Credit should always be given where it is due, and in this case credit has to be given to the leaders of the Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party (PAS) for their latest innovative and timely venture: The construction of the long-awaited 'Masjid Cina' at Mukim Rantau Panjang, Pasir Mas, Kelantan.

The mosque will be called the 'Masjid Jubli Perak Sultan Ismail Petra,' indeed its construction was launched in conjunction with the celebration of the silver jubilee of the ruler of the state.

Needless to say the name of the mosque which has little to do with the actual design of the mosque itself has more to do with the complex and often convoluted internal politics of the state of Kelantan itself.

PAS has not exactly enjoyed a cordial relationship with the fiercely independent ruler of Kelantan, who has, over the years, demonstrated his inclination to assert his own will
even at the expense of the state legislature (Dewan Undangan Negeri Kelantan).
However, the most interesting and important feature of the mosque is its design, which is modeled on the mosques of China: hence its nickname, the 'masjid Cina' of Kelantan.

This obviously does not imply that the mosque is meant to be used only by Chinese Muslims (as there are not that many of them in Kelantan in the first place), but rather is intended to underscore the fact that Islam is a universal faith and that it has developed organic roots in many other parts of the world.

By deliberately choosing the design of a traditional Chinese mosque complete with all the features of traditional Chinese architecture, such as multi-levelled communal spaces, enclosed forecourts and inner and outer courtyards, etc. the designers have opened the eyes of Malaysians to traditional Chinese notions of space and topography.

De-racialising Islam

The implications of this venture are many and far-reaching. For a start, it marks a significant contribution by PAS to the de-racialisation of Islam in Malaysia.

For too long the country has laboured under the yoke of a colonial epistemology and order of knowledge that has grounded race and ethnicity in politics and cultural life. This in turn has ossified the discourse and culture of Malaysian politics, where racial considerations have dominated almost all aspects of Malaysian society, including its understanding of religion and religious identity.

The Federal Constitution's conflation of Malayness with Islam (which incidentally, is historically inaccurate, as the Malays were Hindus and Buddhists for centuries before their conversion to the Abrahamic faith) has made the two categories almost identical.

It is commonly stated that 'to be a Malay is to be a Muslim', and that conversion to Islam is described as 'masuk Melayu'.

That the two categories can be discursively linked and sutured thus is both an historical and epistemic fallacy. For the benefit of those Malay-centric chauvinists out there, this writer would like to point out that Islam had taken root in China, long before it did in the Malay world, and that there were practicing Chinese Muslims when the Malays were still Hindus and Buddhists!

Building a mosque of Chinese design therefore does a great service to the historical legacy of Islam in China, and proves that Chinese culture and civilisation has also left its indelible mark on the normative culture, praxis and arts of the Muslim world.

It will also remind Malays that they are not the only Muslims in the country, and that other Asian societies have also contributed to the development of Islamic civilisation as a whole.

Furthermore it will finally allow PAS to atone for its own mistakes during the Asri Muda era (1970-1982) when its leader Dato Asri Muda reversed many of the progressive Islamic policies of its previous leader, Dr. Burhanuddin al-Helmy and turned PAS into a parochial ethnocentric party, championing the concerns of the Malay community.(1)

The eastern face of Islam

The other positive outcome of the venture is that it highlights the Eastern face of Islam that has been marginalised and remains largely under-researched. As an academic who lives and works in Europe, I have attended numerous conferences, seminar, expositions and exhibitions on the theme of Islamic arts and culture.

Yet in almost all of these events, the Occidental mind set is limited and stops at the eastern shores of India. During the first great exhibition of Islamic Art and Civilisation in 1970 (held in London and Paris), Malaysia, Indonesia and China were not even on the map!

Perhaps in the minds of the organisers of the conference there were no 'real Muslims' east of India, just some 'savages' living in trees, eating durian or noodles, pretending to be Muslim!

To make things worse, this cultural bias and narrow mind set has been internalised by Malaysian (and Indonesian) Muslims themselves. Note how almost all of the books that have been written on Islamic history, culture and civilisation in Southeast Asia almost unanimously place the region at the furthest corner of the Muslim world and have failed to note the long-established presence of Islam in China.

While many Malaysian Islamists of the conservative hue have condemned other 'secular Muslims' for being too Eurocentric, they have failed to note that they too share the same Western bias when they turn to the Arab world as the source of 'pure, authentic' Islam.

Proof of this Arabic bias can be seen in the construction of new mosques, madrasahs and suraus all over Malaysia and Indonesia today.

Universal religion

An overwhelming majority of the new mosques built in the post-colonial period are based on the generic 'Petrodollar' pseudo-Arabic-Moghul mosque with its 'onion dome' and pointed minaret. These mosques are more often than not constructed on the cheap, are universally ugly and vulgar, and worse of all, show no evidence of the Asian face of Islam in Southeast Asia.

Lest we forget, the traditional mosques of Southeast Asia show a distinct local genius in adapting Malay, Indian and Chinese cultural influences and blending them together harmoniously.

The older mosques of Malacca still bear traces of this cross-cultural borrowing and adaptation, and in some mosques in the region such as the modest and elegant Masjid Besar of Pelambang, Sumatra we see distinct Chinese cultural and architectural influences that point to the presence of Chinese Muslims centuries ago.

Not to be forgotten are the Chinese-built mosques that dot the landscape of Southeast Asia, such as the Masjid Kebun Jeruk (off Jalan Hayam Wuruk) in Jakarta, that was built by a Chinese Muslim and in its compound can be found the grave of the wife of the Chinese builder, crowned by a Malay gravestone adorned with Chinese script!

What has happened to the rich architectural legacy of the Indonesian-Malay peoples, who for centuries built their own mosques in traditional Southeast Asian style? Are they so ashamed of their identity as Asians that they need to live, work and pray in buildings that look Arabic?

Lest it be forgotten, Islam is a universal religion that should not be conflated with Arab culture and identity. Here we reject the claim of Arab scholars like the late Ismail Raj Faruqi who attempted to draw an essentialist link between Islamic norms and praxis with Arabic culture, language and identity.

There is nothing 'essentially' Arabic about Islam, for it is a universal religion that transcends such narrow particularities. As was related to us by an Indonesian Ulama recently, 'If the Prophet Muhammad was born in Java, he would probably have worn a sarong and blakon does that mean that Islam would be 'Javanese' and the whole Muslim world has to dress like the Javanese?'

Islamising society and socialising Islam

The third positive outcome of this new mosque project is how it aims to Islamicise society, which would in turn lead to the socialisation of Islam as well. As noted by the Murshid'ul Am (Spiritual Leader) of PAS Tuan Guru Nik Aziz Nik Mat:

"Masjid merupakan tempat ibadat yang pelbagai guna. Ia bukan sahaja untuk kita melaksanakan ibadat khususiah bahkan juga ibadat-ibadat umum yang lain. Justeru itu, amat bertepatan sekali Masjid Jubli Perak Sultan Ismail Petra ini dibina dengan merangkumi sekali keperluan-keperluan ibadah yang lain, seperti perpustakaan, dewan makan, klinik, pejabat dan lain-lain. Ia patut dijadikan contoh supaya masjid sentiasa dianggap bukan sahaja untuk menunaikan solat, bahkan juga sebagai pusat kemudahan hari-hari."(2)

Here again the spatial topography of the Chinese mosque is important: Like other Asian mosques of the past, it is a complex assembly that houses the mosque proper as well as a diverse array of social spaces and work-areas for other activities such as education, commerce and social interaction.

Like the great mosque of Baghdad during the time of the Caliph Harun al-Rashid, and the breathtakingly beautiful Wazir Khan mosque of Lahore (3) (photo), the Masjid Cina of Kelantan is to be a mosque and much more besides.

All of these mosques have tried to combine elements of the sacred with the mundane, showing that from an Islamic point of view, even the daily commerce and interaction of people are part of their worship (ibadah) and social duties, to be conducted morally and fairly.

One hopes that as a social centre, the Masjid Cina of Kelantan will attract members of society from all walks of life, regardless of religion or race, to have a close-up look at what Islam in China (now brought to Malaysia) looks like.

To this end, the mosque should function as a truly open, plural social space that accommodates a wide array of social activities. It can serve as a research centre for the study of the important role played by the Chinese and other communities in the development of Malaysia and the rest of Southeast Asia, for instance.

Not exclusive space

For this to succeed, it should remain an open space that welcomes all visitors and not an exclusive space with signs like 'Non-Muslims cannot enter', as is found in so many mosques these days.

The only critique that this writer has is the form and design of the minaret of the mosque, which is not in keeping with the rest of the structure and does not look anything like a minaret of a Chinese mosque.

In fact, upon closer inspection, it actually looks like an abstract depiction of an ulama, complete with kepiah and serban! Not only is the minaret out of place and decidedly ugly, its anthropomorphic design borders on the representation of living beings, which some conservative scholars have regarded as un-Islamic.

Is this an attempt by PAS to show its post-modern deconstructionist face?

Ugly minaret aside, PAS' Masjid Cina is a laudable effort that deserves due credit. Late though it may be, any move towards the de-racialisation of Islam in Malaysia deserves the praise and support of all, and in this respect PAS has done a service not only to itself as a party, but also to Malaysia as a whole.

Endnotes:

1) Dato Muhammad Asri Muda was the fourth President of PAS and he led the party between 1970 to 1982. A Kelantan-born Malay who was fiercely defensive over the question of Malay rights, it was he who reversed the progressive policies of the Burhanuddin era and brought PAS into the ruling Alliance (later National Front) coalition.

This ill-fated experiment lasted between 1973 to 1978, and ended up with PAS being reduced to the status of a pawn in the ruling coalition. So angry and disappointed were the members of PAS that they ultimately brought down their own leader in an internal party coup in 1982.

2) Translation: "The mosque is a multi-purpose institution for all our ibadah. It is not just there for us to perform our religious duties, but also other social activities. Thus, it is quite appropriate that the Sultan Ismail Petra Silver Jubilee Mosque is built to accommodate other social needs, such as its library, dining hall, public clinic, offices, etc.

This mosque should be seen as a model for other mosques, so that the mosque is not seen solely as a place for us to perform our prayers, but also as a centre for our daily needs." (Re: Tuan Guru Nik Aziz Nik Mat, Welcoming address at the launch of the Sultan Ismail Petra Silver Jubilee Mosque, 29 June 2004.)

3) So beautiful is the Wazir Khan mosque in its design and execution that this writer contends that one cannot say that one has seen all the beauties of the world unless one has visited this gem of Moghul architecture. Its beauty lies in the simplicity of its design: a square compound with four octagonal minarets at each corner.

The most interesting aspect of its design is its forecourt, which is lined with two rows of shop-lots that were once used as merchants and traders who plied their trade in the mosque compound itself. This demonstrates that the traditional mosques were not exclusively places of worship, but also centres for social activities ranging from commerce to education.