“Remember history, or you shall be forgotten by history” — we have heard phrases like this a thousand times, yet we keep forgetting. So, we are condemned to repeat the same lessons over and over.
The Malaysians — the politicians as well as the clergy — have forgotten their own history, and therefore the nation is at the brink of disintegration. We must learn from them so as not to make the same mistakes.
Several weeks ago I was in Singapore attending a high-profile book launch. The author, Prof. Joyce Lebra, is an American in her early 80s, but far younger in energy, spirit and vigor. She writes about India and Japan with unparalleled passion. Perhaps it was this passion which caught the attention of the President of Singapore, S.R. Nathan, who graced the occasion.
Anand Krishna , Jakarta | Wed, 10/22/2008 10:49 AM | Opinion
Sudan would have been long forgotten by the so-called civilized world had it not been for the conflict in Darfur. Sometime back, while participating in a conference overseas, I had the opportunity to meet with a western professor recruited by the United Nations to help in the conflict resolution in Darfur.
Sam Harris, the author of The End of Faith, warns us against the moderates, and I totally agree with him. The moderates live in a state of limbo. They are neither here nor there. They have problems deciding what is right and what is not.
It was not pleasing to hear prof. Jeffrey Winters of Northwestern University, U.S., criticizing us on local television here that we, Indonesians, lacked a sense of urgency.
This was the title of my paper prepared for the Conference on Sufi Movements in Contemporary Islam, held in Singapore on Aug. 14 and 15, 2008, under the auspices of the National University of Singapore and the independent Institute of Southeast Asian Studies.
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