Having read the review of my book ‘Islam Embedded’ by Aloycious Greene, I find myself in the unenviable position of having to defend not only my academic work, but my reputation as well. The reviewer’s personal jibes at me I shall leave aside, as I have grown accustomed to personal attacks by now, and have been more than able and willing to sharpen my pen against those whose political positions/statements I have objected to in the past.

All is fair in love and politics, so to speak. Needless to say that the comments about the ‘verbose’, ‘pedestrian’ and ‘clichéd’ flavour of my work shall remain unanswered here, as I do not think they merit a reply.

One is, however, forced to respond to the pointedly ambiguous question that was raised by the reviewer when he asked ‘what is Farish’s game?’ This, coming as it does at a time when Malaysian politics and political discourse is replete with conspiracy theories and slander, is what upset this writer the most – albeit for five minutes – and forced him to quit his desk in search of coffee and a cigarette in the café next door.

It would seem as if these days it is impossible to write about anything remotely linked to politics in Malaysia without having to pass through this trial by fire. “What is your ‘game’?”, one is asked repeatedly. The jaded Malaysian public, depoliticised as a result of the mind-numbing effects of the tabloid media, seems sated with the perennial shadow-play of Malaysian politics; and consequently sees (and expects) ‘games’ to be played everywhere and all the time. It is no longer possible for academics to write without be accused of having hidden agendas and/or being party to certain political/sectarian interests – and this ‘review’ demonstrates precisely such a conspiratorial mindset at work.