I expect Asian governments to manifest a low-key but characteristically firm and absolute (and often official) position against Islam. Actually, I don’t expect it, I’m watching it happen and just now recognizing a fairly uniform trend. Something is going on in Asia with regard to this, and I don’t know quite what it is, but there is no doubt that doors are closing all across Asia for Muslims in general.
I think the timing is not a coincidence — the nature of Islamic threats are changing, becoming more diffuse, and taking on a different character just as a new generation of indoctrination is beginning across the West and Asia.
- Myanmar has found something much more compelling than mere domestic political expediency to engage in its current operations (ISIS returners, as are turning up in Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines, is one possibility).
- China has begun confiscating the Koran and categorized it as a book containing extremist political sentiment.
- Thailand is readying a firm move against the southern Muslim rebels — and at the same time ISIS returners are very effectively influencing the young generation throughout the old Pattani region.
- Saudis and other donors are standing up madrasas throughout Malaysia and Indonesia, and the Malaysian government is both unable to stop the trend while at the same time higher-ups in Putrajaya are strangely blind to the problem while also complaining about it.
- The Philippines is obviously on a “you’re with us or against us” path politically and socially. And a certain of portion of the younger Muslim generation today is much more willing to take that as a challenge instead of an offer to pledge fealty (or at least negotiate terms).
- Japanese are, at least anecdotally, becoming increasingly uneasy with the idea of accepting any Muslims, even as guest workers. The striking thing there is that ten years ago (well after 9/11) the topic of religion would never have been mentioned discussing this issue socially, but now it is brought up. This change over the last year or two coincides with the first mosque in Kyoto trying to promote itself via online ads and Japanese demonstrating an instant and strong aversion to the very concept of proselytization. They are now in “wait and see” mode socially — to watch and see how things turn out in Europe.
- South Koreans seem to be on the same page as the Japanese — the attitude toward Islam having soured considerably over the last five years or so. Once again, this is anecdotal, but the subject has come up more than once, and many South Koreans keep up with news of attacks in France, Sweden and the UK.
- Indonesia is seeing the rise of extra-judicial Islamic enforcement gangs.
- Malaysia is seeing a similar rise in extra-judicial Islamic enforcement gangs, but the effect is somewhat muted by considerable repression by the special police and more active engagement with the group leaders.
- Returners, returners, returners. ISIS veterans are flooding into various part of Asia, fresh off a tour in Syria, North Africa, Iraq or Afghanistan with ISIS and keeping in touch with one another. Of course, nobody feels comfortable with that. Unlike in Europe, though, well-known jihadis are not left to their own devices and most go missing somewhere in transit — but it is clear and evident that many are still returning and building new lines of communication and influence locally.
Any one of these issues, from official government actions to simple social reactions, would be grounds for certain groups to rally large responses — Islamic groups as well as Western-based political groups with strong anti-Asian nationalist agendas (something I’ve always found very odd). But the only thing making the news is Myanmar right now, and that’s a pretty hopeless fight to try to pick in terms of political pressure. Myanmar is about as pliable as North Korea as long as China is on their side, and China is indeed on their side with regard to this detail.
I do not see a future where Asian governments will feel compelled to do anything other than increase their resistance to an increased domestic Muslim presence. I fully expect that religious questions will be incorporated on visa applications to places like China eventually (not that repression of religion is anything new there).
I have no idea how any of this is going to turn out, but I find this trend notable and the timing troubling. I don’t know exactly what is triggering this much activity just now (why not a decade ago?), but something is clearly going on. It could be the outcome of some government assessments, or simply a change in the domestic social outlook, or both — but something is going on with this. And, of course, it is impossible to say “they are wrong”. It is just what they are doing and I’m just pointing it out.