Mohamed Nawab Mohamed Osman

Reviving the Caliphate in the Nusantara: Hizbut Tahrir Indonesia's Mobilization Strategy and Its Impact in Indonesia

Hizbut Tahrir (HT) is a transnational Islamic movement operating in over forty-five countries. Literature on HT has focused mainly on its activities in Central Asia and Europe. As such, when the HT chapter in Indonesia organized the largest-ever political gathering staged by HT, many observers were caught by surprise. Yet despite the importance of Hizbut Tahrir Indonesia (HTI), little is known about the organization in the English-speaking world. This paper is an attempt to present empirical data on this group. The paper argues that HTIs usage of different mobilization strategies has resulted in its ability to effect policy changes in Indonesia.Hizbut Tahrir (HT) is a transnational Islamic movement operating in over forty-five countries. Literature on HT has focused mainly on its activities in Central Asia and Europe. As such, when the HT chapter in Indonesia organized the largest-ever political gathering staged by HT, many observers were caught by surprise. Yet despite the importance of Hizbut Tahrir Indonesia (HTI), little is known about the organization in the English-speaking world. This paper is an attempt to present empirical data on this group. The paper argues that HTIs usage of different mobilization strategies has resulted in its ability to effect policy changes in Indonesia.

Towards a history of Malaysian ulama

This paper traces the religio-political role of ulama in Malaysia. Its key argument is that historically the ulama in Malaysia have maintained a symbiotic relationship with various political authorities. From early Islamic history to the Japanese occupation, ulama have usually worked with any power willing to secure their authority and influence. The paper also shows that even when the ulama oppose the government – exemplified by the opposition of Parti Islam Se-Malaysia ulama to the UMNO-led Malaysian government – this opposition tends to stem from differences in politics rather than religious ideologies.

The translational network of Hizbut Tahrir Indonesia

This paper explores the regional network of the Indonesian chapter of Hizbut Tahrir (HT), a transnational Islamic group aiming to revive the Islamic Caliphate. Focusing on the chapter of HT in Indonesia, the paper highlights how Hizbut Tahrir Indonesia (HTI) supports the activities of other HT chapters in the region and beyond. The key argument of the paper is that an understanding of HTIs transnational activism brings new insights to the current understanding of HT as a transnational movement. The author seeks to show the linkages between HTI and other HT chapters around the world and to analyse the implications of HTIs transnational activism.

Reviving the Caliphate in Malaysia

Operating in over 43 countries in the world, Hizbut Tahrir (HT) is presently active in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and more recently in Asia. Today, HT is becoming increasingly prominent in Southeast Asia, especially in Indonesia and Malaysia. Yet despite its rapid growth in the region, little is known about HT chapters in Southeast Asia, especially in Malaysia. In light of the dearth in scholarship on Hizbut Tahrir Malaysia (HTM), this article aims to shed some light on the HTM and analyze the likelihood of its emergence as a political force in the country.

THE RELIGIO-POLITICAL ACTIVISM OF ULAMA IN SINGAPORE

The article attempts to understand the relationship between Muslim religious scholars and the government in Singapore and argues that it has worsened since the city-state became independent in 1965. It explores the declining religious influence of the ulama by assessing their role and contribution to the enactment of the 1966 Muslim Personal Law which governs several aspects of Muslim life in Singapore and the 1998 amendment of the earlier law. It seeks to understand various contributory factors for this waning influence, namely the ulamas role in increased religiosity amongst Muslims in Singapore, the governments changing attitude towards Islam, and the evolving perceptions amongst some ulama about their role and influence within Singapores Muslim community. It will also show how the ulama have tried to reclaim their religious influence.

The Secular and the Religious in the Management of Islam in Singapore

This article examines the Singaporean model of “secularism” and its impact on the relations between the Singaporean government and the minority Muslim community in Singapore. While the Singaporean ...Abstract This article examines the Singaporean model of “secularism” and its impact on the relations between the Singaporean government and the minority Muslim community in Singapore. While the Singaporean state defines itself as secular, its policies do not depict a strict dichotomy between religion and state. This paper argues that the obscure nature of secularism in Singapore has led to tensions on several issues between the government and Muslim community due to differing perceptions of what Singaporean secularism means. The first section of the paper deals with the concept of secularism as defined by the Singaporean state and examine the historical factors that led to the provision of special rights to Muslims in Singapore. The paper will then analyse the legal positions of institutions such as the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore (Majlis Ugama Islam Singapura, MUIS) and the Syariah court which are tasked with managing Islamic affairs in Singapore. Lastly, the paper will analyse how the unique definition of secularism in Singapore led to tensions between the government and the Muslim community. These cases included the headscarf controversy that erupted in 2002 and 2013, the madrasah controversy in 1999, foreign policy issues and terrorism. The paper concludes by drawing a trajectory of the future relations between the Singaporean government and the Muslim community.

Jihad in the Bastion of “Moderation”: Understanding the Threat of ISIS in Malaysia

ABSTRACT Malaysia has long been hailed as a beacon of moderate Islam. Yet, at present, there is considerable support for ISIS amongst Malaysians, and it represents a unique articulation of contemporary violent Islamist extremism. Malaysians who joined ISIS in Syria and its supporters at home are characterized by a sense of Islamic righteousness. Also, they share distinctive features that differentiate them from the old jihadi generation: a diverse occupational background, the lack of either formal or informal religious training, and the growing nexus of criminality-radicalization. Malaysian support for ISIS can be historically and politically contextualized in relation to the Islamization race between the main political parties, the presence of Salafi-jihadi discourse and ISIS’s discursive construction of authentic Islam.

The Ulama in Pakistani Politics

Abstract The ulama are important figures within Muslim societies. In the Indian sub-continent, their influence has transcended the socio-religious realm to include the political realm as well. This paper is an attempt to examine the role of the ulama in Pakistani politics. It also seeks to build a trajectory of their future influence in Pakistani politics. There are four parts to the paper. The first part will examine the historical role of the ulama in the Indian sub-continent. The second part will examine their politics in the period between 1947 and 1979. The third part will highlight how the rise to power of General Zia-ul-Haq and the Afghanistan War of 1979 emboldened the ulama to start seriously contesting for political power. Lastly, the paper will look at how the ulama were again empowered by the military regime of General Musharraf to play an important role in Pakistani politics.Abstract The ulama are important figures within Muslim societies. In the Indian sub-continent, their influence has transcended the socio-religious realm to include the political realm as well. This paper is an attempt to examine the role of the ulama in Pakistani politics. It also seeks to build a trajectory of their future influence in Pakistani politics. There are four parts to the paper. The first part will examine the historical role of the ulama in the Indian sub-continent. The second part will examine their politics in the period between 1947 and 1979. The third part will highlight how the rise to power of General Zia-ul-Haq and the Afghanistan War of 1979 emboldened the ulama to start seriously contesting for political power. Lastly, the paper will look at how the ulama were again empowered by the military regime of General Musharraf to play an important role in Pakistani politics.

Coping with Complexity: Trends in Thailand’s and Malaysia’s Relations with China

In 2004, Malaysia celebrated the thirtieth anniversary of its normalization of ties with the Peoples’ Republic of China with much fanfare. Thailand followed suit in 2005. Indeed, Malaysian and Thai relations with China have come a long way since Kuala Lumpur and Bangkok were driven by shifting geostrategic conditions in the mid-1970s to establish diplomatic ties with Beijing despite the fact that their respective policy makers continued to view China with grave apprehension. While contemporary scholarly attention in the field of international relations of East Asia mostly focuses on shifts in Chinese grand strategy and foreign policy, an equally pertinent dimension to the equation is how regional states understand and have responded to these shifts. To that end, this chapter focuses on the response from two regional states that were traditional Western allies sharing deep apprehensions toward China for domestic and strategic reasons during the Cold War, but nevertheless were compelled at various points to recalibrate China policy in tandem with changes in their respective internal and external contexts. Furthermore, a comparative study of this nature throws up interesting observations on similarities and differences in terms of the drivers behind how regional states view and respond to the gradual rise of China.