Igniting Thought, Unleashing Youth

Igniting Thought, Unleashing Youth is a co-publication by Select Publishing and Young AMP, the youth wing of the Association of Muslim Professionals. It is a collection of essays by young Malay/Muslims on the state of various aspects of the Malay/Muslim community in Singapore.

The book will be officially launched on 15 August 2009. The book launch will be held at the Pod in the National Library, commencing at 10am.

From the backcover:

Despite enormous socio-economic progress in the Malay/Muslim community, there are deep uncertainties confronting Malay/Muslim youths: a growing sense of Islamic identity, the rise of Islamic fundamentalism in the region and the widening racial income gap among others. What do Malay/Muslim youths think about
the issues confronting them and their roles in the community? This collection of essays by young Malay/Muslims provides a refreshing, if somewhat provocative, alternative to views that currently permeate the local Malay/Muslim community.

The sometimes self-critical, yet always constructive, reflections sample the psyche and thought processes of young members of a minority group in a heterogeneous society. They straddle ideas on the effects of Islamic extremism and radicalism; the implications and utility of the Internet; the impact of the environment on Islamic thought and practices; the current state of Muslim women activism; the critical need for inter-racial interaction; the urgency to emphasise education and scientific understanding; and the future role of Malay/Muslim youth activism in Singapore. Crucially, the essays ask how young Malay/Muslims should develop a religious and cultural identity alongside a Singaporean urban identity.

For community leaders and institutions, it offers insights into the aspirations of young Malay/Muslims and their efforts to contribute to society. For non-Muslim or non-Malay readers, it offers implications and applications beyond the Malay/Muslim group.