Since the day I first told friends that I am a liberal, I keep having to answer two questions. The first one is "If you are really a Muslim, how can you call yourself a liberal?” And the second is "What type of PAS member would believe in liberal ideas. Isn’t Islam already complete?" The fact that these questions were asked shows how seriously misunderstood the word "liberal" is.

Clearing the confusion about what liberalism is not easy. But we have to start somewhere. That is why my friends and I in the Malaysia Think Tank will be organising Freedom Academy (Akademi Merdeka) at Residence Hotel, Bangi, on Aug 22-24.

Do join us if you want to further explore liberal ideas from a religion-neutral perspective. But, to start with, in this short article, let me try to explain some of the principles of liberalism and why I, as a Muslim, see no contradiction between my faith and my political ideology.