Muslim Minority Research Articles

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.

Conceptual Analysis of Shariah Advisory board in the Corporate Governance of Islamic Financial Institutions in Minority Muslim Country: The case of Uganda

Conceptual Analysis of Shariah Advisory board in the Corporate Governance of Islamic Financial Institutions in Minority Muslim Country: The case of Uganda

Quality of life and resilience among Muslim minority in Israel: Implications for global health

Abstract Background Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQoL) indicators can reveal unmet health needs and disparities in various population subgroups. Minority communities often experience lower HRQoL and community resilience (CR) levels compared to majority populations. In Israel, Muslims constitute approximately 18% (1.669 million) of the total population, confronting challenges related to healthcare access, social determinants of health, and CR. This study aims to investigate the HRQoL in different Muslim subgroups in Israel and its association with CR, providing insights of broader global implications for public health policies addressing minority communities. Methods A survey was conducted among three Muslim subgroups in Israel, including Arab-Muslims, Bedouin-Muslims, and Circassians Muslims. The survey assessed demographics; HRQoL measured by the World Health Organization Quality of Life (WHOQOL) tool; personal resilience; and CR measured by the Conjoint Community Resiliency Assessment Measure (CCRAM). Data analysis included descriptive and analytic statistics. Pearson's correlation coefficient determined the association between WHOQOL levels and CCRAM scores. Results Of 461 participants, Circassian Muslims reported the highest levels of quality of life (M = 3.74±0.34), while the Bedouin sub-group reported the lowest (M = 3.37±0.46). CR was significantly higher among Circassians Muslims (M = 3.81±0.64) compared to Arab-Muslim (M = 2.58±0.74) and Bedouin-Muslim (M = 2.48±0.74) subgroups. HRQoL was positively associated (p < 0.001) with CR for the entire Muslim population. Conclusions This study highlights the relationship between social determinants of health, lifestyle, and unique characteristics of sub-groups within the Muslim minority in Israel. The findings demonstrate the diversity among Muslim minority populations and suggests that there is a need for tailored and customized interventions focused on the variable needs of vulnerable subgroups, like the Bedouin Muslims. Key messages • Minority health study in Israel emphasizes diverse HRQoL & CR, urging tailored public health policies. • Focused on minority health, Bedouin Muslims need customized interventions to improve HRQoL & CR.

Crimean Tatar’s Traces in Vorarlberg

In the course of research on the history of Tatar forced laborers, the author came across a little-known chapter of Vorarlberg’s history: the tragic history of a Muslim minority, Turkic-speaking Crimean Tatars, who fell between the millstones of the Nazi policy of conquest and extermination in Eastern Europe and Stalinist tyranny and were suffering a lot in the process. One trace of this minority leads to Austria’s westernmost State of Vorarlberg: In 1945/46, a refugee group of surviving Crimean Tatars was stranded here and housed in the village of Alberschwende.

A Post-Secular Approach to Managing Diversity in Liberal Democracies: Exploring the Interplay of Human Rights, Religious Identity, and Inclusive Governance in Western Societies

This article delves into the pressing challenges confronting liberal democracies in Western Europe as they grapple with managing religious diversity, with a specific focus on Muslim minorities. Historically, the secularization paradigm has been at the forefront of managing such diversity; however, its intrinsic limitations become increasingly evident in the context of super-diversity, underscoring the need for a paradigmatic shift toward post-secularization. Central to this discourse are the nuanced concepts of “culturalization of religion” and “religionization of culture”, which illuminate the disparities in treatment between majority and minority religious groups. The article identifies three endogenous limitations intrinsic to liberal democracies: the contested nature of state neutrality vis-à-vis religion and belief, the implementation of this principle through non-neutral judicial tools, and the historically and culturally laden context within which the principle of neutrality is enacted. Drawing on the seminal contributions of Jürgen Habermas to post-secularization theory, the article posits that fostering genuine inclusivity and pluralism in managing religious diversity necessitates a departure from the rigid division between the religious and the secular. Instead, it calls for an acknowledgment of the dialogical relationship between the religious and secular dimensions as they manifest in the public sphere by religious minorities.

Multiple existential threats and attitudes towards Muslims in Finland and Italy during the COVID‐19 pandemic

AbstractWe are currently living in a time of several existential threats: the global pandemic COVID‐19, climate change, and the ‘refugee crisis’ caused by violent conflicts and humanitarian catastrophes in Syria, Afghanistan, and Ukraine. These threats do not only affect our well‐being but also our sense of control and security, as well as identities and worldviews having also intergroup consequences. In this study, we investigated the links between perceived existential threats (i.e. COVID‐19, climate change, and refugee crisis in 2015 that multiplied Muslim population in Europe), national and religious identities, and attitudes towards Muslims (i.e. Muslim refugees, Muslim minority, and Muslim converts) among Christian national majority group members in Finland and Italy in 2020. The results were analysed with multigroup structural equation modelling, and they demonstrated some key differences between how threats perceived from climate change and the refugee crisis in 2015 are translated into the reactions towards Muslims. While threats associated with the refugee crisis were detrimental to outgroup attitudes, climate change threats elicited more positive attitudes towards the outgroups studied. Our preliminary analyses suggested that COVID‐19, in turn, seems to elicit feelings of worldview defence through higher levels of national identification with no negative attitudinal ramifications. While Abrahamic identity as a believer was directly associated with more positive attitudes towards Muslims in Italy, it did not account for the link between existential threats and outgroup attitudes. The results are discussed in light of how different threats increase or decrease intergroup harmony.

Changing the Way Nonprofits Prepare: Lessons Learned from Early Resettlement of Rohingya Unaccompanied Refugee Minors

ABSTRACT The Rohingya, a stateless Muslim minority, have faced institutionalized discrimination and ethnic cleansing in Myanmar. Between 2013–2019, a cohort of 152 Rohingya youth were resettled to the US through the Unaccompanied Refugee Minor (URM) foster care program. The data in this study come from ten focus groups with 23 service providers. The data provide recommendations and best practices in nonprofit management and preparation for the next time the US resettles youth who are part of a cultural/ethnic group that is new to the URM Program. The challenges that foster care programs faced in welcoming Rohingya youth included: difficulty securing interpretation services, obstacles in providing adequate training to staff and foster parents prior to resettlement, and challenges in delivery of mental health services. The results show that service providers suggest future resettlement of new populations: use a geographic cohort model, supplement cultural orientation, and increase alternative mental health programming.

Dravidar Iyakkam Advocated by Thanthai Periyar Contains Nuances of Karl Marx’s Communist Manifesto; - Peraringer Anna Embraced it as Legislature and Bharat Ratna Marudhur Gopalamenon Ramachandran Propagated it in his Films and Formalized it as Annaism; thereafter Dr. Jayaraman Jayalalita carried it forward to uphold the Concept of Equity and Social Justice in Tamil Nadu Governance - A Retrospective Reflection

Right to live, equity and social justice are watch words that determine quality of life in a society. But Tamil Society witnessed harassment by handful of men who branding themselves as the higher social hierarchy dominated the rest for decades resulting great social inequality. Devaneya Pavanar in his forward to his book entitled “Tamilar Varalaru” published by Poompuhar Pathippagam, states that “there is a concept revolving in the country for the past three thousand years that Brahmins are inherited from God, sanscrit is the mother of all languages and it is the language of Gods and Tamil had lost its rationality; self-respet and self-confidence. Pavanar also states that though British Rule developed the country; the Justice Party uplifted the coman man; the research in language unravels the truth; Periyar however cautioned Tamils; however Maraimalai Adigal taught the Tamils for their emancipation they remain the same. After the Britishers left India the minority Muslims attain separate nation but not the Tamils.

Relationship Between Passion Pathways and Religious Activism: Why the Threat to Religious Identity Predicts Peaceful Activism or Extremism?

Identities of religious believers can motivate believers’ passions, emotions, and action tendencies. Religious identity-based passion can, therefore, lead people to identify with certain kinds of movements, both peaceful and extremist. Around the globe, identities of religious minorities provide a compelling context for studying peaceful and extremist activism driven by passion. Building on previous literature on social identity theory, passion, and religious identity, it was hypothesized that religious identity predicts passion of both types: Harmonious Passion (HP) and Obsessive Passion (OP). It was proposed that people who were harmoniously passionate about their religious identity would promote peaceful activism whereas people who were obsessively passionate would promote hatred and extremism. A sample of 221 devout Shias (a religious minority) from Pakistan participated in the survey-based experiment of this study (males = 108, females = 113; ages ranging from 19 to 38 years, Mage = 22, SD = 2.13; experimental condition = 111, control condition = 110). The results supported the key hypotheses of the study: identification with a minority (Shia Identity) leads to both Harmonious Passion (HP) and Obsessive Passion (OP); when the Shia Identity was threatened, HP and OP scores were lower. Furthermore, HP predicted peaceful activism whereas, under a threat to identify, OP increased and showed a significantly higher violent stance, predicting religious extremism. These findings support the assumption that HP leads to Peaceful Activism, whereas OP is associated with increased support for Extremism and Hatred. The results of this study replicated existing theoretical and empirical predictions about passion pathways and threats to religious identity. The implications of the findings are discussed in the context of contemporary identity threats and activism strategies among Muslim minorities in Pakistan.

Comparative Analysis of E-Commerce Sales of Halal-Labeled Products in Muslim Majority and Minority Countries

E-commerce is an alternative for individuals to look for and purchase things. Unfortunately, despite its importance in digital market connectedness, e-commerce has not played a significant role in the continuity of the halal market. This study aims to look at the differences in halal product sales in Muslim majority and minority countries, which can stimulate the availability of halal products on e-commerce and increase halal product exports, as well as make it easier for Muslim communities to buy halal products. There was no previous research on a similar topic, notably one that specifically explored the sale of halal products through e-commerce. Halal-labeled product data was taken from Lazada e-commerce using web scraping (using the Selenium package in the Python programming language), which was then carried out by Kruskal-Wallis analysis. According to the findings, the average sales of halal products in Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, and Malaysia varies significantly. However, in the pairwise or combination test comparing groups of countries, it was discovered that the average sales of halal products in Indonesia and Singapore were identical.

Halal Tourism By Stakeholder’s Perspective

This paper aims to identify halal tourism from the views of stakeholders. Considering that halal tourism is currently the main industry that contributes to increasing the country's economic growth, various stakeholders' points of view are needed in identifying the meaning of halal tourism. This paper uses narrative Literature Review by searching for research journals related to halal tourism on the Google Scholar database. Data was taken for the last 5 years starting from 2017 to 2021. This paper analyzes the halal tourism in various perspectives 1) The government describes that halal tourism is one of the strategies or branding to attract foreign tourists, so that the country's foreign exchange and tourism development in Indonesia are increasing. 2) The Ulama describe that branding of destination as halal tourism is not important, the most important thing is that tourism can provide halal services so that it makes Muslim tourists comfortable in traveling, 3) The destination managers and Muslim minorities state that halal tourism does not need to be embedded in destination services because it will reduce tourist interest. The results of this study can contribute to stakeholders in developing halal tourism in Indonesia, because halal tourism is a new concept, it needs specific thinking for stakeholders in making policies related to halal tourism.

RELIGIOUS INTOLERANCE: EXPLORATION IN THE LIGHT OF ANTHROPOLOGY OF RELIGION

Religion is a major cultural element that holds an integral role in societies formation and organization. But differences in religious ideologies and beliefs, results in societal conflicts. Study aims at highlighting the arguments that arise due to religious differences amongst individuals of a community and is focused on the role of religious anthropologists to highlight the consequences of the increasing religious issues and to propose solutions through cultural relativism and cross-cultural approaches. Studying various religious rites and practices fosters cross-cultural communication and interfaith understanding, resulting in the enhancement of research in the field of the anthropology of religion and correction of misconceptions at different levels. A multireligious community with a majority Muslim population and minorities of Christianity and Sikhism at 6th Road, Rawalpindi for primary data collection with unstructured in-depth interviews with an interview guide as a qualitative mode has been observed. The explanatory research methodology was applied to examine how or why interfaith harmony occurs or not. Also, the findings indicated that Emile Durkheim’s approach to a house of worship, where the community served as a place to practice different religions, brings people together and establishes bilateral relations. Keywords: Interfaith Harmony, Cultural Relativism approach, Cross Cultural Study, Inter Religious Dialogue, Community Development, coexistence

Human Rights in Islamic Law and the Integration of Muslims in European Countries

The steady growth of Muslim communities in European countries makes possible conflict situations due to the difference between Eastern and Western worldviews. The study of the European experience of finding possible ways to overcome intercultural crisis situations is relevant and expedient from the point of view of possible further implementation into national legislation. To achieve the goal, a set of methods was used: dialectical (for objectivity and comprehensive knowledge of the institution of human rights, taking into account various factors (in particular, religion), formal-legal method (for establishing the content of legal norms, analyzing the practice of their application), methods of analysis and synthesis (for the analysis of the constitutional legislation of foreign countries, which enshrines human rights and freedoms) and others. The comparative legal method was used as the leading one. The article compares Muslim and European approaches to the nature and content of human rights. The key characteristics of the legal status of a person, peculiar to Islamic law, are highlighted in the aspect of bringing such an understanding of human rights to the European environment. The constitutional-legal institution of human rights and freedoms in European states is based on the natural-law concept in the conditions of a liberal democracy and a secular state. Constitutional and legal norms on human rights in Muslim countries establish the inalienable influence of religion. The measures taken by the authorities of European countries are not effective enough. Only compromises, mutual respect for culture and preservation of religious foundations, and the use of primarily legal means of conflict resolution on both sides will help reduce tension and resolve disputes that arise between Muslims and European society. On the basis of the analysis and synthesis of constitutional and legal acts, scientific works, etc., possible ways of avoiding the problems of integration of Muslim minorities in Europe are suggested.

The Journey of Islamic Education in Universities in the Southern Frontier Provinces of Thailand and Their Response to the Global Crisis

This study aims to describe the journey of Islamic education in universities in the border province of southern Thailand and how they respond to the global crisis. Is research with a qualitative approach to ethnographic methods of Realist ethnography, which is an objective view of information learned in the field and usually uses a third-person point of view. Data sources were obtained through interviews, field observations, and sociocultural phenomena. Based on the study of researchers, the results of the study concluded that the journey of Islamic education in ASEAN countries including the Southern Border Province of Thailand both Muslim majority and minority can be divided into four phases sequentially. First phase is the introduction phase. Second phase is when Islamic education faces external and global challenges. The third phase is when Islamic education is strong enough to face challenges and be able to solve problems. Fourth phase, Islamic education will provide all the solutions for the global crisis. By looking at the phases of the Journey of Islamic Education in Higher Education in the Southern Border Province of Thailand, will be able to provide all solutions for the global crisis.
 Keywords: muslim, islamic education, global crisis

Islam in Alanya-Ossetia: the Main Stages of History

Islam has been known to the Alans-Ossetians since the times of the Islamic Caliphate. In the second half of the 13th century Sunni Islam became the religion of part of the urban population of Alania. Ossetian religious minority is the earliest Islamic community in the Central Caucasus. Lexical borrowings, having become an integral part of the folklife culture, are referred to the early period of the insight into the Islamic terminology. In the 15 – 17th centuries Islam was common among the nobles of the northern communities of mountain Alania-Ossetia, but by the end of the 18th century Islamization covered part of the middle class. Along with the annexation to Russia the politico-ideological significance of Islam increased, the authorities took into consideration the religious side of the social, economic and political decisions. In the first half of the 19th century the number of Ossetian Muslims of all social classes was steadily growing. On the background of the Caucasian War, different kinds of social protest and political oppositionism were incarnated into Islamic ideological shape. At the time of maximum spread of Islam in Ossetia the Muslim minority did not exceed 15 per cent of the population. In the middle of the 19th century during land survey of flat land separate settlement of Christians and Muslims took place. In response to the land reform the opposition nobles spearheaded the movement of Muhadjirun, who emigrated to the territory of the Ottoman Empire (their overall number did not exceed 4–5 thousand people). In the second half of the 19th – the beginning of the 20th century there functioned two dozens of mosques, the number of people who received Islamic education was steadily growing, as well as the number of pilgrims who carried out Hajj. Presence of its own Muslim minority estranged the Ossetian culture of the New Time from religious prejudices. Ossetian Muslims played a significant role in all-Russian Muslim movement. Nowadays in North Ossetia there function Muslim communities, old mosques are reconstructed along with the construction of new ones, dozens of young people take training in secondary and higher Islamic educational institutions.

Teori Receptie, dan Teori Receptie a Contrario dalam Pusaran Muslim Minoritas dan Muslim Mayoritas di Indonesia

This research investigates the application of the Reception Theory and Reception Theory A Contrario in the context of minority and majority Muslim communities in Indonesia. Through literature studies, case analyses, interviews, and contrastive analysis, this research aims to understand the impact of using both of these theories on the social reality in regions with different characteristics. The research results indicate that, although they hold academic value, the Reception Theory and Reception Theory A Contrario are not in line with the factual conditions of society in Indonesia, particularly in Aceh and Bali. The application of these theories has the potential to create conflicts between the majority and minority Muslim communities. Therefore, the author concludes that the Reception Theory and Reception Theory A Contrario should not be used as the main theories or references in regulating the application of Islamic law in Indonesia. Instead, a more inclusive approach is needed that can accommodate the cultural and religious diversity in Indonesia. This research provides a new contribution to the discussion on the relevance of Islamic law theories in the multicultural social context of Indonesia.

Issues and Challenges of The Minority Muslim Community in The Kadazandusun Ethnic Village Area in Sabah

Issues and Challenges of The Minority Muslim Community in The Kadazandusun Ethnic Village Area in Sabah

Pemberlakuan Fiqih Keluarga Bagi Minoritas Muslim: Masalah Keabsahan Perkawinan Poligami di Australia dan Thailand

In countries with a Muslim majority, the application of Family Fiqh often does not pose a problem, as the majority of the society adheres to and comprehends the principles set forth in Islamic teachings. However, in countries with a non-Muslim majority, such as Australia and Thailand, minority Muslims are often confronted with challenges in applying the Family Fiqh principles they adhere to. One of the arising issues is the validity of polygamous marriages. This study focuses on the validity of polygamous marriages in Australia and Thailand. The research method deemed suitable for this composition is a descriptive qualitative approach. In Australia and Thailand, polygamy is prohibited under national law in those countries. Therefore, Muslim minorities in those countries must comprehend the national legal regulations prior to entering into polygamous marriages and consider the legal implications of such decisions.