings on various themes in relation to contemporary developments surrounding Islamism in Indonesia, Malaysia, Brunei, and Singapore. The presentations covered themes such as the growth of a halal lifestyle, religious intellectualism, shariatisation, religious authority, exclusivism and populism.
Regional Social and Cultural Studies Programme and Indonesian International Islamic University
Thursday, 30 November 2023 — ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute, in collaboration with the Indonesian International Islamic University (IIIU) held a roundtable on “Contemporary Islamism in Maritime Southeast Asia. Convened by Dr Norshahril Saat (Senior Fellow, ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute) and Professor Noorhaidi Hasan (Dean, Faculty of Islamic Studies, UIII, and Professor, Sunan Kalijaga State Islamic University of Yogyakarta), the roundtable drew 46 in-person participants and 165 online participants who mainly consisted of representatives from various ministries, academics and students.
The first panel of presentations on “Islamic Developments in Indonesia” comprised of four presentations on contemporary developments in Indonesia. Dr Haula Noor (IIIU) first presented on the role of family dynamics and gender in having an impact on radicalization and terrorist activities. She focused on the role of the family environment in radicalizing children, and also questioned whether jihadi women have their own agency in participating in terrorist activities. Concluding that families do indeed have an impact on radicalizing children, and that women do have their own agency in deciding to participate in terrorist activities, Dr Haula emphasized that there needs to be a more nuanced policy to address deradicalization and social reintegration for those with terrorism-related offences. The second presentation by Dr Farid Saenong (IIIU) then looked at the growth of Indonesia as a halal hub, focusing on how halal branding has expanded beyond food and daily-use products to include other services such as ride-hailing, dating, and even housing. In view of this, he shared that mosques are no longer just for religious worship, but also function as a space for the promotion of this halal lifestyle.
Dr Bhirawa Anoraga (IIIU) then presented on Ngaji Filasafat or philosophy classes in Indonesia, focusing on how its interdisciplinary approach has become increasingly popular among Indonesian Muslims in central Java as it looks at both theology and social science perspectives. He shared that the philosophy that is taught in Ngaji Filasafat is perennial philosophy which looks at philosophy from the Western, Eastern, Islamic, and Southeast Asian perspectives, and that the lead teacher, Dr Fahruddin Faiz, illustrates to his congregants how philosophy does not contradict Islam. Dr Bhirawa said that while Ngaji Filasafat has limited reach due to the complexities of its publications, it continues to be attractive to people as it allows for a more flexible approach to religion and philosophy. The final presentation of the panel was by Dr Syafiq Hasyim (IIIU and ISEAS–Yusof Ishak Institute) who spoke about the impact of Shariatisation in Indonesia. He provided a broad overview of the history of Shariatisation in Indonesia, and said that it has been successful largely because of the efforts of the government in promoting it.
The second panel of presentations on “Islamic Developments in Brunei, Malaysia, and Singapore” also comprised of four presentations. The first presentation by Dr Norshahril Saat (ISEAS–Yusof Ishak Institute) looked at religious authority among middle-class Muslims in Singapore and Brunei. He focused on how increasing religiosity among middle-class Muslims has led to an increased commodification of Islam and how middle-class Muslims have shaped the demands for religious knowledge. Dr Norshahril explained that middle-class Muslims have begun to reference global Islamic influences through social media rather than solely referring to local religious authorities. The second presentation by Dr Azhar (National University of Singapore) looked at religious populism in Malaysia and how it has led to the proliferation of identity politics. He opined that religious populism is dangerous as it can distract from important issues such as corruption, mismanagement of government resources, and other socioeconomic challenges.
Dr Hanisah Abdullah Sani (NUS College) then presented on religion, law, and politics in Malaysia, focusing on perceptions towards state law and religious pluralism. She cited data from the Pew-Templeton Global Research Futures project, specifically from the “Buddhism, Islam, and Religious Pluralism in South and Southeast Asia” which demonstrated that while Malaysians showed high support for religious diversity, they also showed a low tolerance for religious freedom. Dr Hanisah pointed out the contradiction between these two views and suggested that religious pluralism must be understood from different angles. Finally, Ms Afra Alatas (ISEAS–Yusof Ishak Institute) presented on religious preachers in Malaysia and their involvement in politics. She focused on two preachers who recently had their license to preach (tauliah) revoked by religious authorities as a result of their participation in electoral politics which tends to encourage polarization in society.
The question-and-answer segments for both panels saw questions on Muslim women’s agency, the boycotting of goods and its impact on the halal economy, and the impact of shariatisation on inter-religious relations. Further questions were asked about the effectiveness of occupational licensing in the form of the tauliah in countering Islamism and polarization, and whether it can be situated within the logic of state capture. There was also interest in reformist tendencies in Islam in comparison to Christianity, as well as whether Parti Islam SeMalaysia had an impact on Islamism during the periods they were in the federal government.