It is often overlooked by the Muslim community in Singapore that we possess a rich religious intellectual heritage left behind by our religious luminaries. Figures such as Almarhum Ustaz Syed Abdillah, Almarhum Ustaz Syed Ahmad Semait and Almarhum Ustaz Ahmad Sonhadji, were prolific authors that left behind a trove of writings encompassing their ideas and thoughts.
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Book Review: Alfian Sa’at’s Corridor
“Behind these fantastic stories however, was the faint hope that somehow, I had found someone who shared something in common with me.” (Duel in Corridor) The elusive human pursuit – or rather, yearning – for happiness has long occupied the literary imagination. From Tolstoy’s Anna Karenina to Salinger’s Catcher in the Rye to Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby, existential anxieties plague individuals across the societal spectrum.
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From Beirut to Jerusalem: Lessons on Liberation Theology
Israel’s ongoing war on Gaza today makes Dr Ang Swee Chai’s book, From Beirut to Jerusalem, a necessary read. The book, which was originally published in 1989 and then republished with an updated edition in 2023, details the Penang-born Singaporean orthopaedic surgeon’s personal journey from a self-declared Christian Zionist to becoming a fierce supporter and friend of the Palestinians. Many incidents led to her changed views, including a personal encounter with a Palestinian whose family was driven out of their home in Jaffa. Dr Ang also bore witness to numerous […]
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Book Review: Suffian Hakim’s The Keepers of Stories
Sufiian Hakim’s novel, The Keepers of Stories, is a compelling tale that centres on the clashes between tradition and modernity, set in post-independence Singapore. The Keepers of Stories depicts the journey of two young siblings, Hakeem and Zulaika, and their encounter with the Anak Bumi – the Children of the Earth, a secret community at Changi Beach. Here, members of the community take turns to engage in a communal storytelling tradition, called the Wayang Singa, beneath the stars, reminiscent of the tales, legends, and histories passed on to them by […]
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Book Review: The Malay Community’s Post-Independence Experience in Suratman Markasan’s Penghulu
The perception of literature has always been diverse in society. While some perceive it as a medium of entertainment and a form of escapism, there are others who view it as a tool. A tool to bring social change and social reform. A tool to plant seeds of empathy, conscience, and humanity. These perceptions influence how people read and study literature differently. Amidst these differences, it is important that we hold on to a pluralistic view of literature so that we are able to extract diverse benefits from it as […]
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Book Review: Reaching for the Crescent
It has been 58 years since Singapore gained its independence. What benefits has Islamic education brought to Singapore’s Muslim and larger communities over the course of all this time? Do local Islamic religious teachers, with the training they received abroad such as in the Middle East, Africa, Malaysia, Indonesia and Brunei, remain relevant to meet Singapore’s demands and also prioritise Singapore’s needs? What difficulties do Islamic studies graduates encounter when they return to Singapore?
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Book Review: Faith, Authority, and the Malays: The Ulama in Contemporary Singapore
It is widely known that ulama or religious scholars have played a significant role in modern society. Some might define them as being custodians of authoritative dogma, reproducers of an authoritative legacy, and interpreters of authoritative law. According to the Quran (Surah Fatir 35:28) and its interpretation from the book, Mahasin Al-Ta’wil, the ulama can be regarded as the moral conscience of the society that transcends politics.
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Book Review: Islam in a Secular State: Negotiating the Future of Shariah
For Muslims to fully practise their rights by conviction and free choice, it can only be actualised in a secular state. The secular state acts as a safeguard against the hegemonic enforcement of the Shariah that opposes the universal values of Islam. The secular state is also intended to nurture and regulate the role of Islam in public life through the shaping of ethical norms that can be reflected in public institutions, policies and social relations (pp. 1-3).
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Book Review: Piecing Together the History, Heritage, and Contributions of Indian Muslims in Singapore
Indian Muslims in Singapore: History, Heritage and Contribution, a newly released publication by Ab Razak Chanbasha, is an ambitious attempt to document the history and contributions of Indian Muslims in Singapore from the period of the arrival of the British to present day. This is no doubt a formidable task to achieve in eight chapters considering the depth and extent of contribution and influence that Indian Muslims have left and continue to create in Singapore.
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Book Review: Singa-Pura-Pura is Present, Plural and Problematises Tradition
Singa-Pura-Pura is necessary reading for anyone remotely interested in any given configuration of ‘Singapore’, ‘Malay’ and ‘literature’. From academics more accustomed to poring over manuscripts to even non-Malay neophytes, there is something for everyone to chew on in this especially colourful anthology of short stories. Responding to the dearth of Singaporean Malay authors writing in English, the project as spearheaded by Nazry Bahrawi is said to lay the seeds for a loose, non-organised aliran (movement), anticipating an imminent flood of more bilingually proficient writers.
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