Muslim Minority Research Articles

Why do Zakah Institutions in Sri Lanka Underperform?

Zakah as a compulsory worship obligation of Muslims has been practiced for several decades in an institutionalized form in Sri Lanka. Although the institutionalized mechanism contributes to some improvements in socioeconomic conditions, recent research highlighted that the impact of such a model is yet below the expected level. The institutional zakah practice in Sri Lanka has remained essentially informal lacking any state recognition or zakah specific regulation. This paper examined the contemporary challenges and root causes of the zakah institutions’ underperformance in Sri Lanka. This paper took a qualitative methodology and collected primary and secondary data through official documents, interviews, and published literature. The empirical findings of the paper reveal a threefold challenge that contributes to the inefficient institutional zakah performance, namely low collection, ineffective disbursement, and external hurdles. The paper suggests that the prolonged dominant informal and individualist zakah culture of Sri Lankan Muslims fails to actualize the designated goals of zakah and this in turn has contributed to the contemporary challenges. The paper highlights the need for developing an alternative jurisprudential methodology that has the potential to offer sensible remedies to the contemporary identified challenges. The paper suggests that zakah institutions must thoroughly re-evaluate existing zakah applications to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of their zakah management systems. It is also suggested that it would be helpful to establish a National Zakah Consultative Body that can advise the government on adopting effective regulations or guidance relevant to zakah management for the Sri Lankan Muslim minority.

Informal Islamic Education for Minority Muslims: Lessons from Chinese Ethnic Minority Muslims in Yogyakarta

The Chinese ethnic minority Muslim community is a cultural entity that represents two social crisis poles. This fact motivates them to practice the informal Islamic education method while keeping their religious, social, and cultural backgrounds in mind. This article aims to comprehend and investigate the method of informal Islamic education in Yogyakarta's Chinese ethnic minority Muslim community. This study is a type of field research using a descriptive-analytical case study method. The primary data sources were the DIY (Daerah Istimewa Yogyakarta) Chinese Muslim Association of Indonesia's board of directors, members, and the community. Scientific literature and organizational documents are examples of secondary data sources. This study's data collection uses in-depth interviews, observation, and documentation techniques. According to the findings of this study, education with the vision of Islam as raḥmah li al-‘ālamīn takes place in informal environment settings such as the family, community, and society. This vision is translated into various methods behind informal Islamic education in Yogyakarta's ethnic Chinese Muslim minority community.

Between Taboo and Virtue: Islamohumorism in the Reconstruction of Muslim Identity and Piety through Social Media

The discourse on the intersection between Islam and humor has evolved especially since 9/11, but is still considered a peripheral matter in Muslim societies. But comedians can be classified as organic intellectuals—as Gramsci contended—who take a particular role in social change. Rather than viewing humor as a counternarrative toward Islamophobia in Muslim minority countries, as many Western scholars have discussed, ‘Islamohumorism’ in Indonesia somehow shows a different type of polarization, with some Muslims considering humor as a taboo making fun of with religion, while others regard it simply as a means to relax and even evoke piety. This paper aims to showcase the conflicting responses toward Islamohumorism in Indonesia and the impact of these responses. Furthermore, this paper also attempts to examine how comedy frames Muslim identity and stimulates public piety. I focus on discussing three forms of comedy, namely stand-up comedy, exemplified by Dzawin Nur in his YouTube segment “Kuliah Antum”, crosshijaber parody conducted by @holaofadlan on Instagram, and memification in the @haram_house account on Instagram. This research utilizes qualitative methods based on observation and semi-in-depth interviews. By utilizing the uses and gratifications theory of Katz and Blumler (1974) as a framework, this paper portrays the impact of Islamohumorism on Indonesian Muslims through social media. I argue that humor is not inherently taboo and does not contradict Islamic principles. Instead, it serves as a quintessential narrative that critiques societal shortcomings and inequalities. Moreover, it has the potential to foster a sense of community, amplify Muslim identity, and even endorse piety. Nonetheless, it is essential to acknowledge that Islamohumorism can also contribute to the fragmentation of religious authority.

THE LINK BETWEEN VIOLENCE EXPOSURE AND BIOLOGICAL AGING IN MID-LIFE MUSLIMS IN ISRAEL

Abstract Trauma and accumulated chronic stress throughout life are associated with negative health outcomes; more specifically, exposure to violence has been linked to an accelerated aging state. In Israel’s Arab sector, rates of violence have been steadily rising for the past several years. Homicide rates, relative to population size, are seven times higher among Arabs. We aimed to determine the effects of exposure to violence on estimation of biological age as a measure of rate of aging within the ethnic minority of Muslims in Israel. We have conducted a cross-sectional study that included 375 participants age 50.5±6.9 years, of which 61% women. Biological age was estimated using the Klemera-Doubal method and physiological biomarkers; exposure to violence was measured using the Screen for Adolescent Violence Exposure questionnaire followed by a principal component analysis. The average total score of violence exposure was 1.83±0.36 (range 1-5, 1 corresponds with lower exposure). We found a positive and significant relationship among biological age, the “direct evidence of violence” component, and the “evidence of severe violence in the immediate environment” component (r = 0.119, p<0.05; r = 0.111, p<0.05, respectively). These results demonstrate that exposure to violence negatively affects health and accelerates aging within Israel’s Muslim minority. Comprehensive, culturally- and gender-adapted programs are required to reduce violence and address its contribution to the negative aging trajectory in this population.

The Existence and Dynamics of Muslim Minorities in Southeast Asia

Southeast Asia has the largest Muslim population in the world, although in this region the majority of the population is Muslim, but in some areas, there are also Muslim minority populations who are under non-Muslim rule, causing conflicts and disputes between groups that lead to intimidation, attacks, and mass killings. The purpose of this paper is to find out and analyze the conditions and development of Muslim minorities in Southeast Asia and the government's efforts to reduce conflicts that occur with a focus on three countries, namely Thailand, the Philippines and Myanmar. The condition of Muslim minorities under non-Muslim governments is certainly different from the condition of the Muslim-majority population under the rule of Muslim governments. This research is qualitative research, which collects various data and sources related to the study, both sourced from literature in the form of journal articles, books, and from the mass media using historical methods, namely heuristics, verification, interpretation and historiography. As for the findings of this study, the condition of Muslim minorities in Thailand and the Philippines despite pressure from the authorities, slowly began to be a concern of the government. However, in contrast to the condition of Muslim minorities in Myanmar, especially in Rohingya, they have not yet received recognition of their identity as citizens from the government and the Muslim side has always been concerned.
 Asia Tenggara merupakan penduduk Muslim yang terbesar di dunia, meskipun di wilayah ini penduduknya mayoritas Muslim, akan tetapi di sebagian wilayah terdapat juga penduduk minoritas Muslim yang berada dibawah pemerintahan non-Muslim, sehingga menimbulkan konflik dan pertikaian antar kelompok yang berujung pada intimidasi, serangan, dan pembunuhan massal. Adapun tujuan dari tulisan ini untuk mengetahui dan menganalisis kondisi dan perkembangan minoritas Muslim di Asia Tenggara serta upaya pemerintah dalam meredam konflik yang terjadi dengan fokus terhadap tiga negara, yakni Thailand, Filipina dan Myanmar. Kondisi minoritas Muslim dibawah pemerintahan non-Muslim tentunya berbeda dengan kondisi penduduk yang mayoritas Muslim di bawah kekuasan pemerintahan Muslim. Penelitian ini merupakan penelitian kualitatif, yakni mengumpulkan berbagai data dan sumber yang terkait dengan kajian, baik yang bersumber dari literatur-literatur berupa artikel jurnal, buku, maupun dari media massa dengan menggunakan metode sejarah, yaitu heuristik, verifikasi, interpretasi dan historiografi. Adapun hasil temuan kajian ini, bahwa kondisi minoritas Muslim di Thailand dan Filipina meskipun mendapat tekanan dari penguasa, namun dengan perlahan mereka mulai menjadi perhatian dari pemerintah. Akan tetapi, berbeda dengan kondisi minoritas Muslim di Myanmar, khususnya di Rohingya, mereka sama sekali belum mendapatkan pengakuan identitas sebagai warganegara dari pemerintah dan pihak Muslim selalu mengalami konflik yang tak kunjung selesai, meskipun beberapa organisasi internasional menjadi pihak penengah, namun konflik dan pertikaian tetap saja dialami oleh minoritas Muslim

RATIO LEGIS OF INTERFAITH INHERITANCE REFORMULATION FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF FIQH MINORITY: A STUDY OF THE THOUGHTS OF YUSUF AL-QARDHAWI AND TAHA JABIR AL-ALWANI

This article aims to delve deeply into the ratio legis of reformulating the legal status of interfaith inheritance from the perspective of fiqh minority, as articulated by the thoughts of Yusuf al-Qardhawi and Taha Jabir al-Alwani. The research method employed in this article is a library research approach, utilizing comparison and content analysis to identify similarities, differences, and potential points of convergence in their thinking. The research findings indicate that the legal status of interfaith inheritance, according to the fiqh minority of Qardhawi and Alwani, must be redefined from the classical textual fiqh formulations to a contextual division of interfaith inheritance. The growing Muslim population in various non-Muslim countries necessitates the urgent reformulation of interfaith inheritance distribution to fill the normative vacuum within minority Muslim communities. The ratio legis of reformulating the legal status of interfaith inheritance according to Qardhawi and Alwani is based on considerations of maslahat (public interest) and the values of Maqashid al-Shariah, which serve as guiding principles for redefining the contextual legal status of interfaith inheritance. Failure to understand Islam solely through a textual lens and an inability to address the issues faced by minority Muslims in non-Muslim countries could relegate Islamic law to a relic of civilization.

The Rights of Minority Muslim Women in The West: An Islamic Perspective

The Rights of Minority Muslim Women in The West: An Islamic Perspective

Renewal of the Epistemology of Fiqh by Hasbi Ash-Shiddieqy and Its Implementation in Minority Muslim Communities

This study aims to elucidate the contributions of TM. Hasbi Ash-Shiddieqy to the renewal and development of Ushul fiqh in the Indonesian archipelago, along with its actualization in minority Muslim regions. TM. Hasbi Ash Shiddieqy is recognized as one of the influential figures in the early development of Islamic law in post-independence Indonesia. This qualitative research employs a library research approach. The findings reveal that in his ijtihad, TM. Hasbi Ash-Shiddieqy underscores the importance of Urf, Maslahah Mursalah, and Sad Adzariah, aiming to make Islamic laws more flexible, adaptive, and practically applicable. The realization of Hasbi Ash Shiddieqy's thoughts in minority Muslim communities results in an adaptive, inclusive Islamic legal framework that provides concrete solutions to the challenges of diversity within minority Muslim communities.

Empowerment and Faith: Unraveling The HUI Women's Mosques in China

The Hui Muslims constitute the largest Muslim minority group in China. The Hui women’s mosques in China are a very unique phenomenon within the broader Muslim world. Emerging within a specific historical context, the Hui women’s mosques stand as a testament to the remarkable resilience of the Hui Muslims in preserving their Islamic faith and Muslim identity in a predominantly non-Muslim society heavily influenced by Confucian culture. The previous studies on Hui women’s mosques left two crucial questions unanswered: Why did Hui women’s mosques emerge exclusively in the eastern and central regions of China, and not in northwestern regions where the concentration of Hui Muslims’ population is higher? Why was this phenomenon limited to the Hui Muslim community and not observed among other Muslim ethnic groups in China? This study employs historical, analytical and context analysis approaches to accomplish three research objectives. Firstly, it aims to re-examine the historical background of the Hui Muslims and the emergence of Hui women's mosques during the Ming and Qing dynasties within this particular ethnic group. Secondly, the study seeks to address the aforementioned questions and reidentify the possible causes for the emergence of the Hui women’s mosques in specific regions in China. Thirdly, the study intends to provide an Islamic perspective to illuminate the unique phenomenon of Hui women's mosques in China.

Editorial

Editorial

Barriers to Literacy Education in Muslim Minority Populations

Barriers to Literacy Education in Muslim Minority Populations

Implementing the 7P Marketing Mix in Islamic Education: Insights from Phatnawitya School, Thailand

This research provides an in-depth examination of the 7P marketing mix strategy within Phatnawitya School, an Islamic institution catering to a minority Muslim community in a predominantly Buddhist region of Southern Thailand. Utilizing a qualitative methodology with a descriptive approach, the study explores the school's application of the 7P framework, focusing on the creation of well-rounded individuals and the establishment of a strong community presence. The collected data reveal a comprehensive education offering, from early childhood to advanced Islamic studies, facilitated by a robust infrastructure and innovative programs such as the Change ILP and sports initiatives. The school's approach to market identification, segmentation, and product differentiation demonstrates a strategic alignment with the needs and expectations of its student body. The research highlights the school's adept use of both direct community engagement and social media to communicate its values and offerings. While the study is limited by its singular focus on one institution, the findings suggest that Phatnawitya School's implementation of the marketing mix can inform broader strategies for Islamic educational services in similar socio-cultural contexts. Recommendations for further research include a broader examination of marketing strategies across Islamic educational institutions with varying cultural influences.

THE FORMING FACTORS OF RELIGIOUS MODERATION AND ISLAMIC HAPPINESS OF THE MUSLIM MINORITY IN TANA TORAJA

<div><div>This research aims to analyse the factors that form religious moderation, as well as those that form the happiness of Muslim minorities, and the correlation between religious moderation and Islamic happiness. This research is quantitative research with 100 respondents. The analysis technique used is the construct validity analysis technique, including convergent and discriminant validity. The Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) is used to test the structural model. In the Convergent Output, the validity can be ascertained using specific test measures such as Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) or Average Variance Extracted (AVE). The research results show that 1) statistically, the factors that form religious moderation among Muslim minorities are non-violence, national commitment, tolerance, and cultural adaptation. 2) Assaadah, the meaning of life, feelings of happiness, and personal life satisfaction, could also be used to form Islamic happiness for minority Muslims in Tana Toraja. 3) There was a correlation between religious moderation and Muslim happiness in minority areas.</div></div><p class="07AbstrakInggris"> </p>

What Is Islamic History? Muslims, Non-Muslims and the History of Everyone Else

Abstract This is a work of historical criticism, not a research article or a book review. It re-examines what we mean by ‘Islamic’ when we speak about the discipline of ‘Islamic history’, the standard term for the history of the lands where Muslims were politically and, in some senses, culturally dominant, especially during the Middle Ages. It investigates the consequences of this implicitly religious label for who is included in the grand narrative (Muslims, chiefly Sunnīs) and who is not (non-Muslims and Muslim minorities). It then proposes an alternative approach that favours geography and political periodisation as ways of organising how we think about the past in a more neutral fashion.

Social and Economic Aspects of the Kuhmarim–Sehwalim Mazar in Khotan

Abstract Historical sources and recent data testify to the important role of the mazar pilgrimage in Uyghur daily life. The article deals with pilgrimage to Kuhmarim (alt. Köhmarim), a mazar ‘Muslim shrine’ close to Khotan, largely based on fieldwork by the authors who visited the shrine on separate occasions in 2009, 2015 and 2016. The shrine’s current status is unclear, but here we describe the pilgrimage as it was just before 2017. That was the year that the international community started receiving increasingly disturbing reports of the mass detention of Uyghurs, Kazakhs and other Muslim Turkic-speaking ethnic minorities in China. Given developments in the Uyghur homeland during the past few years, whereby hundreds or even thousands of mosques have been flattened to the ground together with the systematic destruction of numerous family tombs and holy shrines, this might be seen as a historical account of pilgrimage patterns, which still are not fully explored.

Hindu-Nationalism and Media: Anti-Press Sentiments by Right-Wing Media in India

This monograph investigates the expression of anti-media populist sentiments by right-wing news media in India and the socio-technological, historical, economic, legal, and political factors that aid right-wing efforts to delegitimize professional journalism. Thematic analysis of 545 articles from Swarajya.com and OpIndia.com, a qualitative content analysis of Republic TV debates, and interviews with 24 Hindu nationalists on Twitter reveal the discursive strategies they use to discredit journalism. Themes in media criticism include claims that the mainstream media are corrupt and partisan, suppress Hindu voices, favor Muslim and Christian minorities, undermine national interests, and spread false narratives. These expressions aim to undermine journalists’ credibility and position right-wing actors as challengers to the established media’s hegemony. Meanwhile, the Modi government employs coercive measures to co-opt the media into providing favorable coverage to the BJP. These endeavors cause journalists to self-censor to safeguard personal safety and livelihood. Consequently, mainstream news content is increasingly homogeneous, eroding diverse perspectives. This shift weakens the media’s watchdog role and shrinks the space for open debate and public deliberation in India.

From Abrogation to Dominion: Navigating India’s Neo-Colonial Settler Agenda in Kashmir and Elimination of Kashmiri Identity

Abstract This paper examines the neo-colonial project of Narendra Modi implemented in Kashmir after the revocation of special status on August 5, 2019. The neo-colonial infrastructure supported by the threads of re-classification of legal residents and land designations intends to significantly transform the demography of Muslim majority Kashmir into a Muslim minority, consequently destroying the Muslim identity of the state. The abrogation of Article 370 and enactment of new domicile law has extended the legal and administrative control of New Delhi, making Kashmir indistinguishable from the Indian legal system and leaving no room for the local legislative assembly to make laws beneficial for the state residents. The paper asks how India is implementing the neo-colonial settler agenda in Kashmir. How and to what extent legal and military instruments are employed to disempower Kashmiris from territorial and cultural identity? The paper argues that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is pursuing a neo-colonial settler agenda in Kashmir through ‘destroy and replace,’ which is supported by the neo-liberal agenda, including; new land management policy, new domicile law, spatial planning and development, new settlements of Hindus, authoritative central control, and massive militarization to carry out gross human rights abuses and repression.

The Difficulty of Finding Halal Food for Muslim Minorities: Analysis of Maqashid Shariah

This article explores the challenges of Manado's Muslim minorities in finding halal food from the perspective of maqashid Sharia. As a Muslim minority area, food vendors and production in Manado dominate with non-Muslim and non-halal food vendors. It is difficult for minority Muslim communities to practice religious principles, especially eating halal food. The method used in this study is qualitative with normative juridical and empirical approaches. Data obtained through in-depth interviews with research informants from 29 Muslim communities were analyzed inductively. The results found that minority Muslim communities in Manado face significant challenges in finding halal food, given the dominance of non-halal food in their neighborhood. However, personal decisions to choose halal food reflect their loyalty to religious teachings (hifdz al-din), concern for personal health (hifdz al-nafs), and wise asset management (hifdz al-mal). There is clear evidence that the principles of maqashid Sharia are essential in guiding individual actions in facing the challenges of daily life. In this context, religious beliefs are the primary guide for Manado's Muslim community in living their lives and maintaining the integrity of Islamic values in their decisions regarding food.

Penerapan Pajak dan Zakat di Negera Thailand

Taxes and zakat are sources of state revenue, both Islamic countries and modern countries. This study aims to determine the management of taxes and zakat in Thailand, which is a country with a minority Muslim population. This research is a qualitative research. The research design uses a literature study approach, the data used is obtained from library sources such as scientific articles, research results, books, and other documents. The results of this study indicate that Thailand, whose population is a Muslim minority, can carry out its religious activities well, including carrying out zakat. The Thai monarchy government provides space for the Muslim population to establish zakat institutions. Most of the practice of zakat in Thailand as in southern Thailand, the management of zakat is centered on mosques and managed by institutions led by Imams or religious experts in the region.

Mobilizing for Jihad: How Political Exclusion and Organized Protest Contribute to Foreign Fighter Outflows

ABSTRACT This article adds to a growing literature explaining driving forces behind Muslim foreign fighters in Jihadist conflicts. Employing quantitative analyses, we examine counts of Muslim foreign fighters from non-Muslim majority countries in Iraq and Syria from 2011 to 2015. We find that greater numbers of foreign fighters come from countries where Muslim minorities are politically organized, excluded from policymaking processes, and engaged in peaceful mobilization than countries where these conditions are otherwise absent. These results contribute to a more nuanced understanding of the mechanisms by which aggrieved individuals tend to be recruited in larger numbers to participate in foreign wars.