The "special debate" on the sacrosanct usage of "Allah" reflects the historical split between Muslims and 'infidels'. And, beyond the world of Islam, it's Jews and Gentiles, Christians and 'pagans'. It's a dualistic world where the 'saved' live side by side with the 'unsaved', who theologically would be judged accordingly by the Almighty. Will the religious twain ever twine?

I am reminded of many ardent dialogues in Australia between Christians, Jews and Muslims. The last dialogue, which nearly turned into an all-out verbal fracas, albeit in a controlled environment, was on Aug 1 last year during the Israel-Hezbollah conflict. The Special Broadcasting Services brought together Lebanese and Jewish Australians for an in-studio forum to see if it was possible for them to talk to each other. The forum degenerated with both sides spewing self-justifications, historicising the conflict, and reducing each other into narrow ideological categories.