I refer to your report whereby you highlighted an unofficial ban on the use of the word 'Jesus' in Christmas carols at the upcoming national-level Christmas Day celebration. I must say that after I read the report, I came away saying to myself, 'What kind of people do we have for religious officials?'

It is clear that the officials involved do not know how to get their priorities right. True, we Muslims consider Jesus and his blessed mother Mary not as divine beings but as revered human beings, but that does not give Muslims the right to dictate what we believe in to Christians.

Christians should be allowed to practice their religious beliefs to the fullest - this stipulated within the sacred Islamic percepts.

It is certainly shameful to see these so-called 'guardians of Islam' take it upon themselves to decide what is right and what is wrong when the Prophet Muhammad (P) has clearly stated that someone who abuses a non-Muslim will not be able to smell the scent of Paradise from a length of a 40-year journey.

Now, if these same religious officials were to address more serious and rampant issues within our society such as the issues of morality and 'aqeedah' (faith) and how to properly organise a drive to combat misinformation about Islam, I can assure these officials at the Religious Affairs Department that they would have a more everlasting impact on the future of Islam in Malaysia.