Language and Islam in Asia Beyond: Cultural Identity Dynamics

This open access volume explores the various interplays between language and religion, with a particular focus on Islam and Muslim communities. With topics ranging from how conflicting religious values and secular viewpoints have impacted language use, shaped language policies and informed pedagogies, to the reciprocity between language, education, and religion in the shaping of Muslim identity, the book collates interdisciplinary perspectives with examples from different parts of the Muslim world. In doing so, the book provides insights into the ways Islam and the diverse languages and cultures of the Muslim constituencies intertwine. Despite the burgeoning push for secularism and the growing popularity of English as the world’s lingua franca, the authors show that the Arabic language remains central to Islam and forms the bedrock of everyday Islamic expression. The book also discusses the respective conflicts and collaborations between tradition and modernity in Islamic teaching and values. Relevant to scholars and students in Islamic studies, education, Asian cultural landscapes, and Asian and Middle Eastern languages, this is a seminal work that establishes an intersection between applied linguistics and religious studies in the Muslim world.