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Christian Political and Social Responses to Increasing Islamization in Malaysia

Sat, March 18, 8:30 to 10:30am, Sheraton Centre Toronto Hotel, Floor: 4th Floor, Forest Hill

Abstract

This study seeks to examine Christian political and social responses to increasing Islamization in Malaysia. Increasing Islamization in Malaysia has led to ethnic and religious polarization in the country. It is also shifting segments of the traditionally moderate Malay-Muslim majority towards more conservative variants of the Islamic faith. Such shifts have led to calls for greater entrenchment of Islam in Malaysian society. The heightened push towards greater Islamization has raised concerns among non-Muslim minorities that their civil and religious rights could be encroached upon. The impact of increased Islamization in Malaysia on the Christian minorities has been manifested in various ways such as the issue of implementing Hudud laws, the controversies surrounding the use of the name “Allah” in Christian bibles, attacks on Christian places of worship, objections against public display of the cross, and difficulties faced by Muslim converts to Christianity, among others. This paper will assess the causes which have driven Malaysia’s Christian communities to respond through political and social activism to secure their civil and religious rights. In general, Islamophobia has been understood as the prejudices of predominantly non-Muslim societies against Muslim minorities. However, what is less explored is Islamophobia as the apprehension of non-Muslim minorities towards a predominantly Muslim society. As such, this research will analyse the nature of Islamophobia among Christian minorities in Malaysia, and how this translates into political and social activism which seeks to promote greater social justice and pluralistic freedom couched in terms of a Malaysian identity.

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