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I haven't been writing posts for quite some time, however, I've managed to read several books in my free time. The latest book that I've just finished reading is a non-fiction that I came across a publication website, IBT Books. I'm not sure if it is available widely in all bookstores, but you surely can find it and buy it from the website.
Title: A Chinese Life of Islam, The Search for Identity
Author: Yamin Cheng
ISBN: 978-983-9541-79-3
Price: RM21.00
Pages: 90
Publisher: The Other Press, 2012
Some information about the author, taken from the book: Dr. Yamin Cheng has been teaching in International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM) in the Department of Usuluddin and Comparative Religion. He holds a Bachelor's degree in Law from IIUM, Master's degree in Religion from Gerge Washington University, Washington DC, and PhD in Religion from Temple University, Philadelphia USA. He has been an adjunct instructor at the Department of Religion, Temple University and also headed the Islamic Studies Dept. of an Islamic College in Melbourne, Australia.
In this book, Dr. Cheng describes about the Malaysian Muslim Chinese and discusses about the reality and the tasks that these people have to face in identifying themselves in the country. We know that in China itself, there are several Muslim groups and communities that is identifiable by their ethnicity and have a long run of history and legacy from hundreds of years ago. But the Chinese people in Malaysia's lineage of ancestors came from a different part of China, and from different ethnics, who are not originally Muslims, thus making them unlinkable to the Muslims in China in terms of legacy and identity. And then, by living in Malaysia, where the majority of Muslims are Malays, there are clashes of thoughts as to how or what is deemed as Islamic characteristics. Does one really can differentiate between religion and culture when both have been intertwined with each other in practice for many years?
Dr. Cheng presents this discussion in simple and readable 8 chapters about perceptions, the importance of ancestors, secularism, market-place society, the meaning of religion, Confucius and Buddhism, all to help prepare or shall I say, giving food for thoughts to the Malaysian Muslim Chinese in marking their own identity as a Muslim, and also a Chinese and a Malaysian. As a non-Chinese, but a Muslim and a Malaysian, I am interested to know that such 'dilemma' exists. It kind of open up the mind and made one to be more knowledgeable about other people.
