Brunei's Jewish Ban: Religious Discrimination Or Political Strategy?

Brunei is a small, oil-rich country in South Asia ruled by Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah. The country has no official ties with Israel and has been accused of antisemitism. In 2015, the Sultan banned the public celebration of Christmas, threatening citizens with up to five years in jail. This was part of a series of Sharia laws implemented by the Sultan, which included the threat of execution for homosexuals, adulterers, and anyone who insults the Quran or Muhammad. In 2021, a young Singaporean was arrested for planning attacks outside a synagogue, raising questions about antisemitism in Southeast Asia. While there is no synagogue in Brunei, there are reports of online comments disparaging Jewish people.

Brunei's Sharia Law

Brunei's legal system is divided between secular law and Sharia law, which have parallel systems of both criminal and civil/family law. Sharia law, which is based on the teachings of Islam, has been practised in the country since it was a British protectorate.

The Sharia Penal Code (SPC) was fully implemented in Brunei on 3 April 2019, and it outlines harsh punishments for several offences, including theft, adultery, and sodomy. The SPC applies to both Muslims and non-Muslims, including foreigners, although non-Muslims are exempt from certain sections, such as requirements for men to join Friday prayers.

Under the SPC, offences such as apostasy and blasphemy are punishable by corporal and capital punishment, including stoning to death, amputation of hands or feet, or caning. However, no capital or corporal punishments have been enforced since 1957, and a de facto moratorium on the death penalty remains in place.

The implementation of the SPC evoked loud protests internationally, with critics arguing that it severely curtails the rights of minorities and is cruel towards the LGBTQ+ community. In response to the criticism, the Sultan of Brunei clarified that the new law would "respect the privacy of individuals" and that the country would maintain its de facto moratorium on the death penalty.

While Brunei has never had a synagogue, the country's small Jewish community has reportedly faced growing state-sanctioned antisemitism in recent years, leading many to emigrate. Additionally, the propagation of religions other than Islam is prohibited, and breaking this law is a violation of the penal code.

The Sultan of Brunei

Brunei is a monarchy, with the Sultan's power limited only by emergency powers that have been in place since 1962. The Sultan's government has been criticised by human rights groups for its treatment of women, the LGBT+ community, migrant workers, and religious minorities.

In 2019, the country fully implemented its Sharia Penal Code, which includes corporal and capital punishments such as stoning to death, amputation of hands or feet, and caning. The Code also prohibits the public celebration of religions other than Islam, and the display of Christmas decorations.

In 2015, the Sultan's decision to threaten jail time for Muslims celebrating Christmas led to calls from a Jewish extremist in Israel to ban the holiday there.

In response to the country's human rights record, some Jewish groups have boycotted the Beverly Hills Hotel, which is owned by the state-run Brunei Investment Agency. However, one Jewish organisation, the Beverly Hills Jewish Community, has continued its relationship with the hotel, and some have argued that a boycott would hurt the hotel's employees.

Antisemitism in Southeast Asia

Historically, Jewish communities in Southeast Asia were small, primarily consisting of traders who arrived during the wave of European colonisation in the 17th century. The Jewish population in the region probably never exceeded a few tens of thousands, with communities in Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, and Brunei. The last Jewish community in Penang, Malaysia, died out in the mid-20th century, and the region's only synagogue in Surabaya, Indonesia, became inactive and was demolished in 2013.

Additionally, colonial influence has played a significant role in spreading antisemitism in the region. European colonialism, particularly around the Middle East and North Africa, led to the adoption of antisemitic ideas by Arab Christians, which then seeped into secular Arab nationalism and Islamic Arab nationalisms. This influence reached Southeast Asia through figures like Syed Qutb of the Muslim Brotherhood, whose writings defined an eternal enmity between Jews and Muslims, drawing on Western antisemitic tropes.

Within Southeast Asia, Malaysia and Indonesia have been noted for their well-documented antisemitism. In Malaysia, antisemitism gained a major public profile under former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, who turned towards a Muslim identity in the political sphere. Antisemitic discourse in Malaysia has often been directed at the local Chinese community, using old antisemitic tropes of Jews as a prosperous and controlling minority to criticise and stir up resentment against the successful Chinese business community.

In Indonesia, antisemitism has multiple sources, including colonial influence, Nazi ideas under Japanese occupation, and the spread of antisemitism by notable Christian nationalists. The global spread of modern Saudi Arabian and Middle Eastern Islam has also contributed to the prevalence of antisemitism in the region.

While actual violence or planned attacks against Jews in Southeast Asia are rare, antisemitic sentiment persists, particularly tied to anti-Israeli sentiment. Singapore stands out as an outlier, with peaceful Jewish-Muslim encounters and a carefully curated interreligious landscape. However, synagogues across the region have security measures in place due to the prevalence of antisemitic discourses.

The Jewish community in Brunei

Brunei has never had a synagogue, and there is no evidence of a Jewish community in the country. However, the country's laws and leadership have sparked controversy among Jewish groups internationally.

In 2015, the Sultan of Brunei, Hassanal Bolkiah, banned the public celebration of Christmas, fearing that the holiday would affect the faith of the country's Muslim majority. Non-Muslims were allowed to celebrate within their communities, but they were prohibited from disclosing their plans to Muslims. The small group of non-Muslims in Brunei, including Buddhists and Christians, risked jail time by celebrating Christmas and uploading pictures to social media as part of a #MyTreedom campaign for religious freedom.

In 2014, Brunei also implemented a harsh new penal code, which included fines and jail terms for offences such as pregnancy outside marriage, failure to perform Friday prayers, and propagating religions other than Islam to Muslims. The code also included whipping and amputation for theft and alcohol consumption by Muslims, and the death penalty for adultery and insulting the Quran or the Prophet Muhammad. These laws were denounced by the United Nations Commission on Human Rights and were a cause for concern for Western workers in the oil sector and ethnic minorities living in the country.

In response to these laws, some of Southern California's largest Jewish organizations boycotted the Beverly Hills Hotel, which is owned by the state-run Brunei Investment Agency. They argued that the values of the hotel's owner and the country "go against everything we believe in as Jews and as Americans." However, one local Jewish organization, the Beverly Hills Jewish Community, continued its weekly Shabbat services at the hotel, stating that they had always been treated with "respect and cooperation" by the hotel staff.

While there is no Jewish community in Brunei, antisemitism is present in neighbouring countries in Southeast Asia, such as Malaysia and Indonesia. This antisemitism has often been described as existing without a Jewish presence, as Jewish communities in the region have been marginal or non-existent. However, it is important to note that antisemitism in Southeast Asia is influenced by global and colonial contexts, including the spread of antisemitism by European colonial powers and the current Israel-Palestine conflict.

The country's relations with Israel

Brunei has never had a synagogue and does not have formal diplomatic relations with Israel. It is one of 28 countries that have never recognised Israel. Others include 15 members of the Arab League, 10 non-Arab members of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, and Cuba, North Korea, and Venezuela.

In 2021, Israel's ambassador to Singapore, Sagi Karni, said that the country was "willing to talk" to Southeast Asia's Muslim-majority states, including Brunei, and establish ties. However, public opinion in these states remains overwhelmingly opposed to normalisation.

In May 2021, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Brunei issued a joint statement at the United Nations condemning "the atrocities carried out against the Palestinian people" during 11 days of Israeli air strikes on Gaza. They also urged the UN to step in. During this period of hostilities, medics said over 250 Palestinians were killed and 13 people were killed in Israel by rockets fired by Hamas and other Islamist militant groups.

Karni responded to the criticism, saying it was "not honest" and ignored "the true nature of the conflict", which he said was between Israel and Hamas, not the Palestinian people. He also claimed that establishing ties with Israel is the only way for outside parties to have a significant impact on the Middle East.

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