THE EVOLUTION OF A MUSLIM DEMOCRAT

The Muslim world suffers from a dearth of charismatic and able leadership. One of the reasons for the decline of Muslims may be ascribed to a failure of leadership. One needs to acknowledge that most Muslim countries are led either by dictators, monarchies or brutal regimes headed by authoritarian figures. Simultaneously, there are genuine attempts by some Muslims who struggle and sacrifice everything for the sake of their nations’ progress and, in the process, are humiliated, incarcerated, ridiculed and even assassinated. The Evolution of a Muslim Democrat by Charles Allers recounts the story of Malaysia’s Anwar Ibrahim who has stood for democracy and Islam. For advocating these values, he had to pay dearly, suffering imprisonment and a bad press by the ruling regime. In his Foreword, the eminent scholar and author John Esposito writes, ‘Anwar’s transformation from a “charismatic” leader of an Islamic “fundamentalist” movement into a globalist liberal advocating Southeast Asian reformasi appears dramatic. However, the change is more a measure of the transformation of the religio-political context, both globally and in Malaysia.