This book examines the lives of the Malay and Cham Muslims in Thailand,
Cambodia and Vietnam and examines how they co-exist and live in
societies that are dominated by an alternative consensus and are
illiberal and non-democratic in nature.
Focusing on two major Muslim communities in Southeast Asia, both of whom
live as minorities in societies that are not democratic and have a
history of hostility and repression towards non-conforming ideas, the
book explains their circumstances, the choices and life decisions they
have to make, and how minorities can thrive in an unfriendly,
monocultural environment. Based on original field work and research, the
author analyses how people live, and how they adapt to societies which
are not motivated by Western liberal ideals of multiculturalism. The
book also offers a unique perspective on how Islam develops in an
environment where it is seen as alien and disloyal.
A useful contribution analyzing historical and post-colonial experiences
of Muslim minorities and how they survive and evolve over the course of
state monopoly in mainland Southeast Asia, this book will be of interest
to academics working on Muslim minorities, Asian Religion and Southeast
Asian Studies.