I refer to the report Asians outraged by detainees' death in Thailand .

Thai Prime Minister Thaksin has maintained that '... some deaths were possible among those arrested due to weakness as a result of religious fasting'. In my opinion, he could have come to that conclusion probably due to his ignorance of how the human body works, or he was told a pack of lies about the true teachings of Islam.

I was born into a Muslim family and would like to share what I understand to be why Islam requires its followers to perform fasting.

One of the objectives of fasting is to experience how others (that is, other human beings) live and go through life when they are deprived of the luxury of a bowl of rice that we have taken for granted. It has taught me to be thankful for what I have and to share with, or even sacrifice for, others the food that I have.

I have been a practising Muslim for over half a century and never for a moment have I experienced any weakness that could have led to my death due to fasting. If restraining oneself from food and water for 14 hours a day could lead to death, then what about the millions around the world who face starvation everyday?

In all probability, Thaksin knew that the military trucks used to transport the arrested protesters resembled the cells at Guantanamo. Thankfully, the 78 Thais who died were spared further brutality.

I believe the Thai prime minister was desperate to justify the deaths and blame them on Islam.