Muzaffar, Chandra
(b. 1947 )
Malaysian intellectual and human rights activist. Born into a Hindu family. Actively campaigned on issues of human rights and intercivilizational dialogue. Detained by state security forces during the crackdown of 1987 . Founder of Malaysian human rights NGO Aliran and president 1977 – 91 ; president of International Movement for a Just World beginning in 1991 ; deputy president of the National Justice Party (KeADILan) beginning in 1999 . Author of Universalism of Islam ( 1979 ), Islamic Resurgence in Malaysia ( 1987 ), Human Rights and the New World Order ( 1993 ), and Alternative Politics for Asia: A Buddhist-Muslim Dialogue ( 1999 ). Awarded the Rockefeller Social Science Fellowship in Development Studies for Southeast Asia ( 1984 – 85 ) and the Harry J. Benda Prize for distinguished scholarship on Southeast Asia ( 1989 ).