A Muslim Archipelago: Islam and Politics in Southeast Asia

Commentary Southeast Asia continues to beckon policymakers and scholars alike to revisit its history in spite of the tomes of appraisals already written, deconstructive or otherwise. Because of a significant presence of Muslims in the region, and particularly in the wake of 9/11, it invariably attracts the attention of foreign powers drawn by the specter of terrorism and focused on rooting out radical Islamist groups said to be working with al-Qa’eda. Dr. Max Gross has written an impressive account of the role of Islam in the politics of Southeast Asia, anchored by a strong historical perspective and a comprehensive treatment of current affairs. The result is very much a post-9/11 book. The origins of Jemaah Islamiyah and its connections with al-Qa’eda are carefully detailed. Yet, unlike much of the post-9/11 analysis of the Muslim world, Dr. Gross’s research has been successful in placing the phenomenon of terrorism within a larger perspective. While recognizing that al-Qa’eda’s influence on regional terror networks remains unclear, it behooves us to be reminded that, regardless of the nature and extent of the linkages, to dismiss terrorism as a serious threat to security would be naïve to the point of recklessness. The Muslim Archipelago is a profoundly Islamic region, and Jemaah Islamiyah is only a small portion of this reality. The attention Dr. Gross pays to ABIM in Malaysia, of which I was a part, and the civil Islam movement in Indonesia, of which the late Nurcholish Madjid was a principal spokesman, is greatly appreciated. Those unfamiliar with the background and role of the traditional Islamic PAS party in Malaysia, as well as the Darul Islam movement in Indonesia, will find the author’s account highly beneficial. The MNLF, the MILF, and Abu Sayyaf in the Philippines, as well as the various Islamic movements in southern Thailand, are also carefully explained. Table of Contents Foreword Commentary Author’s Preface Chapter 1: Islam in Southeast Asia: Historical Background General Considerations Historical Overview Enter the Europeans The Formation of Malaysia The Formation of Indonesia Chapter 2: Islam in Malaysia Establishment of Malay Hegemony Growth of the Islamic Movement Mahathir Goes Islamic Impact of the Asian Financial Crisis Militant Islam in Malaysia Impact of the 9/11 Attacks in Malaysia Outlook Chapter 3: Islam in Thailand The Sultanate of Patani Patani Under Thai Rule Under the Thai Revolutionary Regime The Pattani Insurgency From Nationalism to Islam Revival of the Insurgency Outlook Chapter 4: Islam in Indonesia Formation of the State Insurgency The Islamic Alternative Fall