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All Journal ISLAM NUSANTARA: Journal for the Study of Islamic History and Culture
Muhammad Haziq Bin Jani
Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS), Nanyang Technological University (NTU)
Religion Arts Humanities Education Environmental Science Languange, Linguistic, Communication & Media Social Sciences Other

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Shi’i Communities in Southeast Asia: Religious Harmony Institutions and Peaceful Sunni-Shia Syed Huzaifah Bin Othman Alkaff; Muhammad Haziq Bin Jani
ISLAM NUSANTARA:Journal for the Study of Islamic History and Culture Vol 4 No 1 (2023): Islam Nusantara Journal for the Study of Islamic History and Culture
Publisher : Faculty of Islam Nusantara University of Nahdlatul Ulama Indonesia (UNUSIA) Jakarta.

Show Abstract | Download Original | Original Source | Check in Google Scholar | DOI: 10.47776/islamnusantara.v4i1.680

Abstract

The Shi’a in Singapore are imbued with the local political culture of striving towards religious harmony. The Ismailis, being the oldest Shi’i community in Singapore, had to go through Singapore’s nation-building phase while the Imamis who precipitated after the Iranian revolution already had the building blocks of peaceful relations and may benefit from contemporary laws regarding religious harmony. The misconceived irreconcilability between the two has often been used as an explanation of the region’s turmoil, whenever both communities are involved. This is unsurprising as Sunni-Shi’a “hatred” manifested in the Syrian conflict that started in 2011, the Yemeni civil war that began in 2014, and not to forget the historical sectarian violence that had been going on in the region. Singapore has a unique religio-political setting of religious freedom and harmony. The type of faith-politics that Singapore has is pluralistic to the extent that the laws allow for it and because Singapore’s political culture of faith is free and harmony-seeking. The only impediment to intra-faith harmony between the Sunnis and Shi’a in Singapore is the intrusion of external political sentiments into the local political culture of faith, through the globalisation of religious ideas and ideology. The type of relations between Sunnis and Shi’a in Singapore has been historically peaceful, situated in the larger secular-pluralistic type of politics of faith in Singapore. When political matters of the Middle East are set aside or have no relevance, Sunnis and Shi’a in Singapore are able to live not just in tolerance of each other, but also harmoniously participating in the larger Singapore society.
Shi'i Communities in Southeast Asia: Religious Harmony Institutions and Peaceful Sunni-Shia Syed Huzaifah Bin Othman Alkaff; Muhammad Haziq Bin Jani
Islam Nusantara: Journal for the Study of Islamic History and Culture Vol. 4 No. 1 (2023): Islam Nusantara: Journal for the Study of Islamic History and Culture
Publisher : Faculty of Islam Nusantara, Nahdlatul Ulama University of Indonesia (Unusia) Jakarta.

Show Abstract | Download Original | Original Source | Check in Google Scholar | DOI: 10.47776/islamnusantara.v4i1.680

Abstract

This study examines the dynamics of Sunni–Shiʿi relations in Singapore, focusing on the Ismaili and Imami Shiʿi communities within a political culture that emphasizes religious harmony and pluralism. It challenges the assumption that Sunni–Shiʿi differences are inherently irreconcilable by situating sectarian relations within Singapore’s specific socio-political context. The research employs a qualitative descriptive-comparative approach. Primary data were collected through semi-structured interviews with religious leaders, academics, administrators of inter-madhhab dialogue institutions, and representatives of both Sunni and Shiʿi communities. Secondary data were gathered through a comprehensive review of scholarly publications, books, policy documents, and civil society reports addressing Sunni–Shiʿi relations. Data were analyzed thematically to identify patterns and variations in intra-faith harmony practices, with source triangulation applied to ensure validity. The findings indicate that Sunni–Shiʿi relations in Singapore have historically been peaceful within the country’s secular-pluralistic political framework. The Ismaili community, as the oldest Shiʿi group, adapted during Singapore’s nation-building phase, while the Imami community, which expanded after the Iranian Revolution, has operated within an already established legal and cultural framework of religious harmony. Episodes of tension are largely attributable to the intrusion of external political sentiments, particularly those linked to Middle Eastern conflicts, rather than domestic factors. These findings suggest that intra-faith harmony is strongly shaped by national institutional and political contexts. In a system that safeguards religious freedom and promotes interreligious harmony, sectarian differences can be constructively managed within a plural society.
Co-Authors Syed Huzaifah Bin Othman Alkaff