Everyday Cosmopolitanism in the Marketplace

This chapter looks at spaces where societal actors interact as they buy and sell all sorts of everyday products and services. In the marketplace, where economic activities take place, Muslims and non-Muslims speak, exchange, and bargain with one another and thereby sustain peaceful relationships. This chapter looks back at history and explores how Southeast Asia developed its reputation of being a region of trading hubs and settlements for diverse communities. Such historical legacies along with the built character of marketplaces in Penang and Kelantan, for example, set the stage for fluid interactions between businessmen, traders, and customers, and between Muslims and non-Muslims, each learning the subtleties of their respective cultures while appreciating one another's differences and commonalities alike.