Quotes of the Day

The new trial for sodomy that Anwar Ibrahim faces is also a trial for his country, Malaysia. Anwar contends that the fresh charge is yet another attempt by the authorities to jail and sideline him — he's a former high-flying minister turned opponent of the government. But beyond politics, the case reflects in part a national struggle for identity: in a nutshell, to be a conservative or progressive society. Multiethnic and multiconfessional, Malaysia has the potential to be an enlightening model of harmony amid diversity. Instead, it behaves as if steeped in orthodoxy. One manifestation is that Anwar can be charged with homosexuality precisely because it is still a criminal offense in Malaysia. Another is the abiding tension between Muslims and Christians sparked by the High Court allowing non-Muslims to use the name Allah for God — something accepted even in the Arab world. Malaysians of all races rightly feel strongly about their own beliefs, but their collective faith in tolerance is proving fragile.

• Zoher Abdoolcarim
• 2|2|10: Kuala Lumpur