Tharman Shanmugaratnam – Knowing History Gives Us Confidence In Interfaith Civilization

The photos show two ancient Korans, one from China and the other Java, part of a remarkable heritage collection that is preserved at Ba’alwie Mosque in Bukit Timah. Both hand-written, on hand-made paper from the mulberry tree. The story of how Islam came to be in Southeast Asia is part of the richness of the region’s civilisations. How Islam arrived, how it was absorbed in a region that had for centuries been layered by Hindu-Buddhist culture, and how the cultures of the region influenced each other and developed a distinctive local character in each society over time.

Many of us can remember Parameswara (later called Iskandar Shah) from our school textbooks. He ruled the Malacca Sultanate in the early 15th century, when it became the most significant Islamic kingdom in the region. Parameswara is said by some historians to have embraced Islam at the time of Admiral Zheng He’s visits to Malacca. Zheng He (Cheng Ho) was a pious man, and the most famous Chinese Muslim to visit Southeast Asia. But less well known is the role of Muslim Chinese traders who came from places like Guangdong and Changchou long before Zheng He, and their role in spreading Islam in places like Java. Like the merchants from various parts of India, who brought Islam, and especially the Sufi tradition that prevailed in the region for a long time. And those from the Arab world – most prominently the Hadhrami entrepreneurs from Yemen, who also brought Sufism in the 19th century. They brought other influences too – dance and music, which combined with Malay aesthetics to become what we call the Zapin tradition today. Names like Aljunied, Alkaff and Alsagoff in Singapore reflect our Yemeni heritage.

It’s worth remembering how these different strands of Islamic culture came together in the region, and co-existed with other cultures over long periods. I wrote in my post on Hari Raya Aidilfitri last year about the example of the Kraton in Jogjakarta, where the combination of Islamic, Hindu and Buddhist cultures is preserved and celebrated.

Knowing history gives us confidence in interfaith civilization, despite the efforts of the extremists and ideologues of many faiths. It’s also why we can take pride in being Singaporeans, and why every child must grow up knowing that they are enriched by our multi-cultural heritage – and care to keep it alive and deepen it.

Tharman Shanmugaratnam – Knowing History Gives Us Confidence In Interfaith Civilization