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Decolonial Dialogues: Rethinking Dominant Narratives in the Modern Age

AY2023/24 Sem 2
Why is it important to question and rethink historical narratives influenced by colonial perspectives?

Join the Talk

Hear from Professor Farid Alatas from the NUS Department of Sociology and Anthropology as he tackles the task of decolonising the library – a critical initiative towards dismantling entrenched hegemonic narratives. In efforts to de-center long-standing dominant perspectives, this talk is our first step towards encouraging a more diverse representation of perspectives and fostering an inclusive intellectual space for learning and research.

This talk also marks the launch of NUS Libraries’ Decolonial Dialogues, a new collaborative learning space within the Singapore-Malaysia Collection at NUS Central Library (Level 5). In the heart of our commitment to decoloniality lies the recognition and re-evaluation of dominant histories and hegemonic narratives. Hence, this initiative aims to spotlight our rare collection of colonial-era primary documents while serving as a platform to engage critically with these resources through a decolonial methodology.

Visit the Exhibition

In our inaugural Decolonial Dialogues exhibition,Mat Salleh (Meng-)amok: Uncovering Indigenous Resistance in the Scramble for Borneo, Student Curator Diyanah Nasuha interrogates the contested terrains of resistance and power that erupted into the Mat Salleh Rebellion (1895 to 1903). How might we (re)read the figure of Datu Mohammed Salleh bin Datu Balu, who spearheaded the indigenous resistance against the imposition of poll-tax by the British North Borneo Chartered Company administration, beyond his monolithic portrayals as anti-colonial rebel or Malaysia’s fallen national hero? Delve into the insidious depths of the British colonial administration's imperial conquest, which went further than mere physical violence and territorial acquisition from the Brunei and Sulu Sultanates. On display is a small selection of materials that provide a glimpse into the British Empire’s epistemic violence of knowledge production and control—a mechanism that perpetuated colonial hegemony, and more.

Speaker

Prof Syed Farid Alatas

Dr. Syed Farid Alatas

Professor of Sociology, National University of Singapore
Syed Farid Alatas is Professor of Sociology at the National University of Singapore. He headed the Department of Malay Studies at NUS from 2007 till 2013. He lectured at the University of Malaya in the Department of Southeast Asian Studies prior to joining NUS. Prof. Alatas has authored numerous books and articles, including Ibn Khaldun (Oxford University Press, 2013); Applying Ibn Khaldun: The Recovery of a Lost Tradition in Sociology (Routledge, 2014), and (with Vineeta Sinha) Sociological Theory Beyond the Canon (Palgrave, 2017). His areas of interest are the sociology of Islam, social theory, religion and reform, intra- and inter-religious dialogue, and the study of Eurocentrism.

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