Buku ini memberi fokus kepada warisan sakral sama ada yang masih wujud serta diamalkan, mahupun yang telah lama ditinggalkan oleh masyarakat, umumnya di Nusantara. Sakral secara khusus bermaksud suci, mempunyai kuasa khas malah ajaib serta luar biasa, sering dikaitkan dengan hal yang bersifat kudus, transenden, misteri, sempurna dan mempunyai kesan transformatif kepada kehidupan dan takdir masyarakat yang mengamalkan dan menganutinya. Biarpun dunia kini telah semakin maju dan menjunjung tinggi nilai sains dan teknologi dalam kehidupan dan pembangunan negara, hakikatnya masyarakat yang menjadi asas kemajuan itu adalah manusia yang pernah tinggal dan merasai pengalaman sakral yang dilaksanakan dan dipercayai oleh generasi terdahulu. Sakral adalah sebuah pengalaman yang dilalui dan dipelajari secara tidak langsung oleh semua kelompok masyarakat dan wajar untuk dijadikan warisan dan rujukan kepada generasi akan datang tentang konsep “suci” yang pernah menjadi tonggak kepada kebudayaan dan adat istiadat sesebuah masyarakat. Konsep suci ini menyangkut hal-hal yang wajib diterima tanpa bantahan dan diakui benar-benar terjadi tanpa pembuktian dan hanya bersandarkan cerita dan kepercayaan orang tua-tua yang pernah mengalami, mendengar kembali atau mengaitkan amalan tersebut dengan peristiwa dahsyat yang pernah terjadi puluhan tahun malah ribuan tahun sebelumnya. Buku ini mengumpulkan 11 bab yang memberikan fokus kepada pelbagai aspek warisan sakral yang menarik dan luas sifatnya di Nusantara. Penelitian dibuat sekitar pelbagai isu yang melibatkan masyarakat Melayu di Semenanjung Malaysia, Melayu di Selatan Thailand, Bajau Semporna di Sabah, Dusun di Brunei, Mandailing di Medan, Indonesia, Cina di Pulau Pinang, Malaysia dan Tionghua di Jawa Barat, Indonesia. Buku ini merupakan hasil pendokumentasian ketiga kumpulan tujahan Warisan Sakral dengan pengumpulan data kajian yang menghubungjalinkan para penyelidik dari Malaysia dengan rakan-rakan serantau di Thailand, Brunei dan Indonesia. Semoga buku ini dapat dimanfaatkan sebaiknya untuk meningkatkan pemahaman serta pengetahuan masyarakat tentang warisan sakral Nusantara yang pelbagai rencam, unik serta menarik sifatnya untuk diperhalusi.

Jurnal Sang Pemula merupakan satu pertubuhan kecil yang terdiri daripada 12 anak muda dan di bawah pimpinan Dr Azhar Ibrahim. Tanpa dana besar, tanpa tujuan menjana ratusan ringgit, apatah lagi menjadi popular. Tujuan JSP digerakkan cuma satu iaitu berkongsi ide buat masyarakat (khususnya anak muda) kembali mempersoal, mengkritik, memikirkan dan menganalisis apa yang berlaku di sekeliling mereka. Lebih-lebih lagi ketika negara sedang berhadapan dengan ide-ide jumud. Maka, dari hasil pelbagai wacana, bengkel dan idea-idea yang kami hadiri dan yang direnungkan, kami curahkan sebahagiannya di dalam buku ini sebagai satu catatan buat Jurnal Sang Pemula sendiri juga untuk masyarakat. Secara umumnya ada lima tema besar yang difokuskan dalam Nusantara Bergerak iaitu sejarah, sastera (cerpen), feminisme, pembangunan (kemiskinan) dan politik. Selamat membaca! Dan semoga berbahagia semua.

On civilization and pluralism in Indonesia; papers of a conference.

Just like the Gutenberg revolution in the fifteenth century, which led to the emergence of non-conventional religious authority in the Christian world, the current information technology revolution, particularly through mediums such as Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and Twitter, has triggered the re-construction and decentralization of religious authority in Islam. New santri (pious individuals) and preachers emerged from the non-conventional religious educational system. They not only challenged the traditional authorities, but also redefine and re-conceptualize old religious terminologies, such as hijra and wasatiyya. This book explores the dynamics of religious authority in Indonesia with special attention to the challenges from the "new santri". It is a rich and important book on religion. I recommend students of religion in Indonesia and other countries to read it. Ahmad Syafi'i Maarif Professor Emeritus of History at Yogyakarta State University An important and timely volume that addresses the changing nature of Islamic leadership in the world's most popular Muslim country. This book debunks many (mis)perceptions that Indonesia Islam is monolithic. It also redefines dominant characterization of Islam by Orientalist scholars, such as santri and abangan Muslims. Haedar Nashir Chairman of Muhammadiyah This edited volume evaluates the new development of Islamic scholarship and authority in Indonesia. Things have changed significantly in recent times that make many observers and researchers wondering: has Indonesia moved from traditional authorities, mainstream Islamic organizations, and the established scholarship to the new actors, movements and platforms? Has the change occurs owing to the democratization and political reforms that took place in the last twenty years or are there other factors we need to take into account? The contributors in this book provide possible answers from many different areas and perspectives. It's a must-read! Nadirsyah Hosen Monash University, Australia

According to some observers, Southeast Asian Islam is undergoing a conservative turn. This means voices that champion humanist, progressive or moderate ideas are located on the fringes of society. Is this assessment accurate for a region that used to be known for promoting the “smiling face of Islam”? Alternative Voices in Muslim Southeast Asia examines the challenges facing progressive voices in Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore today. It examines their discourses, which delve into how multiculturalism and secularism are the way forward for the diverse societies of these three countries. Moreover, it analyses the avenues employed by these voices in articulating their views amidst the dominance of state and quasi-state religious officials who seek to restrict and discipline them. Contributors to the volume include scholars, activists and observers, some of whom are victims of repression and discrimination. While most of the chapters cover developments of the last decade, some of them go back to the previous century, capturing the emergence of modernist thinkers influenced by parallel movements in the Middle East and the wider region. Others respond to recent developments concerning Islam and Muslims in the three countries: the Pakatan Harapan coalition victory in the 2018 Malaysian election, the re-election of Joko Widodo as Indonesia’s president in 2019, and recent religious rulings passed in Singapore. Readers should come not only to reflect on the struggles faced by this group but also to appreciate the humanist traditions essential for the development of the societies of these countries in the midst of change.

Politicians and academics alike have made globalization the key reference point for interpreting the 1990s. For many, globalization threatens both community and the nation-state. It appears to represent forces beyond human control. Living the Global City documents globalization's impact on everyday lives by drawing on research rather than rhetoric and arrives at a very different perspective. Living the Global City offers an analysis of globalization and global/local processes by focussing on specific issues and themes which include community, culture, milieu, socioscapes and sociospheres, microglobalization, poverty, ethnic identity and carnival. By advancing the debates which surround these issues through a redefinition of the terms in which they have been developed and engagement with the everyday lives of people in a global city, this book reveals how such key concepts as community, culture, class, poverty and identity can be reconceptualized in the context of global/local processes.