In this writers’ workshop, 13 speakers came together to present their findings on various themes in relation to religious diversity in Borneo. Focusing on the gaps in the field of Borneo studies, the presentations explored the current state of scholarship pertaining to Borneo, the role of Islam, Islamic institutions, youth, and other influential groups in affecting religious diversity in the region, as well as identity contestations among different communities in Borneo.
REGIONAL SOCIAL AND CULTURAL STUDIES PROGRAMME WORKSHOP
Wednesday, 23rd August 2023 — ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute held a two-day writers’ workshop on “Religious Diversity in Borneo”. Convened by Dr Norshahril Saat (Senior Fellow, ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute), Professor Mujiburrahman (Rector, Universitas Islam Negeri–Antasari), and Dr Azhar Ibrahim (Lecturer, National University of Singapore), the workshop drew approximately 50 participants consisting of researchers and academics, students, and policymakers. The workshop was split into four large themes, including “Studying Borneo”, “Islam and Institutions”, “Identity Contestations”, and “Youths and Diversity”.
In the opening remarks, Dr Norshahril remarked that present discourse on Islam in Southeast Asia often focuses only on key groups that shape Islam in the region—such as Java-centric or Peninsular-centric Islam—and rarely looks at other geographical areas in the region. He therefore emphasised that the study of Borneo—as a region that is heavily understudied—could be an important conversation starter and catalyst for further research on Islam in Southeast Asia. Dr Azhar added that the literature that covers Borneo is often merely textual and requires more assessment in the areas of methodology. Professor Mujiburrahman concluded the opening remarks by saying that with President Jokowi’s announcement that the capital of Indonesia will be moved to Kalimantan, Borneo has become the subject of international interest, and therefore greater academic attention should also be given to it.
The first set of presentations on the theme of “Studying Borneo” surveyed the existing scholarship on Borneo. While Dr Azhar focused on the major trends in Borneo scholarship and suggested potential areas of research including political literacy, religious trends and orientations, and the impact of development on communities, Dr Evi Nurvidya Arifin shared a demographic perspective on religious and ethnic diversity in Kalimantan and highlighted how factors such as transmigration, religious conversion, history, and politics can affect such diversity. These presentations led to questions from the audience about ways to reconstruct the scholarship on Borneo and to highlight its importance to Southeast Asia, and whether it would be possible to promote economic integration in Borneo, instead of only promoting integration among the diverse groups.
The next set of presentations on the theme of “Islam and Institutions” looked at the interactions between Islam, politics, and society. In his presentation on Muslim religious scholars (ulama) in Banjarmasin, South Kalimantan, Professor Mujiburrahman looked at how the ulama have contributed to the Islamisation of the Banjarese population in both the historical and contemporary sense, and also looked at how their involvement in politics has changed over the years. Dr Norshahril then looked at Islamic institutions in Brunei, Sarawak, and East Kalimantan, providing a comparative view of how Malay identity has been shaped in the three states. In doing so, he illustrated how the different trajectories in relation to Islam and Malay identity led to a different set of social challenges in these states. The questions that arose from this set of presentations were mainly concerned with the educational background of the ulama being studied, as well as their role in resolving social problems such as poverty and exploitation.
In the third and fourth sets of presentations on “Identity Contestations”, the speakers looked at various themes in relation to multiculturalism, politics, interfaith relations, and religious minorities. Professor Zaenuddin Prasojo and Mr Ach Tijani first spoke about multiculturalism in Pontianak, during which they shared that there are several ethnic and religious groups in the city. Emphasising that inter-ethnic and interfaith harmony is the way of life in Pontianak, they shared that the acronym TiDaYu is well-known in the city as it represents the presence of Tiong Hwa (Chinese), Dayak, and Melayu (Malay) communities in Pontianak society. In the next presentation, Dr Arnold Puyok spoke about Dayak politics in the 2021 state elections in Sarawak, highlighting how the issues which are of concern in Sarawak differ from the issues of concern in peninsular Malaysia. He emphasised that Dayakism is important as a response to rising Malay supremacy in Malaysia, as well as a response to what they perceive as their second-class status as Bumiputera or natives of the country. Nevertheless, he stated that Dayakism must be pursued within the context of Sarawak’s multiracial society, and the state’s political position within the Malaysian federation.
Continuing on the topic of multiculturalism and interfaith harmony, Dr Suraya Sintang spoke about interfaith relations in Sabah and emphasised that interfaith relations are not based on a majority-minority relationship, but on friendship and fraternity. She emphasised that the values of muhibbah (love), and rahmatan lil alamin (blessings to all) are central to interfaith relations in Sabah. She also shared that some of the unique characteristics of Sabah include a high percentage of interfaith marriages, and the presence of Muslim and Christian places of worship and cemeteries located beside one another. Dr Chang-Yau Hoon and Dr Asiyah Kumpoh then spoke about religious minorities in Brunei and shared that while there are similarities with Sabah, they differ in the policies made by the state. For example, information about other religions are not taught in school, and while there are six officially registered churches in the country, there is a fatwa prohibiting their repair. In response to these presentations, members of the audience asked questions about the impact of peninsular politics on Sabah, the existence of Christian right-wing groups in Kalimantan, and exclusivist teachings by religious preachers in Sabah.
The final set of presentations on “Youths and Diversity” looked at the role of youth in contributing to dialogue and diversity in different parts of Borneo. Mr Nasrullah and Dr Azhar first presented in youth groups in East Kalimantan, focusing on how student organisations both on and off campus have mobilized themselves in response to national issues such as democracy and social justice, palm oil and the environment, interfaith relations, and the movement of the capital city. Dr Siti Mazidah then presented on the role of youth in promoting interfaith dialogue in Brunei, where she focused on how Bruneian youth in Higher Education Institutions have actively sought to engage with members of other religious communities despite the absence of formal platforms to facilitate such engagements. Finally, Dr Ahmad Muhajir shared his findings on Banjarese social media influencers consisting of religious preachers, food bloggers, entrepreneurs, and celebrities, and how they combined local and universal values to make social media enjoyable and accessible for Banjarese society.
The workshop concluded with a discussion on future steps that can be taken to further the discussions on Borneo studies, and other angles through which religious diversity can be studied and analysed.