Mujahid Yusuf Rawa fails to understand that his is not the only interpretation of Islam. There are others.

Who says that those born as Muslims chose Islam out of their own free will? That's a very dangerous assumption and a sweeping generalisation. Is he telling me that I cannot convert to another faith just because I was born a Muslim?

If that is so, then where is the freedom of choice in faith? I assert a self-evident truth; that I am free to choose whatever religion to believe in - or no religion at all - as a matter of my personal choice.

That society cannot dictate to me what I should believe in. Of what use is the faith of someone who is coerced to remain Muslim?

But the issue goes a lot deeper than this. As a scientist (a physicist to be precise), in the course of my work, I encounter ideas and theories which may not be in agreement with religious dogma. Darwinian evolution being one of them.

Is Mujahid Yusuf Rawa now saying that Muslims should not accept scientific theories which are not in agreement with Islamic dogma - despite the plentiful evidence otherwise? I think that he fails to understand the crucial point that society today no longer subscribes to a system of belief predicated on an unquestionable, infallible and unprovable absolute truth.

Today we question everything. Today we know that Islam has many interpretations. The Islam which I subscribe to is progressive and modern. The Islam I believe in accepts the freedom of choice in faith. The Islam I believe in does not coerce Muslim apostates back into Islam.

Faith comes from the heart - not from the law.

And in reply to Abu Mubarak , I would like to say that PAS has no intention of setting up a democratic society based on human rights. If PAS is indeed sincere about democracy and human rights, then it must acknowledge Article 18 which speaks of the basic right to a free choice in religion.

If PAS believes in democracy then PAS must not set up an Islamic state. And one which views non-Muslims as 'dhimmies' to top it all. These issues highlights PAS' duplicity and deception in the political chess game.

PAS is only using democracy and human rights in order to get votes so that it can set up an Islamic state - something which is the anti-thesis of democratic values and human rights. Indeed I doubt that PAS even respects the notion of civil liberties at all.

What matters to PAS is its own myopic and outdated interpretations of Islam. Unfortunately - or fortunately rather - the rest of Asean will not tolerate PAS' version of orthodoxy. I stand by my earlier letter and I stand to be corrected.