Journal of Asian Social Science Research

Pakistani Mosque Imams’ Perspectives on Youth Religious Extremism on Facebook and YouTube: A Diagnostic Survey

Imtiaz Hussain — Mon, 22 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Abstract
Religious extremism remains a persistent challenge in Pakistan, and the growing use of social media has intensified concerns about online radicalization among youth. This study aimed to examine mosque imams’ perceptions of the role of Facebook and YouTube in promoting religious extremism among Pakistani youth and to test whether these perceptions differ by place of residence, educational qualification, and years of experience. Guided by Uses and Gratifications Theory, the study employed a diagnostic, survey-based design. Data were collected through a 20-item questionnaire administered to 411 mosque imams from two regions of Punjab. The instrument demonstrated strong reliability (? = 0.88). Results indicate that a large proportion of respondents believe Facebook and YouTube contribute to the spread of extremist ideologies among youth. Agreement levels were higher among imams in one region of Punjab compared with the other, and perceptions also varied by experience and education. Imams with around ten years of experience reported the strongest agreement. Educational background showed mixed patterns, with Dars-e-Nizami holders more likely to strongly agree, while some Bachelor’s degree holders expressed stronger disagreement. Chi-square and one-way ANOVA tests confirmed significant differences across residence, qualification, and experience. The study contributes empirical evidence by foregrounding imams as key informants in understanding online religious extremism. Practically, the findings imply a need for coordinated interventions involving digital literacy, community engagement, and structured collaboration between religious leaders, policymakers, and platform stakeholders to strengthen counter-narratives and reduce youth vulnerability.

Religious and Political Narratives in Islamic Iconization: The Case of Kyai Kholil of Madura

Yanwar Pribadi — Mon, 22 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Abstract
This article examines how Kyai Kholil became an iconic figure in Indonesian Islam in a setting where saintly veneration, pesantren authority, and electoral politics intersect. It aims to explain how the appropriation of revered religious leaders contributes to role-model formation across devotional, scholarly, and political arenas. The study combines anthropological fieldwork on pilgrimage practices and kyai–pesantren networks in Madura and Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) milieus with analysis of historical and biographical sources. Findings show that many Muslim communities continue to view Kyai Kholil as a saint whose barakah can still be accessed through tomb visitation; that numerous NU kyai position him as an indirect guru to legitimize contemporary religious lineages; and that politicians tied to NU, including descendants, can convert symbolic proximity to Kyai Kholil into credibility and electoral advantage. The article concludes that iconization is a dynamic process that links past authority to present needs, shaping historical knowledge, community boundaries, and political constellations. It contributes a critical framework for reading mystical narrative, institutional memory, and political mobilization as mutually reinforcing dimensions of Islamic icon-making. The implications suggest that scholarship should compare multiple narratives of saints across regions and communities beyond NU and examine social, economic, and digital dynamics that influence pilgrimage, charisma, and political authority to better map the diverse logics of iconization in Indonesia and the wider Muslim world.

Marriage Dissolution through Divorced Women’s Voices: New Insights from Bangladesh

Md Abdul Jalil — Mon, 22 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Abstract

Divorce is widely recognized as one of the most stressful life experiences, with far-reaching effects on individuals, families, and society. At the same time, for some women, it may offer relief from oppression and a route to restored autonomy and dignity. This study aimed to explore how divorced women perceive the dissolution of their marriages and how they evaluate the decision to divorce in Bangladesh. Using a qualitative design, semi-structured interviews were conducted with divorced women, and their narratives were analyzed thematically. The findings suggest that marital breakdown is shaped by a cluster of social and relational drivers, including women’s access to education and formal employment, rising expectations for autonomy and empowerment, polygamy, extramarital affairs, interference by in-laws in personal and family life, addiction to social media, and the influence of a wife’s parental family. Although divorce was sometimes framed as a necessary response to persistent inequity and conflict, many participants also reported regret and self-blame for the breakdown of their marriages. The study concludes that prevention efforts should balance respect for women’s agency with initiatives that strengthen mutual respect, communication, and boundary management within extended family systems. This research contributes women-centred evidence to the divorce literature in comparable socio-cultural settings. Implications include expanding community education and couple- and family-focused support services that address polygamy, infidelity, and technology-related tensions while promoting equitable gender relations.

Indonesia’s Strategic Rationale for Championing the ASEAN Gender Mainstreaming Strategic Framework

Ilham Dary Athallah, Hayara Khairia, Tsabita Husna — Mon, 22 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Abstract
Indonesia's vigorous support of the ASEAN Gender Mainstreaming Strategic Framework (AGMSF) presents a compelling paradox. Despite possessing a comprehensive domestic legal architecture for gender equality, its championing of a regional framework appears redundant. This article argues that the apparent contradiction reflects a dual-track strategy in which regional norm-building is used to reinforce domestic governance while enhancing Indonesia’s standing in ASEAN. It examines Indonesia’s framing of the AGMSF, the factors shaping the translation of regional commitments into national practice, and how global gender norms are articulated alongside locally grounded ethical narratives. The article adopts a qualitative descriptive-analytical design grounded in constructivist International Relations. Data come from analysis of the AGMSF, Indonesian and ASEAN policy documents and official statements, and relevant scholarly and policy literature. Qualitative content analysis, supported by selective discourse analysis, is used to trace dominant themes and justifications. Findings show that Indonesia positions itself as a norm entrepreneur and presents the AGMSF as a non-coercive, capacity-building vehicle for localizing global gender equality principles to fit the ASEAN Way. It is also framed as an external lever for peer learning and reputational incentives to address persistent implementation gaps at home. The article concludes that the AGMSF is a strategic supplement rather than a redundant policy layer. It contributes to limited scholarship on ASEAN gender governance by linking norm entrepreneurship, regional institutionalism, and value negotiation. The findings imply that regionally resonant frameworks can strengthen domestic implementation and call for future comparative and field-based research across member states.

Assessing the Open Market Sale (OMS) as an Urban Food Safety Net in Bangladesh: Policy and Practice Gaps

Maruf Hasan Rumi, Md. Nure Alam — Mon, 22 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Abstract

Public food distribution programmes are central to social protection efforts, yet their performance often falls short of their stated goals. This study evaluates the service quality of the Open Market Sale (OMS) programme, which provides subsidised food grains to low-income urban residents, and examines how institutional and political factors shape its outcomes. Using a qualitative design informed by critical realism, the research draws on 20 in-depth interviews with purposefully selected beneficiaries and 10 key informant interviews with programme administrators, dealers and community leaders, complemented by documentary analysis of policy and evaluation reports. The findings show that, although OMS offers short-term price relief, its service quality is undermined by long queues, uncertain access, inadequate ration sizes, poor food quality and weak responsiveness to complaints. Targeting errors, institutional capacity gaps, chronic underfunding and pervasive corruption, including political influence over dealer selection and outlet locations, further distort benefit distribution and generate significant leakages and losses along the supply chain. The study concludes that the programme only partially protects food-insecure households and requires substantial reform in both design and implementation. Empirically, it contributes fine-grained evidence on how front-line practices and local power relations shape the performance of food-based safety nets. Policy implications include the need to strengthen data-driven targeting, increase transparency and accountability, invest in storage and monitoring systems, and integrate OMS within a broader, more coherent social protection strategy.

Tourism As Osmosis: The Role of Apology Diplomacy in Shaping Tourist Arrivals in The Philippines

Noel Yee Sinco — Mon, 22 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Abstract

This paper examines how apology diplomacy influences foreign tourist arrivals to the Philippines from 2008 to 2025, introducing an innovative framework that views tourism as osmotic. Using a descriptive interrupted Time-Series Analysis (ITSA) of the Department of Tourism Data, the study analyzes key crises such as the 2010 Hong Kong hostage crisis, 2012 Scarborough Shoal Standoff, 2013 Taiwan fishermen shooting incident, the Canadian Garbage Crisis, the Tubbataha Reef Incident and other crises mentioned. While South Korea becomes a neutral (control) variable to analyze the fact that even if having a similar garbage crisis like Canada`s, it has strong tourism relations with the Philippines. It determines how political crises like these affect tourism recovery. Findings show that prompt and sincere public apologies function as a valve that restores tourist flows and repairs damaged bilateral relations, while unapologetic or delayed responses prolong travel bans and negative perceptions. The research concludes that apology diplomacy is a vital soft power instrument, translating symbolic gestures into economic and reputational gains. The Department of Tourism is recommended to implement this tourism risk management mechanisms in case of these kinds of crisis and not only the previous health pandemics (COVID or SARS). This osmosis model of tourism bridges diplomacy, development, and nation branding in the post-crisis context.