Most people who analyse the politics of race and religion tend to think that there are only three major ethnic groups in Malaysia, the Malays, the Chinese and the Indians. We tend to forget that there are something like 70 major ethnic communities living together in the imagined space of our nation.

All Malays are Muslims, by constitutional definition. (Are all Muslims in Malaysia classified as Malays, and if not, why not? Which comes first for the defining identity of the Malay/Muslim community, race or religion?) The other ethnic communities however, tend to be pluralistic in their religious belief.

Living in this land of varied faiths, it must be confusing for the followers of any religion, at times. Daily, we are bombarded by the messages, information, symbols, rituals, dress codes, and the sights and sounds that emanate from the practice of our kaleidoscopic array of religious worship. Our annual calendar is dotted with public holidays set aside for our various religious celebrations.

Casting our glance around the world, and witnessing the clash of religious faiths that is tearing asunder many nation-states and geo-political regions, we may congratulate ourselves for our success in being a pretty religious nation generally, while developing a decent healthy tolerance for other people's religious beliefs.

Tolerance comes with a price of course, sometimes at the expense of the purity and clarity of our religious faith. This must be especially succinct for followers of monotheistic beliefs, the Muslims, the Christians and the Jews.

(I am told that one of the most misunderstood religions is Hinduism. It is actually a monotheistic religion and rich in philosophy. Since I know practically nothing about Hundu theology, I am awaiting a basic lesson from my enlightened Hindu friends out there. Could anybody oblige, without trying to convert me?)