I refer to A Muslim Woman's letter entitled Muslims shouldn't fall in love with non-believers .

When we talk from a religious perspective, most of the time our views may be skewed simply because we talk on the basis of our knowledge and understanding of our own religion. Our notional definition would seem to revolve around whatever knowledge we have of our religion. We invariably are not even fit to compare when we have little or no knowledge of the other religion.

If we do understand what comparison is all about, we need to have a similar understanding of the other religion. Then, and only then, a comparison would be meaningful. The problem is that most of us don't even understand the meaning of comparison. This is what happens with ignorant people and this ignorance may be cited as being pivotal to the antagonist attitude postured by such people.

There is nothing pure about race and religion. If religion, and by reference Islam, is pure, then why there are so many denominations within Islam which cannot find a focal point to settle their differences? The proxy war in Iraq and Pakistan between two Islamic denominations has been violent and bloody.

The 'way of life' thing is, again, a common notion in almost all religions. The Buddhists claim that their religion denotes a 'way of life' and so do the Hindus who, for so long as I remember, do not even have such a thing as conversion because their religion is referred to as a 'way of life'.

I agree with the writer that a person who wishes to convert to any religion would have to explore and understand the consequences of such a conversion. Notwithstanding, accepting a convert to just boost numbers should also be considered. What would have been considered as sincere when one converted may not be so in time. Times change and so do humans. There are many things which I can cite to explain this. Take, for instance, divorce. This happens within all religious groups and is not privy to just one religious group.

What would be a meeting of minds (and hearts) appears do have dissipated later and not only civil laws agree and provide for such circumstances, even religious laws acknowledge the changed circumstances. It then becomes incumbent upon us to understand the changed circumstances.

Yes, it is going to be heart wrenching but it is good for them to move on with their lives and it is a basic human understanding that religion should not stand in the way of the affected parties seeking to pursue their respective future lives. The interests of the innocent children, through no fault of theirs, should be considered.

I cannot help reading A Muslim Woman's views against the backdrop of the great crusader Saladdin (or Salahuddin). During his reign of the so-called holy lands, it has been documented that Christians loved him more than their Christian rulers, although Saladdin was a Muslim. Beyond any religion, this is the way we can add a human touch, rather than running down each other.

In India, marriages between Hindus and Muslims do occur and I know of a few friends in Calcutta who have so much respect for each other, with each observing their own faith. I was a Hindu and my wife is a Christian to this day. We never had any problem with our different faiths.

My children are devoid of any religious encumbrances as we have left it to them to choose when they are ready to, if at all they want to go the religious way. All my three children have been involved in charities and are what I would call good children with no known vices. At the end of the day, I believe it boils down to what you are as a person rather than the religious label.

It is a fact that no religion has a predominant position on this earth, contrary to what a few may choose to claim, and I am quite sure that many will join me in saluting A Muslim Woman for her dutiful and sincere belief in your God. However, I would not go as far as you have to cast unsavoury remarks on a couple who have decided to cross their respective religious boundaries to relish in their love life. I would rather bless them from the bottom of my heart and for them to look forward to a happy life.

The fact that they have decided to cross is exemplarily salutary, a deed of exploring the deep intricacies of the human realm. Religion, under this circumstance, does not influence me or stand in the way I think as a human.