HE is a man of many faces. Yet Nasaruddin Umar has long been known as an academic, having acquired his knowledge from the west to the east. His works on issues of gender equality in Islam are acknowledged by the United Nations. He studies the tasawuf and routinely leads Qur’an reading sessions at the Sunda Kelapa Mosque in Central Jakarta.

One and a half years ago, Nasaruddin was ‘dragged’ into the world of bureaucracy. He was appointed