Dr Melissa Crouch spoke to ANU Myanmar Research Centre’s, Myanmar Musings podcast series (13 June 2017) regarding her book, Islam and the State and touched on the challenges and the use of Islamic personal law in Myanmar.
Dr Melissa Crouch spoke to ANU Myanmar Research Centre’s, Myanmar Musings podcast series (13 June 2017) regarding her book, Islam and the State and touched on the challenges and the use of Islamic personal law in Myanmar.
Q: Why did you chose to frame a book about Muslims in Myanmar in regards to interactions with the state?
A: I think that was because at times, the conversation in a more general popular media sense is about the fact that Muslims are excluded from the State. Of course, in part, that is the case and there are a few chapters that do deal with that, but I was also interested in really trying to hone in on and illustrate ways in which Muslims are very much part of the fabric of the state, and have daily interactions and are both influencers and are influenced by it. In addition, because we are in a stage where since the transition from military rule that the State is becoming more important, the administration is becoming more important, whether we like that or not. So, for that reason, there is a need to understand what is the interaction between and how do Muslims understand themselves within the State.
Listen to the full podcast here.