I find it most amusing to read Dr Syed Alwi Ahmad's response to Olifant's poignant observation on public display of a socio-political satire.

Cultural relativism does not apply to the age old issue of socio-political dissent as expressed in the form of satire. If Syed cares to think of the issues at hand, the so-called 'Asian values are different from the Judaeo-Christian West' when it comes to satire on religious practices, is factually wrong.

Cultures as diverse as the Chinese, Japanese and Indian - all of which are 'non-Western' have historical plays and great works of art that 'lampoon' religious practices and in particular those in power and those who abuse power.

To make the claim that such lampooning is a Western construct belies Syed's biased worldview, and one which is sadly deconstructed by perhaps too much of a good thing - namely surrounded by the oft-mentioned and yet elusive "Asian culture"?

I have yet to find an 'Asian value' that is uniquely different from any other value that is found in other cultures. To make the claim that lampooning in the name of art is 'western', Syed need only to look into the fact that satire is an age-old art form that is found and well-recorded from the ancient Chinese to the Greeks, and indeed the Islamic Arabs, too.

Five hundred years ago, Galileo was punished severely for publishing a satire about the church's stance on a heliocentric world. Incidentally, Syed should know too that the Islamic civilization has produced works of art from its glorious past that lampoons state and religious practices.

Likewise, Tang dynasty's Du Fu wrote poems that for those who know, satirized the then Emperor, and the Confucian-Buddhist power struggle. Perhaps Du Fu was tainted with eighth Century CE 'Judaeo-Christian' values?

So what do we make of Syed's flimsy arguments? It is merely a weak attempt to stifle creative dissent and nonconforming ideas that are different from his worldview.

In so far as social norms are exclusively 'Asian', it is really a quaint and outdated notion, and merely exposes the popular mis-equating (and in some cases outright misrepresenting) cultural differences for culture-based absolute moral values.

Last I checked, moral values in any human society is rarely absolute or uniquely different, and we all share a lot more in common and being "different". And using Syed's subject matter, Islamic 'values', may I point out that Islam shares a lot of commonality with its Judaic and Christian counterpart. And in some parts of the world, adherents to either of the three monotheist religions share the same culture too.

Just to be clear, I believe Syed is grossly mistaken when it comes to culture, social values, and religious beliefs. Syed should have simply make the argument that the play which he finds "absurd and disrespectful" on a subjective and personal level, and ended his commentary at that.

He should never had defended his personal taste on the basis of mistaken notions of ethno-centrism, culture, and religion. Pomposity and self-righteousness have no place in art criticism.

On the issue of telling others to move away just because they do not agree with him, may I remind Syed that he too is free to move to Iran or Saudi Arabia to be with those who share his rather extreme abuse of religion.

In my case, I will put out the "Selamat Datang" mat to folks like Olifant and hope they stay on in Malaysia. We need more level headed people around.