Three hundred and nine years ago a religionist in India said, ‘Over my dead body’ in response to the ongoing Islamisation of the continent.

He represented a 15th century doctrine, which stands to this day. His battle cry galvanised a movement that acted as a bulwark, which stemmed the ‘Mughal steamroller’ at the time.

It is said the current multi-cultural and multi-religious fabric of India remains secular, largely due to the advent of his movement.

Eighteen years ago, in a more civilised setting, a politician in Malaysia said, ‘Over my dead body’ in response to a notion that Islamisation of Malaysia was imminent.

It is not a coincidence the politician echoed the battle cry of the religionist. The politician was asking that we draw lessons from history.

The recent position of PAS with Umno revived the unifying sentiment of the ummah within two opposing factions. Malaysians in multi-cultural and multi-religious fabric ought to be concerned of the religious angle such a sentiment would pose.

History has shown when the ummah is the issue, partisanship has no justification in Islam.

The ummah , the third in the hierarchy after Allah and His Messenger, is regarded as ‘one nation’. Everything and everyone else is commentary.

A late Iranian spiritual leader said, ‘We do not worship Iran, we worship Allah. Patriotism is another word for paganism. I say let Iran burn. Let Iran go up in smoke, provided Islam emerges victorious’.

A late PAS leader said, ‘If Malaysia is truly Islamic, PAS is irrelevant’.

Paraphrasing the Iranian, it may be said, ‘We do not worship Pakatan, we worship Allah. I say let Pakatan burn, provided Islam emerges victorious’.