'The Political Mobilization of the Christian Community in Malaysia' outlines how the Malaysian Christian community defends its religious rights without being construed as anti-Islam.
- Cover
- Contents
- List of abbreviations
- Acknowledgments
- Chapter One: Contextualiz6ing and Theorizing Christian Political Mobilization in Malaysia
- Overview
- Objectives, scope, methods, and limitations
- The repression–mobilization nexus: A contested relationship
- The matter of regime type and political context
- Towards a typology of repression and mobilization
- Political mobilization and alternative responses
- Of framing, resources, and political opportunities
- Chapters
- Chapter Two: A Competitive Authoritarian Regime, Islamization, and the Christian Community
- Introduction
- Under a competitive authoritarian regime
- Christians and Christianity in Malaysia
- Overview
- Christianity and decolonization
- The Islamization processes
- Overview: From the ‘dakwah’ movements to political rivalry
- Process 1: State-led Islamization
- Process 2: The politicization of Islam
- The general effects of Islamization
- Islamization’s specific effects on Christians
- Prohibition of preaching to Muslims
- Prohibitions on using select Malay and Arabic words
- Restrictions on the importation of Christian literature
- Church buildings, lands, and burial grounds
- Management of missionary schools
- Overt and surreptitious conversions of Christians
- Conclusion
- Chapter Three: Unflinching Principles and Whimpers of Protest, 1980–90
- Introduction
- Initial responses to state-led Islamization
- Introduction of regulatory repression in the early 1980s
- Banning of the Al-Kitab
- Restrictions on using ‘Islamic’ words
- Targeted repression in the early 1980s
- Resisting repression
- Defying state policy under the pretext of nation-building
- Forging networks and alliances
- Fledgling electoral mobilization
- Operasi Lalang and its aftermath
- Several Christian experiences
- Moving towards principled engagement
- Legitimizing civil disobedience in the Kuching Declaration
- Conclusion
- Chapter Four: Learned Submission to Semi-opposition Engagement, 1991–2002
- Introduction
- Reasons for the community’s apolitical approach
- Closed-door meetings and mixed results
- Absence of enforcement
- Learned submission and fear of repression
- Growth of Pentecostal-Charismatic churches and intra-Christian divisions
- The Reformasi: A catalyst of political mobilization?
- Electoral mobilization in the 1999 general election: Of official and unofficial voices
- Resisting the push for an ‘Islamic state’
- Targeted repression and subsequent responses
- The Shah Alam Church of Divine Mercy
- The ‘Srigala Incident’ and other Orang Asli-related incidents
- Attacks on churches in the context of the ‘War on Terror’
- Conclusion
- Chapter Five: Seizing Political Opportunities for Mobilization, 2003–7
- ‘A breath of fresh air’
- Arbitrary enforcement of regulatory repression
- Restrictions on religious texts
- Demolition of Orang Asli churches
- The Silibin Incident
- The growing jurisdiction of the Sharia court
- Grassroots-level Christian mobilization
- Emergence and further polarization
- Invoking the Federal Constitution
- Relationship with other mass rallies
- Electoral mobilization
- NECF’s ’40-Day Fast and Prayer’ initiative
- Oriental Hearts and Mind Study Institute
- Conclusion
- Chapter Six: From Resisting Repression to Oblique Oppositional Mobilization, 2008–15
- Introduction
- Contestations over usage of the word ‘Allah’
- Notable court cases
- The Herald
- Sidang Injil Borneo
- Jill Ireland
- Collective rather than Separate Cases
- The ‘10-Point Solution’ and the Sarawakian context
- Targeted repression by the Selangor Islamic Department (JAIS)
- New standard operating procedures pertaining to Christian publications
- Increased political mobilization
- The logic of repression
- The NECF’s ‘Nation-Building Agenda’
- Electoral mobilization
- Grassroots mobilization
- Mobilizing through various outlets of expression
- Divergent approaches within the Christian community: A comparison
- Conclusion
- Chapter Seven: Stories from the East: Resisting Islamization and Preserving Local Rights
- Introduction
- Christians in East Malaysia
- Sabah
- Historical overview and federal–state tensions
- Explaining a lack of resistance to state-led Islamization
- Emergent resistance
- Religious misclassification
- Conversions of indigenous Christians
- Grassroots mobilization and traditionalism
- Sarawak
- The anomalous case?
- Relationship between Christian leaders in Sarawak and Peninsular Malaysia
- Church–state relationships and divergent views
- Politicizing religious sentiment in Sarawak
- Conclusion
- Chapter Eight: Conclusion
- Introduction
- Electoral dynamics after Barisan Nasional’s defeat
- Principled strategies, pragmatic resistance
- Typologies and sequences of resistance
- When defending rights also means opposing the regime
- Emphasizing the importance of subjective interpretations
- Closing remarks: Old structures, new manifestations?
- Bibliography
- Books
- Journal articles
- Theses and dissertations
- Newspapers (printed)
- Court cases, Statements and Letters
- Surveys
- Reports
- Government reports
- Organization reports
- Online sources
- Interviews
- Appendix A: Official Letter from Najib Razak to Bishop Moon Hing Ng Proposing a 10-Point Solution
- Index
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