MEDFORD, Massachusetts -- In light of the recent terrorist bombings in Riyadh and Casablanca, travel advisories were quickly issued for Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia. The October Kuta bombings in Bali served as a crucial reminder of the vulnerability of Southeast Asia to terrorism. Will Middle Eastern-style suicide bombings and political violence take root in the region?
While Islam is commonly portrayed as a Middle Eastern religion, the majority of the world's Muslims reside in Asia. Indonesia is home to the world's largest Muslim population, estimated at 180 million. Next to Indonesia lies Malaysia, where Islam is the official religion. Two Malaysia states are ruled by PAS, a fundamentalist Islamic party. Large Muslim minorities also reside in Singapore, Thailand and the Philippines. Some segments of these populations have separatist sentiments.
Attempts to link violent events in Middle East with Southeast Asia are not new. The label of pan-Islamism, under which clusters of bombings and incidents are grouped together as a unified threat, has been around since the heydays of French and Dutch imperialism in the 19th century. In this context it is worth mentioning the perception of the Sanusiyah's 19th century activities.