SEAPOLNET Call for Papers: Sectarian Identity Formation and Intra-Group Muslim Rivalries in Southeast Asia and Beyond

The renewed saliency of Sunni-Shi’ite sectarian identities in the violent conflicts and contentious politics in several Middle Eastern countries has been the focus of a number of important academic work in recent times. The emphasis in this body of work has been on understanding when and why intra-Muslim identities and rivalries emerge in the form that they do. One approach to unpack the multitude of factors involved in the construction of sectarian identities is the concept of sectarianization. The sectarianization thesis explains the emergence of conflict in authoritarian Middle Eastern country contexts as an active process shaped by the instrumental objectives of state actors, who manipulate particular identities, so as to retain power.

Yet there are other forms of intra-Muslim group divisions and rivalries that are increasingly salient, and arguably more relevant to contentious politics in several Muslim societies. For example, the rivalries between Indonesia’s two largest Muslim civil society groups, Nahdlatul Ulama and Muhammadiyah, and contestations between ‘liberal’ and ‘conservative’ Muslim groups in Singapore and Malaysia. These emergent forms of intra-Muslim divisions and rivalries in Muslim societies are less studied and they constitute the focus of our Special Issue.

 The Special Issue aims to contribute to a more nuanced understanding of sectarianism and the development of intra-Muslim group rivalries and contestations. We look for paper contributions from a wide variety of disciplines, theoretical, and methodological approaches that engage with and build on the sectarianization thesis to explicate the emergence of these other forms of intra-Muslim divisions and rivalries in different country contexts in the regions of Southeast Asia, South Asia and the Middle East. This may include the politicization of ethno-religious identities; competition over access to state recognition, positions, and resources; political uncertainty or change; subnational contestations over reinterpretations of religious traditions; and transnational ideological influences.

Some possible research questions to reflect on include: What aspects of the sectarianization thesis can inform our understanding of these other forms of intra-Muslim divisions and rivalries that are becoming increasingly salient in Muslim societies? What other analytical considerations do we need for a more nuanced understanding of sectarianism and the development of intra-Muslim group contestations in particular country contexts? What are the lessons learned from the politics of identity formation and sectarian politics in particular country contexts that can potentially enrich our understanding of Muslim politics worldwide?

Please send your abstract and paper drafts to Alexander Arifianto (isalex@ntu.edu.sg) and Saleena Saleem (ssaleem@liverpool.ac.uk). Any questions and queries should be directed to us as well.

Deadline for abstract submission (300-words maximum): November 30, 2019

Deadline for final paper draft submission: January 31, 2020