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Archipelagic Chineseness: competing ways of being Chinese Muslims in contemporary Indonesia and Malaysia

Archipelagic Chineseness: competing ways of being Chinese Muslims in contemporary Indonesia and... Inspired by the concept of ‘archipelagic Islam’ and the recent academic call for archipelagic thinking, this article proposes the term ‘archipelagic Chineseness’ to analyze various discourses and practices of Chineseness that take into account diverse national and local contexts, without disregarding various transnational connections. However, different from the proponents of ‘archipelagic Islam’ who promote an ideal type of Islamic identity in Indonesia, I use ‘archipelagic Chineseness’ mainly not to prescribe a kind of ideal Chinese identity, but instead to explore and theorize multiple ways of being or not being Chinese in Indonesia, Malaysia, and beyond. The concept points to the possibility of being Chinese in a way that is neither totally subscribed to China’s growing influence, nor completely assimilated due to the demand of some nationalists. By examining the trends of Chinese-style mosques and Chinese Muslim preachers, I discuss how and under what conditions different Chinese and non-Chinese Muslims appropriate Chineseness for diverse reasons. While the Chinese-style mosques borrow the architectural design of ancient mosques in China, they adopt local cultural traditions and interact with local politics. Many Muslim leaders welcome such mosques as an initiative to promote localized Islam and to imagine a translocal Chinese Muslim identity. However, when it comes to preachers, there are contesting – if not conflicting – cultural and religious orientations, which are shaping and being shaped by the politics of race, religion and class in both countries. Thus, I propose ‘archipelagic Chineseness’ to analyze various entanglements of diverse transnational connections, national belongings and local sensibilities among ethnic Chinese in general and Chinese Muslims in particular. Archipelagic thinking around Chineseness also allows us to explore how ethnic Chinese in maritime Southeast Asia negotiate their Chineseness with their other identities, such as nationalities, localities, religion, and sexual identities. http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png Asian Ethnicity Taylor & Francis

Archipelagic Chineseness: competing ways of being Chinese Muslims in contemporary Indonesia and Malaysia

Wai Weng, Hew
Asian Ethnicity , Volume 24 (1): 19 – Jan 2, 2023
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Archipelagic Chineseness: competing ways of being Chinese Muslims in contemporary Indonesia and Malaysia

Abstract

Inspired by the concept of ‘archipelagic Islam’ and the recent academic call for archipelagic thinking, this article proposes the term ‘archipelagic Chineseness’ to analyze various discourses and practices of Chineseness that take into account diverse national and local contexts, without disregarding various transnational connections. However, different from the proponents of ‘archipelagic Islam’ who promote an ideal type of Islamic identity in Indonesia,...
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Publisher
Taylor & Francis
Copyright
© 2022 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group
ISSN
1469-2953
eISSN
1463-1369
DOI
10.1080/14631369.2022.2122396
Publisher site
See Article on Publisher Site

Abstract

Inspired by the concept of ‘archipelagic Islam’ and the recent academic call for archipelagic thinking, this article proposes the term ‘archipelagic Chineseness’ to analyze various discourses and practices of Chineseness that take into account diverse national and local contexts, without disregarding various transnational connections. However, different from the proponents of ‘archipelagic Islam’ who promote an ideal type of Islamic identity in Indonesia, I use ‘archipelagic Chineseness’ mainly not to prescribe a kind of ideal Chinese identity, but instead to explore and theorize multiple ways of being or not being Chinese in Indonesia, Malaysia, and beyond. The concept points to the possibility of being Chinese in a way that is neither totally subscribed to China’s growing influence, nor completely assimilated due to the demand of some nationalists. By examining the trends of Chinese-style mosques and Chinese Muslim preachers, I discuss how and under what conditions different Chinese and non-Chinese Muslims appropriate Chineseness for diverse reasons. While the Chinese-style mosques borrow the architectural design of ancient mosques in China, they adopt local cultural traditions and interact with local politics. Many Muslim leaders welcome such mosques as an initiative to promote localized Islam and to imagine a translocal Chinese Muslim identity. However, when it comes to preachers, there are contesting – if not conflicting – cultural and religious orientations, which are shaping and being shaped by the politics of race, religion and class in both countries. Thus, I propose ‘archipelagic Chineseness’ to analyze various entanglements of diverse transnational connections, national belongings and local sensibilities among ethnic Chinese in general and Chinese Muslims in particular. Archipelagic thinking around Chineseness also allows us to explore how ethnic Chinese in maritime Southeast Asia negotiate their Chineseness with their other identities, such as nationalities, localities, religion, and sexual identities.

Journal

Asian Ethnicity – Taylor & Francis

Published: Jan 2, 2023

Keywords: Archipelagic Chineseness; archipelagic Islam; Chinese Muslims; Indonesia; Malaysia

References

  • Imagine All the People? Mobilising Islamic Populism for Right-Wing Politics in Indonesia
  • Defending Islam and Reclaiming Diversity
  • Competition among Middle-classes and Islamic Populism
  • The Art of Dakwah: Social Media, Visual Persuasion and Islamist Propagation of Felix Siauw
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  • Manufacturing Malay Unity and the Downfall of Pakatan Harapan
  • The Politics of Muslim Majoritarianism
  • Packaging, Persuasion and Propaganda: Popular Preaching and Islamic Counter-publics in Indonesia
  • Explaining the 2016 Islamist Mobilization in Indonesia: Religious Intolerance, Militant Groups and the Politics of Accommodation
  • Negotiating Identity: The Cheng Hoo Mosque and Ethnic Chinese Muslims in Post-Soeharto Indonesia
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  • Wajarkah Masjid Anjurkan Rumah Terbuka Tahun Baru Cina
  • Islam Nusantara: A Semantic and Symbolic Analysis