Books

Ties between Southeast Asia and the Middle East have been extremely important for well over seven hundred years, but historical linkages between the two regions have attracted little attention, and assessments of their significance are curiously lacking. Southeast Asia and the Middle East addresses this omission by exploring political, economic, familial, educational and religious bonds connecting these areas, both historically and in the contemporary world.

Islam in Southeast Asia is conventionally understood as a synthesis of Middle Eastern and local ideas. While accepting that such a distinction exists, this volume shows how ongoing interactions have helped determine the character of both regions, and Southeast Asia in particular. The pervasiveness of these influences makes it clear that they will continue to shape political and economic relations, migration patterns, the dissemination of knowledge, and radials of Islamic militancy for a long time to come. Such relationships contribute to regional and global events in many crucial ways, making the present volume timely and important not only for scholars but also for anyone interested in the future of Asia and the Middle East.

From ARI workshop on Southeast Asia and The Middle East: Islam, Movement and the longue Duree, 17-18 August 2004.