Editorial: The crux of the matter
Regardless of identity, all law-abiding citizens deserve equal protection from harm and fair access to shared public spaces. As Singaporeans, we have the right to practise our faith so long as it does not harm and/or infringe on the rights of others to live according to theirs. Given these two facts, how do we move forward?
Not a Clear-Cut Issue: Female Circumcision as a Contested Tradition
While proponents of sunat perempuan may argue that the act is harmless (unlike Type 1, 2 and 3 of FGM), it is hard to argue for any medical benefit from the practice – unlike that of male circumcision. Some Muslims, however, have resorted to the argument that the practice is needed to subdue female sexuality. This claim rests upon two claims: that female sexuality is higher than men and that subduing it is necessary to promote female purity and chastity. These two claims rest upon the overarching assumptions that women are the guardians of morality and female sexuality can be a source of moral destruction. Hence, the need to subject women to sunat or circumcision.
Decolonising the Library and the Future of Malay Studies Collection
Decolonisation of knowledge is gaining further traction and has become a pivotal topic of discussion in universities worldwide. Decolonisation is a call to action to decolonise the university, curriculum, museums, and the library and archive. Academic libraries are inextricably linked to universities and are sites for the collection, production, and consumption of knowledge. Some narratives are validated while others are excluded. The academic library is also a site which replicates hegemonic power structures but can be a site of resistance and change, particularly in relation to decolonisation.
Countering Radicalisation without Stigmatisation
The recent ISA arrests of self-radicalised teenagers is a potent reminder of the dual nature of diversity: it can divide us, but also strengthen us. Mohamed Imran Mohamed Taib discusses this duality and the mindset needed to harness the best of our diverse society.
Who Defines Malay Muslim Issues Today? The Funneling Effects
Over the years, the Malay Muslim (MM) community has seen a myriad of issues surfacing in public discussions. They form a cluster of developmental concerns that can broadly be categorised as, socio-economic, religious, cultural, and inter-communal.
These four clusters of issues often overlap and are not mutually exclusive.
Empowering Reason through a Critical Reading of Al-Ghazali and Ibn Taymiyyah
In the 8th principle of Imam Razvi, it is stated that “Islam is philosophy”. Philosophy is literally “the love of wisdom”, where sophia is the Greek word for ‘wisdom’. In Arabic, wisdom is synonymous with hikmah. And in one hadith it was narrated that “Hikmah (wisdom) is the lost property of the believer.” (Jami’ at-Tirmidhi 2687)
Neo-modernist Orientation of Muslimah Activists in Malaysia
Creeping Islamism in Malaysia is a subject that comes up time and again in the media. Topics range from interfaith relations to the constitution and hudud laws. Though, few are as controversial and personal as women and gender roles in the domestic realm. The discourse is often polarised, with activists uncritically labelled as ‘conservatives’ or ‘liberals’. But away from catchy headlines, what is the actual orientation of activists from Female Muslim (Muslimah) NGOs? To that end, I interviewed 14 Muslimah activists and explore their religious orientation using Mannheim’s sociology of knowledge (SoK) approach.