Religion And National Identity Linked In Southeast Asian Countries
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NEW YORK — Many Americans may think Buddhism is a philosophy tied to mindfulness and yoga — but across much of Southeast Asia, being Buddhist is an important part of national identity, a new study reveals.
A Pew Research Center report, released on Tuesday, found that in countries such as Cambodia, Sri Lanka and Thailand (where at least 70% of adults are Buddhist), “upward of nine-in-ten Buddhists say being Buddhist is important to being truly part of their nation.”
The study revealed, for example, that 95% of Sri Lankan Buddhists say being Buddhist is “important to be truly Sri Lankan — including 87% who say Buddhism is very important to be a true Sri Lankan.”
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“Although most people in these countries identify as Buddhist religiously, there is widespread agreement that Buddhism is more than a religion. The vast majority of Buddhists in Cambodia, Sri Lanka and Thailand not only describe Buddhism as ‘a religion one chooses to follow’ but also say Buddhism is ‘a culture one is part of” and “a family tradition one must follow,’” the report said.
Buddhism’s links to national identity in these countries matches the role of Islam in the neighboring Muslim-majority countries of Indonesia and Malaysia, the survey found. Muslims in Malaysia, where Islam is the official religion, support using Shariah as the national law (86%). That figure reaches 64% when asked of Indonesian Muslims.
Indonesia, which consists of 17,000 islands, is the most populous Muslim-majority country, with approximately 231 million adherents.
These perceptions have deep cultural and political ties. Under Cambodia’s constitution, for example, Buddhism is the national religion and the state is required to support Buddhist schools. Sri Lanka’s current constitution guarantees Buddhism “the foremost place” and assigns the government responsibility “to protect and foster” it.
Buddhism — also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya — is an Indian religion and philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha.
According to the Pew survey, most Buddhists in all three countries “favor basing their national laws on Buddhist dharma — a wide-ranging concept that includes the knowledge, doctrines and practices stemming from Buddha’s teachings.”
This perspective is nearly unanimous among Cambodian Buddhists (96%), while smaller majorities of Buddhists in Sri Lanka (80%) and Thailand (56%) support laws based on Buddhist teachings.
Asked about the role of religious leaders in public life, Cambodian Buddhists stood out as the most likely to favor a connection between religion and politics: 81% of them saying religious leaders should vote in political elections.
In contrast, smaller proportions of Buddhists in Sri Lanka (66%) and Thailand (54%) feel that way. The Thai constitution bans Buddhist monks, novices and priests from casting ballots in elections.
Islam, which translates into “submission,” is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion centered on the Quran and the teachings of Muhammad. Conversion by Muslims to other faiths is forbidden under most interpretations of Shariah, and converts are considered apostates.
At the same time, the report found, Muslims are “more likely than other religious communities” to say conversion away from their faith “is unacceptable.” This was the position taken by two-thirds or more of Buddhists in Cambodia, Sri Lanka and Thailand, the study’s three Buddhist-majority nations surveyed.
In some countries, the survey also found, “there are also sizable shares of Muslims who say Buddhism is not peaceful, and conversely some Buddhists who say Islam is not peaceful.”
For example, Pew found that Malaysian Muslims are “especially likely” to see Buddhism as not peaceful (42%), while 36% of Thai Buddhists say Islam “is not peaceful.”
The Pew Research Center survey was conducted among 13,122 adults in six countries in Southeast and South Asia. Interviews were conducted face-to-face in Cambodia, Indonesia, Sri Lanka and Thailand and on cell phones in Malaysia and Singapore. Local interviewers administered the survey from June to September 2022, in eight languages.
The study was funded by The Pew Charitable Trusts and the John Templeton Foundation.
Clemente Lisi is the executive editor at Religion Unplugged. He is the author of “The FIFA World Cup: A History of the Planet’s Biggest Sporting Event” and previously served as deputy head of news at the New York Daily News and a longtime reporter at The New York Post. Follow him on Twitter @ClementeLisi.