Framing the Muslim subject, contesting the secular citizen: Tablighi Jamaat and the (trans)nationalization of Islam in Singapore

Abstract

This paper explores how the (trans)nationalization of Islam can lead to differential understandings of the Muslim subject and secular citizen in Singapore. (Trans)nationalization problematizes the state-led regulation of religion by revealing the complexities that emerge when religious subject positions are indexed to citizenship status. Islamic expression is closely regulated in Singapore, meaning the Singaporean Muslim subject is framed by the state in secular-first terms. Complicating this framing is the presence of Bangladeshi migrant workers, who, by virtue of their visa and residency statuses, are viewed as transient members of society and denied access to citizenship. Non-citizenship causes a variety of Islamic expressions to become viable pathways to religious subject formation, including those associated with Islamic missionary movement, Tablighi Jamaat. By claiming these subject positions, Bangladeshi Tablighis become vectors through which Singapore's Muslim spaces are exposed to transnational Islamic influences, causing the mosque to be imbued with divergent, and sometimes contested, meanings and attributions of value.

Beyond migration? Alternative articulations of transnational religious networks

“…These different sub‐religious groups do not often fall neatly into the overarching ethno‐religious framework and often function outside it. These sub‐religious groups cater specifically to the workers coming from a specific region or country outside Singapore as Woods’ (2023) paper attests to. Within the Singapore context, the sub‐religious groups have been left to function so long as they do not disturb the well‐established ethno‐religious framework and are not seen as subverting the peace and harmony of the general public and the political stability of the country.…”

Squeezed out by the market, seeking strength in the network: Makeshift temples and the spatio‐affective logics of survival in Singapore

“…In order to investigate the spatio-affective logics of survival of the makeshift temples in Singapore, we draw on a project conducted between 2019 and 2021 that examined Chinese temples in Singapore (see Gao et al, 2022;Woods, 2022;Kong, 2020, 2022). Research focused on 9 makeshift temples in Singapore, including 4 Taoist temples, 3 Buddhist temples, and 2 temples of Chinese folk religion (e.g., Kuan Ti, the Chinese god of war).…”