Farish A Noor

Apparently, our youth need to be infused with a sense of patriotism and unity. The government's solution? March them off to national service. FARISH A NOOR points out that not only is the symptom being treated badly, but the cause is neglected as usual.

The last thing we need in Malaysia are more attempts to monitor our speech and activities. Yet this is precisely the outcome of the latest move to control 'inflammatory' language and political activity in our mosques.

The US anti-terror centre to be set up in Malaysia is just Big Brother America here to watch out for its little Asean brothers. Hogwash, says FARISH A NOOR who points out Uncle Sam's history of 'helping' Asean countries is anything but altruistic.

Yesterday was the 15th anniversary of Operation Lallang, which saw 107 dissidents arrested under the draconian Internal Security Act. However, commemoration of the infamous crackdown has been subdued this year. FARISH A NOOR explains why.

FARISH A NOOR wrote this critical review of Rohan Gunaratna's 'Inside al-Qaeda: Global Network of Terror' three months ago. Given the controversial allegations that the ruling Barisan Nasional coalition and al-Qaeda are ideological partners, we are republishing this July 6 article.

If Malaysia wants to earn for itself the title of "moderate Islamic state", then its leaders as well as its society must remember that it will only have any credibility if it originates and proceeds from the premises of Islamism itself, says FARISH A NOOR.

The persecution of PAS leader Nik Aziz Nik Mat by Umno and the hounding of independent academics and writers by PAS show that neither side is able and willing to allow a crucial third space that would free the discourse of political Islam in Malaysia, says FARISH A NOOR.

In her new book, Alijah Gordon maintains a sense of critical distance as she pieces together the broken puzzle that was Egypt during the 1950s. Her text reads not only as a portrait of the times but also a diagnosis of the ills of a society on the verge of collapse. FARISH A NOOR feels tempted to recommend the book to Muslim political leaders so that "they can go back to the people and feel the pulse which they have lost".

Nik Rashidin Nik Hussein was the best Malay traditional woodcarver of his age, yet he remained an unsung national treasure almost all his life. FARISH A NOOR pays tribute to a complex and tormented artisan whose genius we may never see the likes of again.