A young student wearing ripped jeans, with long hair and an earring, was called on by a group of people wearing long flowing robes while he was having dinner at a food stall in a street of... Show moreA young student wearing ripped jeans, with long hair and an earring, was called on by a group of people wearing long flowing robes while he was having dinner at a food stall in a street of Yogyakarta. The group of people harassed him and forced him to leave his food. They accused him of being the troublemaker of the crisis and disaster facing Indonesia today. This situation occurred at the beginning of August 2000, when the first national congress of mujahidin was to be held on the re-establishment of the sharica in Indonesia. Show less
When Anwar Ibrahim was sacked from the government and the ruling party at the beginning of September 1998, the reason given by Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad for his drastic action was Anwar’s ... Show moreWhen Anwar Ibrahim was sacked from the government and the ruling party at the beginning of September 1998, the reason given by Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad for his drastic action was Anwar’s ‘low morals’ Anwar was allegedly guilty of sexual misconduct, including sodomy. Mahathir and his lieutenants were convinced that as soon as the former Deputy Prime Minister and Deputy UMNO President was put on trial, the truth would become obvious to everyone and his massive support among the Malaysian people would decline rapidly. Show less
One major issue in the current programme of Islamization in Malaysia is the construction of Islamic institutional infrastructures in new growth centres.In Bandar Baru Bangi, a new town close to... Show moreOne major issue in the current programme of Islamization in Malaysia is the construction of Islamic institutional infrastructures in new growth centres.In Bandar Baru Bangi, a new town close to Kuala Lumpur, both the State and its Muslim residents address the issue by building mosques and surau (communal prayer places). Outstanding as an Islamic symbol and sanctuary in the town is not a mosque, but rather a surau that is endowed with vast human and financial resources mobilized through grassroots operations, upon which it continues to function. The growth of mosques and surau, and differences in their identities in Bandar Baru Bangi, may not represent typical trends in Malaysia, but they do reveal the on-going competition between State and society to promote the Islamization cause. Show less