Islamic Militias and Capitalist Development in Post-Authoritarian Indonesia

This article examines the emergence of Islamic militias that are often involved in political gangsterism in post-authoritarian Indonesia. It is argued that these groups are an outcome of the complex structural changes accompanying state formation in the context of capitalist development, instead of the product of a weak state or because of decentralisation of power and authority in the democratic context. Their existence is intricately related to the way the state organises institutions of coercion according to specific exigencies. In addition, these militias are an element of the rise of Islamic identity politics following the fall of Soeharto. The approach advanced here contrasts with two dominant approaches: an institutionalist approach that emphasises a lack of state capacity and the anthropology of the state approach that draws on Migdal’s state-in-society approach, which underlines the fragmentation of authority as the condition for the emergence of militias. It is shown that such groups could exist in a “weak” state and in a “strong” state, and in decentralised and centralised settings.     

论伊斯兰教在马来西亚政治中的作用和影响

本文主要分析伊斯兰教在马来西亚政治中的作用和影响。文章回顾了马来西亚政教关系的演变过程,分析了伊斯兰教在其现行政治结构中的影响,指出重视伊斯兰教因素在对抗反对党、维持现有君主立宪制、推行经济政策和处理外交事务中起着重要的作用;展望了2013年5月大选之后即在纳吉布总理第二任期中,伊斯兰教在马来西亚政治中可能出现的新变化。     

近代以来中东地区伊斯兰思潮在东南亚的传播方式和影响（19世纪初-20世纪上半叶）

中东地区是伊斯兰世界的中心，东南亚地处伊斯兰世界的边缘。中东地区作为伊斯兰教的中心，一直盛产各种伊斯兰思潮：瓦哈比运动、伊斯兰现代主义、伊斯兰民族主义等，并通过朝觐和留学等方式向东南亚伊斯兰社会传播，激发了东南亚的帕特里运动、伊斯兰现代主义和民族主义运动的兴起和发展。     

伊斯兰哲学宇宙论对回族传统宗教信仰文化的影响

伊斯兰哲学宇宙论与回族传统宗教信仰文化联系异常密切。回族传统宗教信仰文化的形成、内容以及形式等都深受伊斯兰哲学宇宙论的影响。对伊斯兰哲学宇宙论与回族传统宗教信仰文化的关系进行深入研究具有积极的意义。     

Establishing an Islamic niche in Kazakhstan: Musylman Publishing House and its publications

There has been an increase in Muslim piety and practice in Kazakhstan since the fall of the Soviet Union. Much of this increase is due to the efforts of members of the piety movement in Kazakhstan, who preach and publish about Islam in an effort to inspire more Kazakhs to embrace a particular vision of Islam emphasizing daily prayer, modest dress and condemnation of saint and ancestor veneration. From its humble beginnings as a press primarily publishing translations of short books on Islam, Musylman Publishing House has grown to become an influential Islamic press in Kazakhstan. Building on observations at the Musylman Publishing House editorial office and interviews with its staff, this essay examines the history and publications of Musylman Publishing House. It is argued that the publishing strategy directed by Qayrat Isa, the owner and chief editor of Musylman Publishing House, has been a conscious effort to establish, expand and consolidate a publishing niche for the piety movement in Kazakhstan. The result of this strategy has been the establishment of a readership that no longer simply reads about Islam, but actively preaches to others and contributes articles and books to Musylman Publishing House, creating a self-sustaining piety movement.     

浅析新秩序时期后的印尼伊斯兰教

印尼是伊斯兰教徒最多的国家 ,伊斯兰问题在印尼向来是比较敏感的。新秩序之后 ,伊斯兰问题尤为突出 :内部派别矛盾加剧 ,各政党四分五裂 ;在外则与基督教之间的冲突和骚乱此起彼伏。印尼国家及民族的统一和团结正经受严峻的考验 ,印尼的伊斯兰面临艰难的抉择。     

Awareness and perceptions of Islamic microfinance among microfinance clients in Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan

This study examines the level of awareness and sources of demand for Islamic microfinance among the clients of microfinance institutions in Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan. The research question is whether the source of demand is based on religious beliefs or the assumption of interest-free Islamic-compliant products. The field research uses a sample of 150 clients of several conventional microfinance institutions in these two countries. Although many analysts still maintain that there is a demand for Islamic microfinance in many parts of the world, the current qualitative and quantitative research indicates no clear demand for these products in these two countries. The relevant question for future research is whether microfinance users will demand Islamic microfinance instruments.     

浸透着伊斯兰文化传统的文莱媒介

文莱是个穆斯林君主制和伊斯兰传统的国家。1984年独立后.政府一直依靠集权统治和至高无上的宗教体系来维持原有的意识形态和价值观。媒介,作为意识形态的一个主要部分,自然也被浸透在伊斯兰君主制的思想中,而且在法律的监护下担负着将伊斯兰思想渗透到社会各个阶层的任务。     

Appropriating and contesting ‘traditional Islam’: Central Asian students at the Russian Islamic University in Tatarstan

ABSTRACT

Based on an ethnographic case study of an Islamic university in Russia, I examine how the state-implemented and bureaucratized traditionalization of Islam in Russia affects the everyday life of Central Asian students and how this project ‘from above’ is entangled with their coping strategies. I show how religious education has become a resource for the state as well as for young students and their parents. The Russian state uses these official religious institutions to control the Muslim population by creating and promoting a state-approved version of ‘traditional Islam’ and producing official religious specialists. For the young Muslim students, however, Islamic education provides, in addition to religious knowledge, access to networks, social security and new economic opportunities. It thereby offers a way to cope with the uncertainty caused by high unemployment rates and other socio-economic difficulties among young people.