COMMENT | Malaysia has long been admired as a country where people of different races, religions and cultures live side by side in relative peace.

This harmony did not happen by accident. It was built slowly through mutual restraint, quiet tolerance and a shared understanding that stability matters more than winning arguments.

Islam itself provides a clear foundation for such coexistence. The Quran reminds humanity that we were created as different nations and tribes so that we may know one another, not despise one another.

Respect for others is therefore not a political mantra. It is a religious obligation.

Respect does not require agreement. Muslims are not expected to participate in the rituals of other faiths, but neither are they permitted to mock or insult them.

In the same spirit, non-Muslims are expected to be...