Ritual space as an evolving process

Abstract

Through the experiences of a group of well-educated young Chinese female Muslim converts in Hong Kong, this paper examines how ritual space evolves in everyday practices. Among Hong Kong’s population of seven million, about 270,000 are Muslims, predominantly Indonesian domestic workers, and South Asian and African migrants. Only about 10% are ethnic Chinese – most have a root that can be traced to the Hui minority in Mainland China. Thus, in Hong Kong, Islam largely evokes imaginaries of ethnic minorities and “otherness.” To most Hong Kong people, it is particularly unimaginable that local Chinese females born and raised in this modern city should convert to Islam because many Islamic practices are stereotypically perceived to be incompatible with Chinese traditions or Hong Kong’s cosmopolitan ideals. For example, Chinese tradition prescribes ancestor worship, performed with elaborated rituals and lavish offerings, as a fundamental obligation of filial piety and family loyalty. However, this violates the very core tenet of Islam of opposing idol worship. Another example, Islam discourages dating, but love marriage is the norm in Hong Kong, implying individual liberty. Conforming to Islamic marriage practices goes against the cultural ideal of autonomy. Thus, the women in this research find themselves challenged by everyday realities that constantly require creative adaptation. Grounded in ethnographic fieldwork, this study unpacks how these women understand and employ a secular interpretation of Islamic practices, or an Islamic interpretation of Chinese traditions/Hong Kong social norms to illuminate the construction and reconstruction of the “secular” and “religious” as an evolving process.