Modern Muslim Identities: Negotiating Religion and Ethnicity in Malaysia (NIAS Nordic Institute of Asian Studies Monograph Series, 119) - Hardcover

Hoffstaedter, Gerhard

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 8776940802 ISBN 13: 9788776940805

Publisher: NIAS Press, 2011

Synopsis

This book explores a central tension in identity politics: how the state, civil society, and people want to create and maintain cultural, religious, and social cohesion while paradoxically their everyday practices often run counter to this. Malaysia is no exception, with a political elite maintaining control and cultural dominance but juggling many political pressures. At the heart of this study is the conjuncture between Malay ethnicity and Islamic faith, a state discourse on “civilized Islam,” but other areas are also examined, resulting in a study that combines philosophical and social theory with anthropological insights.

About this title

About the Author:

Gerhard Hoffstaedter is a lecturer in anthropology at the School of Social Science at the University of Queensland. He researches development and security issues as well as the anthropology of religion, the state and refugees in Southeast Asia.

Review:

"This book...makes a compelling read especially for those concerned with Islam, identity politics, power relations, ethnic relations and democracy in Malaysia."
Mustafa K. Anuar, Kajian Malaysia, Vol. 30, No. 1, 2012, pp 139-272

"This book is a must-read for anyone interested in a variety of topics: Malaysia, multiculturalism and pluralism, Islam and modern society and so forth."
 Peter G. Riddell, ASEASUK News, No. 52, Autumn 2012

"A provocative and creative effort...
...an important, bold book."
Meredith L. Weiss, Journal of Islamic Studies, 2012, Vol. 23, Issue nr. 3, September 2012

About this edition

• Publisher: NIAS Press
• Publication date: 2011
• ISBN 10: 8776940802
• ISBN 13: 9788776940805
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 288