The Intersection of Faith, Culture, and Indigenous Community in Malaysia and Bangladesh

Jahid Siraz Chowdhury teaches at the Master of Social Work Program at Lincoln University College in Malaysia. He is also associated with the Research and Training Forum (RTF). Chowdhury's academic pursuits encompass methodological contributions to the Sociology of Knowledge, and innovative applications of social theory, including the development of the Bio-Bank Model for Indigenous Knowledge. He is the author of 10 influential books, including Ubuntu Philosophy for the New Normalcy (Palgrave, 2023), Reciprocity and Its Practice in Social Science (IGI Global, 2022), Volunteering in Social Research (Routledge, 2024, in press), History and Educational Philosophy for Social Justice and Human Rights (IGI Global, 2024), and The Intersection of Faith, Culture, and Indigenous Community in Malaysia and Bangladesh (Springer, in press).

Dr. Jahid's intellectual journey is increasingly oriented towards the profound realms of spirituality and Sufism. Guided by his master, Prof. Zulkarnain A. Hatta--a revered Sufi Master (Murshid)--Dr. Jahid is not merely exploring these disciplines but is also reconnecting with them on a deeper, more intellectual level. His works, Spiritual Social Work Vol. 1 and Vol. 2, published by TRC Sapphire, reflect this inward focus. His forthcoming volumes delve further into this exploration, with titles such as Spirituality in Social Work Practice, Sacred Sources of Coping, and Including the Excluded in Social Work Pedagogy: Marginalized and Indigenous Communities through Reciprocal Research. In Sufi Mirror: Human Nature Through Philosophical Anthropology, he contemplates the intersection of human nature and philosophical thought. Currently, Dr. Jahid, along with Prof. Zulkarnain and Dr. Kumar, are engaged with the Asian and Pacific Association for Social Work Education (APASWE) on a project titled Ubuntu, Guyub, and Buen Vivir: A Cosmovisionic Guide for ASEAN Social Work Practice. His masterwork in progress, Sufi Dictionary: A Lexicon of Social Justice and Harmony, aims to offer a comprehensive vocabulary that bridges the spiritual and the social, promoting justice and harmony.

Additionally, he is working on a deeply personal project, a memoir titled Zulkarnain A Hatta: Knowing an Unknowing Soulful Social Worker. The memoir will offer a heartfelt tribute to his Sufi Murshid (Master), exploring the soulful dimensions of social work as embodied by Prof. Zulkarnain A. Hatta that may serve social work professionals.

Kumarashwaran Vadevelu is currently Senior Lecturer in the Department of Social Administration and Justice at Universiti Malaya. He completed his degree in Social Work in 2003 at University Sains Malaysia, He completed his Master of Social Work (Mixed-Mode) in 2008 at University Sains Malaysia. He obtained his PhD in Social Work at University Sains Malaysia in 2015. His areas of interest include gender equality, LGBT studies and community development, marginalized communities and mental health issues. He has teaching experience of more than nine years in Social Work. During years 2015 to 2022, he was appointed as Visiting Professor for social work studies at Prince of Songkla University, Pattani Campus, Thailand. He has published Reviving and Re-Writing Ethics in Social Research for Commoning the Community (IGI Global, 2024); Volunteering in Social Research (Routledge, 2024, in press); and The Intersection of Faith, Culture, and Indigenous Community in Malaysia and Bangladesh (Springer, in press).

Paramjit Singh Jamir Singh is an Associate Professor and the Deputy Dean of Research, Innovation and Industry-Community Engagement at the School of Social Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia. His research interests focus on HIV and AIDS, drug addiction, harm reduction, criminal justice, mental health, social work with families and marginalised groups. Prior to joining the university, he worked as a Senior Police Officer in the Crime Investigation Department, Royal Malaysian Police. He was appointed by the Minister in the Prime Minister's Department to serve as an advisor to the Magistrate Court Judge, providing recommendations for sentencing and the welfare of juvenile offenders. He has also been appointed by the Minister of Women, Family, and Community Development to serve as a Chairman for the Penang Child Welfare Task Force to enhance the social functioning and well-being of marginalized children. He was also a consultant for the National Anti-Drug Agency in improving drug treatment and rehabilitation. He has been a guest speaker at numerous government agencies, schools, colleges, the private sector, and NGOs. His talk is mainly on the awareness and prevention of HIV/AIDS and drug addiction in Malaysia. Along with many influential scientific papers, his major contribution is The Intersection of Faith, Culture, and Indigenous Community in Malaysia and Bangladesh (Springer, in press).

Mohd Rashid Mohd Saad is an educationist and serves as an assistant professor at the Department of Education at Universiti Malaya. At present, he is working in the drug discoveries of Indigenous communities in Bangladesh. His works include Ubuntu Philosophy for the New Normalcy (Palgrave, 2023), Reciprocity and Its Practice in Social Science (IGI Global, 2022), The Intersection of Faith, Culture, and Indigenous Community in Malaysia and Bangladesh (Springer, in press), and Methodological Pluralism in Asian Context (Routledge, in press).

Zulkarnain A. Hatta is a career Social Worker and serves as Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences, Arts & Humanities at Malaysia's Lincoln University College. Professor Zulkarnain was the President of the Asian and Pacific Association for Social Work Education (APASWE) and also previously served as vice president for the Asian region of the International Association of Schools of Social Work (IASSW) (2017-2021). He obtained a DSW, an MSW, and a BA in Criminal Justice. He belongs to both APASWE and MASW, the Malaysian Association of Social Workers. His areas of interest are safety net issues, spirituality, and social work education. Zulkarnain is a practicing, teaching, and researching social worker. He is fluent in both English and Bahasa Malaysia. He published many core volumes from reputed publishers, including Reviving and Re-Writing Ethics in Social Research for Commoning the Community (IGI Global, 2024); Volunteering in Social Research (Routledge, 2024, in press); and The Intersection of Faith, Culture, and Indigenous Community in Malaysia and Bangladesh (Springer, in press).

Jahid Siraz Chowdhury 教授於馬來西亞林肯大學社會工作碩士課程任教，並與研究與培訓論壇 (RTF) 有關聯。Chowdhury 的學術追求涵蓋了對知識社會學的方法論貢獻，以及社會理論的創新應用，包括為原住民知識發展的生物銀行模型。他是十本有影響力書籍的作者，包括《Ubuntu Philosophy for the New Normalcy》（Palgrave, 2023）、《Reciprocity and Its Practice in Social Science》（IGI Global, 2022）、《Volunteering in Social Research》（Routledge, 2024，待出版）、《History and Educational Philosophy for Social Justice and Human Rights》（IGI Global, 2024）以及《The Intersection of Faith, Culture, and Indigenous Community in Malaysia and Bangladesh》（Springer，待出版）。

Jahid 博士的智識旅程越來越朝向靈性和蘇非主義的深刻領域。受到他的導師 Zulkarnain A. Hatta 教授——一位受人尊敬的蘇非大師 (Murshid) 的指導，Jahid 博士不僅在探索這些學科，還在更深層次上與之重新連結。他的作品《Spiritual Social Work Vol. 1》和《Vol. 2》，由 TRC Sapphire 出版，反映了這種內在的專注。他即將出版的卷冊將進一步深入這一探索，標題包括《Spirituality in Social Work Practice》、《Sacred Sources of Coping》和《Including the Excluded in Social Work Pedagogy: Marginalized and Indigenous Communities through Reciprocal Research》。在《Sufi Mirror: Human Nature Through Philosophical Anthropology》中，他思考人性與哲學思想的交集。目前，Jahid 博士與 Zulkarnain 教授及 Kumar 博士一起，參與亞洲及太平洋社會工作教育協會 (APASWE) 的一個名為《Ubuntu, Guyub, and Buen Vivir: A Cosmovisionic Guide for ASEAN Social Work Practice》的項目。他正在進行的主要著作《Sufi Dictionary: A Lexicon of Social Justice and Harmony》，旨在提供一個全面的詞彙，橋接靈性與社會，促進正義與和諧。

此外，他還在進行一個深具個人色彩的項目，一本名為《Zulkarnain A Hatta: Knowing an Unknowing Soulful Social Worker》的回憶錄。這本回憶錄將對他的蘇非導師 (Master) 表達衷心的致敬，探索由 Zulkarnain A. Hatta 教授所體現的社會工作靈性維度，可能對社會工作專業人士有所幫助。

Kumarashwaran Vadevelu 目前是馬來亞大學社會行政與正義系的高級講師。他於 2003 年在馬來西亞科學大學獲得社會工作學位，並於 2008 年在同校完成社會工作碩士學位（混合模式）。他於 2015 年在馬來西亞科學大學獲得社會工作博士學位。他的研究興趣包括性別平等、LGBT 研究、社區發展、邊緣社群及心理健康問題。他在社會工作領域擁有超過九年的教學經驗。在 2015 年至 2022 年期間，他被任命為泰國宋卡王子大學（Pattani Campus）社會工作研究的客座教授。他已出版《Reviving and Re-Writing Ethics in Social Research for Commoning the Community》（IGI Global, 2024）、《Volunteering in Social Research》（Routledge, 2024，待出版）以及《The Intersection of Faith, Culture, and Indigenous Community in Malaysia and Bangladesh》（Springer，待出版）。

Paramjit Singh Jamir Singh 是馬來西亞科學大學社會科學學院的副教授及研究、創新與產業社區參與的副院長。他的研究興趣集中於 HIV 和 AIDS、藥物成癮等議題。