Patterns of Religious Tension in Malaysia

Three decades after independence and nineteen years after the May 13th (1969) riots, Malaysia is experiencing another tense period characterized by increasing religious ferment.1 The emergence of Islamic revivalist movements (popularly known as dakwah) in the 1970s, spawned by global Islamic resurgence and internal fissures in the Malay Muslim community, captured headlines and influenced political events for almost ten years. The ramifications of Islamic revivalism continue to be felt in present-day Malaysia, one of which is the nascent mobilization of non-Muslims in the face of perceived threats of Islamic dominance and expansionism. Non-Muslims make up about 43% of the population on the peninsula, and they constitute a potentially formidable body of resistance to the Islamic challenge.2 However, non-Muslim diversity in beliefs, practices, and organization poses a problem of consensus and coordination in confronting the growing Islamic movement. The task of this article is to sketch recent developments in Malaysian Islam, their impact on non-Muslim religious groups, and the relationship between national politics and religious tension.