Locating Muslim Minorities in East and Southeast Asia

This volume examines Muslim minority experiences across East and Southeast Asia through detailed case studies spanning China, Japan, Korea, Myanmar, Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia, the Philippines, Thailand and Singapore. Challenging both Western narratives about Muslim minorities and conventional scholarship focused on Muslim-majority Asian countries, this collection reveals how Muslim-minority communities navigate complex relationships with state power, colonial legacies, and globalisation. Through innovative methodological approaches, the authors analyse how these communities maintain religious identity while adapting to majority societies – from minority rights in China, property rights in Myanmar to digital engagement in Singapore and localised religious practices in Japan. By centring Asian perspectives through ‘Asia as a method’, the book illuminates the political, economic, and socio-legal challenges confronting these communities. This book is essential for scholars of Asian studies, religious studies, and political science, as well as policymakers and researchers studying minority communities. It serves anyone seeking to understand diverse Muslim minority realities in a world where assumptions about religion, citizenship, and identity are constantly challenged.