Malaysia---The Path to Democracy
Lecture by Dr. Faisal Tehrani, a Malaysian writer and activist
fighting against Suppression of Freedom of Speech and Intolerance against Minorities
（Friday, July 27, 2018）

The epoch-making victory of the opposition alliance in the Malaysian general election this May, which saw the returning Prime Minister Dr. Mahatir became the world’s oldest national leader, showed us the potential of an election to bring about democratic changes. The shock result can be understood as the Malaysian people’s rejection of the corruption inherent in the previous government, as well as their expectations for reform.
Against this backdrop, the Sasakawa Peace Foundation has invited Dr. Faisal Tehrani- a Malaysian writer and activist who has been prolifically producing creative and provocative writing despite government suppression-to give a lecture in Japan. Faisal has written extensively on the difficulties and plights of ethnic, religious, and sexual minorities. He has raised essential questions revolved around issues such as democracy, freedom of expression, and how to maintain diversity in Muslim society, which make him extremely popular among the younger generation in Malaysia. He has produced more than 30 written works, including novels, poems, and plays, and his major works that have been translated into English have garnered him a great deal of international recognition. Regrettably, Faisal’s work is less well known in Japan, an issue that we hope to remedy in some small part through this upcoming lecture.
At the lecture, Faisal will share with us his views on the issues of freedom of expression, human rights, transformation of people’s consciousness, and the social reform needed for democratization in Malaysia. We look forward to welcoming all of you at what promises to be a highly informative and fascinating event.

<Profile of Dr. Faisal Tehrani>

Born in 1974, Malacca, Malaysia
Began writing novels, poems, and plays as a teenager, and now widely known as a social critic. Won the National Book Award in 2005 for his work “1515.” Several of his works including “The Nurse (Misi),” “Crises (Kegawatan),” “Profesor,” and “How Anyss Goes to the Sky (Bagaimana Anyss Naik Ke Langit)” have been translated into English, and he was introduced as “one of the most important writers in Southeast Asia and Malaysia” at the Southeast Asian Literature Festival in 2017. In response to his courageous approach toward highly sensitive issues and the broad influence of his writings, the Malaysian government banned seven of his works. He is also a scholar teaching at the National University of Malaysia, and his research on Shi’a in Malaysia has been published as a scholarly work. (Wacana Sastera Islam di Malaysia dan Indonesia [Islamic Literary Discourse in Malaysia and Indonesia]: University Putra Malaysia Publisher, 2012)