Islam and populism in the Asia Pacific

Yilmaz, Ihsan and Mohamad Shukri, Syaza Farhana (2023) Islam and populism in the Asia Pacific. In: The Routledge Handbook of Populism in the Asia Pacific. Routledge, London, pp. 134-148.

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Abstract

This chapter looks at the relationship between Islam and populism in Malaysia, Indonesia, and Pakistan to see how religious populists, both inside and outside electoral politics, have been successful in mobilizing the grassroots. We argue that the Islam and populism nexus is closely related to the political form of Islam—Islamism—in which Islamist populism is framed in nationalist politics or civilizationist forms. The case studies demonstrate that pandering to the emotions of the ummah (the global community of Muslims) is a central strategy of Islamist populists who categorize ‘the people’ as victims living in crisis in an attempt to exploit the concerns of devout Muslims. The politics of victimhood and fear, xenophobia towards the West, and, in the case of East Asia, towards China, are key to the populist attack on ‘others’. In addition, the domestic ‘other’ is linked with a ‘foreign’ power to denigrate opposers, religious minorities, secularists, and liberals.

Item Type:	Book Chapter
Subjects:	J Political Science > JC Political theory > JC49 Islam and Politics
Kulliyyahs/Centres/Divisions/Institutes (Can select more than one option. Press CONTROL button):	Kulliyyah of Islamic Revealed Knowledge and Human Sciences Kulliyyah of Islamic Revealed Knowledge and Human Sciences > Department of Political Science
Depositing User:	Dr. Syaza Farhana Mohamad Shukri
Date Deposited:	29 Sep 2023 10:55
Last Modified:	12 Jan 2024 09:52
URI:	http://irep.iium.edu.my/id/eprint/107154

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