Problems of Islamic education in colonial and post-colonial Malaysia: An analysis based on al-Attas’s notion of knowledge

Kushimoto, Hiroko (2017) Problems of Islamic education in colonial and post-colonial Malaysia: An analysis based on al-Attas’s notion of knowledge. Jurnal Qalbu, 4 (4). pp. 80-104. E-ISSN 2590-3780

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Abstract

The purpose of this article is to review the history of Islamic learning and its relationship with the modern national education system in Malaysia to reveal the underlying common issue of the education in the Muslim society. Applying al-Attas’s critique of modern Muslim education and the ideas of post-colonial critique of the power behind the knowledge production and distribution, the article reveals the indifference of Muslim leaders toward the worldview behind the modern education system. Based on the analysis of a Malay Islamic journal “Pengasuh” in the early 20th century, of the process of establishment of modern religious schools and of the contemporary school textbooks for Islamic education, it shows the evidence that the Malay Islamic leaders have ignored the differences in the meaning of learning. As a result of the integration into the national education system, learning Islam was given a new meaning in the context of the national, social or the “secular” purpose of education, just as al-Attas has warned for the past four decades. “It seems to me important to emphasize that knowledge is not neutral, and can indeed be infused with a nature and content which masquerades as knowledge. Yet it is in fact, taken as a whole, not true knowledge, but its interpretation through the prism, as it were, the world-view, the intellectual vision and psychological perception of the civilization that now plays the key role in its formulation and dissemination”. -Syed Muhammad Naquib al-Attas (1977: 20)

Item Type:	Article (Journal)
Additional Information:	7156/62184
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Traditional Islamic learning, modern education system, postcolonial, integration
Subjects:	B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion > B Philosophy (General) B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion > BP Islam. Bahaism. Theosophy, etc B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion > BP Islam. Bahaism. Theosophy, etc > BP1 Islam L Education > LA History of education L Education > LB Theory and practice of education
Kulliyyahs/Centres/Divisions/Institutes (Can select more than one option. Press CONTROL button):	Kulliyyah of Languages and Management
Depositing User:	Dr Hiroko Shiozaki
Date Deposited:	22 Feb 2018 16:27
Last Modified:	09 Mar 2018 11:21
URI:	http://irep.iium.edu.my/id/eprint/62184

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