COMMENT | Self-styled activist Tamim Dahri Abdul Razak first drew public outrage after a video emerged showing him repeatedly stepping on a Hindu sacred symbol - a trident, or soolam.

The reaction was immediate. Police reports were lodged. Protests were held. Community leaders warned of rising tensions.

Acts involving religious symbols are never contained to the individual. They resonate across entire communities.

At first, such incidents may appear isolated, but what we are witnessing here is not a one-off controversy. This is a clear progression, where the events escalate step by step.

First, the...