The fourteenth post in our Celebrating Alumni profile series is Siti Sarah Muwahidah, a 2009 AIMEP alumna. Siti Sarah is an Alwaleed Fellow in Contemporary Indonesia as a Global Muslim Society at the University of Edinburgh, with a focus on new authority and transnational networks among Indonesian Shiʿi communities, and she holds a PhD from Emory University in the United States.
Read Siti Sarah’s story below:
Siti Sarah Muwahidah
My background is quite diverse. I was born in Magelang, Central Java, within the community of the Pabelan Pesantren (Islamic boarding school), not far from the famous Buddhist temple Borobudur. However, my father is originally from Aceh and my mother is from Bengkulu, both in Sumatra. My father’s work in social activism and community development led him to that pesantren, where our family had the opportunity to interact with some international scholars and activists. I only lived in Pabelan until I was 6; I spent the rest of my formative period in Jakarta, Bandung and Yogyakarta.
Despite moving around a lot, the one constant in my life was involvement with social activism, including studying and advocating for minorities and marginalized communities. I graduated from Gadjah Mada University (UGM) in Yogyakarta with a BSc in Fisheries. However, I did not end up entering that industry. Instead, after graduation, I worked for an NGO, USC Satunama, in Yogyakarta. I then completed two Master’s degrees in Religious Studies: one from the Center for Religious Cross-Cultural Studies (CRCS) at UGM and another from Florida International University. Afterwards, I worked on programs relating to Islam and human rights, and interfaith issues at the Maarif Institute for Culture and Humanity in Jakarta.
In 2009, I was accepted into the AIMEP. During my visit, I was struck by the diversity of Muslim communities I encountered in Australia, and I enjoyed having the opportunity to interact and discuss various topics with different Muslim leaders, interfaith figures, and organizations.
What stood out to me was the way Muslims tried to represent themselves meaningfully in civil society and professional fields in Australia. For example, during my visit to Melbourne, I was able to visit Victoria Police and see Muslim police officers who were focused on community partnerships. Also, in Sydney, we visited an Islamic high school and observed first-hand how a Muslim teacher tried to build an inclusive classroom for students from diverse backgrounds while navigating unspoken trauma surrounding forced migrations, for instance. Overall, I find great inspiration in the resilience and strength of Muslim leaders who have flourished despite being far from their home countries. Their success has shown me that even in difficult circumstances, it’s possible to make a positive impact on others.
I later received a Fulbright scholarship that allowed me to pursue a PhD in Religion at Emory University in Atlanta, USA. While there, I was also involved in some peacebuilding and interfaith initiatives. I learned how to address issues related to race and religious minorities. However, the increasing Islamophobia made me feel more vulnerable as a visibly Muslim woman, both while living my regular, everyday life as well as when teaching sensitive topics in my classroom. It was especially challenging during politically volatile periods in the US.
Currently, I am a Teaching and Research Fellow at the Alwaleed Centre for the Study of Islam in the Contemporary World at the University of Edinburgh, UK. Here, I initiated a partnership with a new university in Indonesia, Universitas Islam Internasional Indonesia. We created a dual Master’s degree program that allows Master’s students to spend a year studying in Indonesia and a year studying at the University of Edinburgh. The Indonesian Ministry of Religious Affairs has committed to offering a number of scholarships for top students to participate in this program. I’m pleased that this collaborative idea has become a reality.
My original plan was to advance activism and scholarship from within Indonesia, but destiny has led me to live far away instead. I find more resonance between my life now with the life of the diaspora Muslims whom I met during my AIMEP visit. It is interesting to think about how life can take unexpected turns. So far, wherever I live, I can continue advocating and amplifying marginalized voices through my work and activism. I’m grateful that I am doing something that I enjoy and that also allows me to connect with diverse communities both in my home country and around the world.
Siti Sarah Muwahidah
Edinburgh, the United Kingdom
AIMEP 2009
