從在地經驗反思西方理論：以馬來西亞政治伊斯蘭運動為例

Gaps Between Western Theories and Local Experiences: Reflections From Malaysia’s Political Islamic Movements

筆者以馬來西亞的政治伊斯蘭運動為案例，檢討當前美國政治學者SamuelP. Huntington及Mark Juergensmeyer對於該議題研究的盲點，並重新思考「先西方理論後在地經驗」及「從在地經驗反思西方理論」兩種途徑的適用性。筆者認為，Huntington及Juergensmeyer所提出的觀點隱含東方主義式的偏差，非但無法幫助我們掌握研究對象，更可能誤導我們對於政治伊斯蘭運動的認識。從研究馬來西亞的案例來看，筆者主張研究者應該多了解研究對象所處的歷史及文化脈絡，學習當地語言、蒐集當地資料以增加在地經驗，並且保持開放的心胸，關注該對象的特殊性及多樣性，如此才能盡可能地呈現出貼近當地歷史及文化脈絡的知識。

This author conducts a case study of Malaysia to critically examine how Western political scientists, taking Samuel Huntington and Mark Juergensmeyer as instances, perceive Islamic revival. According to Huntington and Juergensmeyer, the resurgence of political Islamic movements is considered a counter-westernization that will eventually lead to a clash of civilizations or new Cold War. Based on Edward Said’s thoughts, I contend that such arguments imply a bias of Orientalism. My case study of Malaysia suggests a caveat that simply applying the theories from Western academia to research without critical thinking may impede the understanding of political Islamic movements. Overall, I propose that in order to advance the knowledge that better reflects the patterns of a country, scholars should carefully take into account the broader historical and social contexts of that country, conduct substantive field research, learn local languages, and be open-minded to the uniqueness and diversity of that country.