The place of Islam in Asia" lecture series

Contrary to popular belief, the vast majority of Muslims do not live in Arab countries, but in Asia. According to a Pew Research Forum study published in 2011, the continent now accounts for more than 62% of the faithful. There are 200 million of them in Indonesia, the country with the most Muslims in the world, which will be dethroned by... India in 2050. And yet, these Muslims, too often described as "peripheral", are often absent from literature devoted to Islam and in the French media sphere.
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This Islam, or rather "these Islams" of Asia, do not escape the major questions of the day. How do they fit into democracy? How are they adapting to the gigantic economic boom in Asian countries? Why are certain Muslim minorities persecuted in China, India and Burma? How has religious violence evolved in the Philippines, Indonesia or Sri Lanka, and are South and Southeast Asian jihadist organizations part of a global or primarily regional perspective?



Taking into account historical, sociological and political perspectives, this cycle of three lectures by researchers and journalists specializing in the countries studied can be viewed via streaming on the France Culture website. These lectures were previously broadcast live on www.inalco.fr/live.





1- "Islam in Asia: what political governance?"



In a survey published by Le Monde in 2013, 74% of French people felt that "Islam is not compatible with republican values". To oxygenate the dialogue, a detour via Asia is necessary, where the situations of political Islam vary greatly from one end of Asia to the other.



In Indonesia, where there is no state religion, the re-election of the progressive Joko Widodo has reinforced the country's image as "the world's 3rd largest democracy". On the other hand, the theocratic Sultanate of Brunei shocked the international community by announcing an extremely strict application of Sharia law.
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The conference also looks at the role of Muslim organizations, which are highly involved in the political and social spheres. While some of these conservative organizations act as pressure groups on public authorities, others stand out for their promotion of religious pluralism and their de-radicalization operations with local populations.

The conference also looks at the role of Muslim organizations, which are highly involved in the political and social spheres.


Review the September 26 conference in streaming.





2- "What future for Muslim minorities in Asia?"



Asia's Muslim minorities are suffering increasing persecution. The figures speak for themselves. In Burma, more than 700,000 Rohingya were forced to leave the country in 2017. In China, a million Uighurs are said to be interned in re-education camps. Finally, in the Indian state of Assam, thousands of attacks against Muslims have been reported since Narendra Modi came to power in 2014. Socio-ethnic contexts and political agendas vary from country to country, but some issues are common.



Acculturation, deprivation of citizenship, even ethnic cleansing... the conference analyzes the aims of these repressive policies, while looking back at the indifference they arouse among majority populations.



Review the October 15 conference in streaming.





3 - "Contexts and channels of jihadism"



The attacks in Sri Lanka on April 21, 2019 (more than 250 dead) were a reminder that Asia is not spared from Islamist terrorism. From Indonesia's Jeemah Islamiyah to the Filipinos of Abu Sayyaf, the region is home to jihadist organizations with more or less extensive networks.



The conference looks at the scale of the phenomenon, through a number of questions. Are there transnational jihadist networks in Asia? What is the Islamic State's strategy in South and Southeast Asia? How have certain local conflicts become confessionalized? How are states dealing with religious radicalization among their populations?



Review the February 4 conference in streaming.







Delphine Allès

University Professor in Political Science / International Relations












Researcher at the Southeast Asia Center (CASE, EHESS/INALCO)