Research

Shaping Communities Through Language Practices

Linguistic Anthropology | 2021-2025

Amid extensive scholarly discussions on Indonesia's Islamization and Arabization, the semiotic articulation of these indexical relationships has remained largely uncharted. This dissertation fills this gap by providing an ethnographic account of the semiotic register of Arab descendants in Indonesia, focusing on how language practices shape identity within this diasporic community. This work explores the diverse identities within this community, which have been shaped by a history of migratory waves and interactions that have fostered connections among various local and transregional actors.

Engaging with broader discussions on cultural and linguistic transformations related to South- to-South migration, religious language, and standardization processes, this study challenges prevailing views that often limit the Arab diaspora in Indonesia to associations with prominent religious figures. Instead, it highlights a neglected aspect of Arab-Indonesian identity: the semiotic registers and language practices of Arab descendants. Additionally, it brings into academic discussion the impact of more recent migration flows that follow older genealogical ties and new transnational opportunities.

The Roots of Political Shi'ism in Indonesia

Global Shi'ism | 2023-in corso

This research explores the origins of political Shi'ism in Indonesia by examining the scholarly networks between Iraq and Indonesia, particularly focusing on the visits of Indonesian scholars to Najaf in the 1950s and 1960s. The authors, Pietro Menghini and Luigi Sausa, argue that political Shi'ism in Indonesia did not emerge solely after the 1979 Iranian Revolution but had earlier foundations rooted in these transnational scholarly exchanges.