Muslim Women and Sports in the Malay World: The Crossroads of Modernity and Faith

Wirdati Mohammad Radzi

This book examines the challenges faced by young Muslim female athletes from Malaysia, Brunei, and Indonesia in competitive sports. After presenting a valuable socio-historical survey of the Malay world before, during, and after colonization, the author focuses in on contemporary social dynamics, including the emergence of Muslim women competing at the international level. Through surveys and interviews conducted at the Twenty-Second South East Asian Games in Hanoi, she captures the athletes’ experiences and perspectives as they compete, often under rules that conflict with Islamic practice.

Wirdati Mohdammad Radzi is a lecturer and researcher at the Sport Centre, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur. She is currently pursuing a doctoral degree in Leicestershire, UK.

Islam in Southeast Asia: Views from Within series is a research fellowship program offered by the Asian Muslim Action Network (AMAN). Grants are awarded to promising Muslim scholars in Southeast Asia for innovative research on economic, socio-political, and cultural changes taking place in their diverse communities. Written from an insider’s perspective, the publications promote a wider understanding of the role of Islam in Southeast Asia.