Islam is a major factor in Southeast Asian affairs, though academically neglected. Muslims are the largest religious community in Southeast Asia, comprising about 45% of the region's population, and Islam is critical to understanding political, security and cultural developments. This course will survey the diverse Muslim societies in the region and examine the complex historical, cultural and doctrinal ties between them. It will consider the role of ‘external' forces in shaping Muslim life in Southeast Asia as well as look at those elements which make regional Islam distinctive from other parts of the Muslim world. We will give particular attention to a number of issues: (1) the role of Islam in various regional insurgencies, such as those in Aceh, southern Thailand, western Burma and the southern Philippines; (2) the interplay between Islam, nationalism and democracy; (3) the political consequences of Islamization in Indonesia and Malaysia; (4) the dynamics of radicalism and terrorism, particularly with regard to international versus local characteristics; (5) the impact of globalization and accompanying indigenization of religiosity; and (6) Islam's influence on regional diplomacy. In discussing these issues, we will critically assess the literature on the politics of Southeast Asian Islam and the cultural and theoretical assumptions which underlie it.

Assessment would be based principally on evaluation of student performance in writing two short essays and a final examination.

Class Participation: 10%
Two short essays: each 25%
Final Examination: 40%