Explores the intersection between Islam and politics in contemporary Southeast Asia, South Asia and China Gives a comparative view of Asia's diverse Muslim identities, looking at the complexity of identity politics and the instrumentalisation of religious difference that create social divides Situates the contemporary contestations of identity and belonging amid new waves of Islamic revivalism, ethnic nationalism and political repression Includes 9 country-based case studies: Singapore, Malaysia, Pakistan, Indonesia, Bangladesh, Philippines, India, Myanmar and China Features contributions from experts in political science, anthropology, Islamic studies, sociology including: Irfan Ahmad, Syed Imad Alatas, Nazry Bahrawi, Syafiq Hasyim, Imrul Islam, Nazneen Mohsina, Matthew J. Nelson, Nathan Gilbert Quimpo and Joanne Smith Finley Approaching religious identity with an emphasis on agency and contestation, this book offers a historical perspective on the development of Muslim identities in Asia. It examines the contingent politics that influence how Muslims constitute themselves as modern subjects. Through 9 country-based case studies, the book analyses how Muslims articulate their religious identity vis- -vis the state and society in which they live, and how their position relates to specific social and political contexts. The contributors survey how religious affiliation sparks a politics of difference in contexts where Islamic practices, beliefs and aspirations are contested, as well as where Muslims are framed as the 'Other'.

Approaching religious identity with an emphasis on agency and contestation, this book offers a multi-disciplinary perspective on the development of Muslim identities in Asia and examines the contingent politics that influence how Muslims constitute themselves as modern subjects. Through 9 country-based case studies, the book analyses how Muslims articulate their religious identity vis-a-vis the state and society in which they live and how their position relates to specific social and political contexts. The contributors survey the contemporary ways in which religious affiliation sparks a politics of difference in contexts where Islamic practices, beliefs and aspirations are contested, as well as where Muslims are framed as the 'Other'.

Pathways to Contemporary Islam: New Trends in Critical Engagement highlights that the current tensions in Islam and the Muslim world are the result of historical dynamics as opposed to an alleged incompatibility between religious tradition and modernity. The emphasis on pathways indicates that critical engagement and contestation have always been intrinsic to the history of Islam. The aim of the book is to elaborate the contemporary pathways and analyse the trends that contest the Islamic intellectual tradition, the relationship between religion and politics, and the individual and collective practice of religion. The collection of essays analyses the current efforts of critical re-engagement with the Islamic intellectual tradition and underlines the historical diversity of Islamic orthodoxies that led to the establishment of various pathways in the practice and role of religion in Muslim societies.