'The problem of religion as an instrument of political ends is as old as history.' (1) Abdulaziz Sachedina , The Islamic Roots of Democratic Pluralism

In part one of this series, Dyala Hamzah and myself looked at the structural factors that have inhibited the growth and development of a public sphere in the contemporary Muslim world. We argued that apart from the structural realities of modern authoritarian Muslim states, one of the main reasons why a public sphere has not emerged in the Muslim world is the discursive culture and practice of hate-mongering that has become so prevalent in our societies.

Indeed, the march of political religion (be it in Muslim countries or predominantly-Hindu India and predominantly-Christian America) has been in keeping with the development of political religion's hate-machine: culminating in an expansive discourse replete with conspiracy theories, bellicose slogans and the constant baiting of their opponents and enemies. The situation in Malaysia hardly differs with that of the rest of the world in this respect.