Islamization as Part of Globalization: Some Southeast Asian Examples

In both popular and academic imagination, Islamization and globalization are the opposing processes, representing ”the clash of civilizations” (Huntington, 1993,1996). In Southeast Asia, specifically, globalization is imagined as something distinctly Western and, hence, inherently at odds with Islam, while Islam, meanwhile, is seen as the natural enemy of globalization. This paper instead sees Muslims as active participants in globalization. Further, it explores the concept of “Muslim globalization” to suggest that Islam has long been a globalizing force alongside Western-based capitalism and other forces. It explores this general model by using examples primarily from Southeast Asia.