Defining Islamic modernity through creative writing: a case study of Indonesian domestic workers in Hong Kong

ABSTRACT

Indonesian domestic workers (IDWs) have been frequently stereotyped as uneducated and submissive women with little or no bargaining power in transnational labour migration. This article examines why and how literacy practices help foster the activism of IDWs in Hong Kong. In particular, I seek to understand the significance of IDWs’ writing in relation to Islamic modernities. Using the framework of alternative modernities, I argue that the creative process of IDWs’ writing sheds light to their attempts to exercise individual and collective agency. Specifically, the article looks at the role of Forum Lingkar Pena (Pen Circle Forum, FLP) Hong Kong, an IDW writing community, to reveal how its collective literacy practices help affirm Islamic values as part of a modernisation process on IDWs’ own terms.

KEYWORDS:

• Spiritual habitus
• creative writing
• Islamic modernity
• domestic workers

Acknowledgments

I thank my research participants, Indonesian domestic workers who were working or used to work in Hong Kong, for giving me wonderful assistance during the fieldwork. I am also grateful to my PhD supervisors, A/Prof. Fran Martin and A/Prof. Chris Healy from Cultural Studies, School of Culture and Communication, the University of Melbourne for their great assistance and support during my study. This article is part of my PhD research, which was supported by the Melbourne International Research Scholarship.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

Notes

1. Madura and Lombok Islands are among the largest senders of Indonesian migrant domestic workers to Malaysia and Saudi Arabia.

2. In Islam, Qur’an represents the Words of God, and Hadith is the collection of the sayings of Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon Him) as narrated by his Companions.

3. Adhan: a call to prayers in Islam.

4. Many IDWs are given a list of things not to bring when they go overseas. The list may include mukena (white praying gown).

5. Sajadah = praying rug.

6. Alhamdulillah means Praise be to God.

7. In Islam, aurat refers to parts of the body that should be covered. For women, it refers to the whole body except face and hand.