Institutional Resilience and Cultural Adaptation of Madrasahs in Muslim-Minority Contexts: Vietnam and the Philippines

Abstrak

The Islamic educational institutions in Muslim-minority countries, such as Vietnam and the Philippines, have played important roles both in spreading Islamic teachings and in developing Islamic identities in multi-religious communities. This research aims to examine the institutional resilience and cultural adaptation of madrasahs in Vietnam and the Philippines through identifying the actual conditions of madrasahs, national regulations, challenges, and resilience strategies of Islamic communities in both countries. This research employs a descriptive-exploratory qualitative approach integrated with a multiple-case study design. The study was conducted in Ho Chi Minh City and Tay Ninh in Vietnam, and in Marawi City in the Philippines. Data were collected through in-depth interviews, focus group discussions, observation, and library analysis, and then analyzed thematically. The findings indicate that madrasahs face limited legal recognition, inadequate funding, weak infrastructure, and socio-cultural pressures. Nevertheless, they maintain their existence through community-based leadership, contextual curriculum development, social networking, economic self-reliance, and adaptation to local customs. In comparative Islamic education studies, the findings of this research prove that madrasah resilience is a socio-cultural process that is shaped by community legitimacy, identity negotiation, and adaptive educational practices.

Kata kunci

• cultural adaptation
• institutional resilience
• islamic education
• madrasah
• muslim-minority countries