ABSTRACT
Since 2000, there has been a growing trend towards the incorporation of Chinese cultural elements in Islamic preaching in Malaysia and Indonesia, which this chapter calls cultural dakwah. Chinese-style mosques, Chinese New Year celebrations in the mosques, Chinese nasyid group, and Chinese halal restaurants are among the creative forms of Chinese Muslims’ cultural dakwah. By looking into the debates and practices of Chinese New Year celebrations, this chapter examines how and under what conditions Chinese Muslims suggest that Chinese culture does not contradict Islamic principles, and instead can facilitate the spread of Islamic messages. Many Muslim leaders and organizations endorse such cultural dakwah, as long as such activities do not contain non-Islamic religious elements. This chapter argues that many promoters of cultural dakwah accept cultural diversity and religious inclusivity, provided it fits with their Islamic framework. Yet, they might hesitate to cross religious boundaries, observe non-Islamic rituals, and endorse alternative interpretations of Islam. This reflects that there is a simultaneously growing demand for cultural diversity and an increasing commitment to religious conservatism among many Muslims in Malaysia and Indonesia.
