Islamic fundamentalism in Malaysia
Abstract
The article focuses on the three perceived threats to Muslim identity in Malaysia: the ethnic Chinese threat from its economic power; the Christian religious threat for its missionary zeal; and the cultural threat from Western hegemony. Certain Malay groups separate from the non-Muslims and go back to the founding time of the four Orthodox caliphs; they emphasize the importance of the Koran and Islamic law; and they emphasize the importance of certain social behaviors such as, for example, clothing. Certain Malaysian groups see in Wahhabism, the official religion of Saudi Arabia, the salvific measure that helps shape the mentality of certain Malaysian groups that become exclusivist and supremacist. One of the most effective weapons to spread Wahhabism is scholarships offered to study in Saudi Arabia. The article will end with a brief history of Wahhabism and the characteristics of its teaching.
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