I just cannot help responding to Deanna Rashid's letter . I am not here to question our religious faiths, practices or obligations to our religion. I am a Muslim, and I completely disagree with her statements.

In particular: 'The latter is a social duty where there must be a group of Muslims - if not an entire mass - to fulfill moral obligations as failure to do so will result in the whole community being in a state of sin'.

One thing about Malaysians is that prevention is never seems to be better than a cure. We always wait for something tragic to happen and then turn the whole issue into a huge media circus although we do know where the fault lies.

In Noritta's case, it is very easy to choose sides, to point fingers or look for a situation or someone to blame and say, you know, if our society had more practicing Muslims all these would not have happened or look, you did not fulfill your social duty, now see what has happened.

Maybe somebody did, or did not, maybe she or he were on their way towards straightening their lives. Whatever the reasons, it is very sad to say that the unbecoming act of one will (not could) result in a whole community being in a state of sin.

I would have laughed while reading that statement if I was not a Muslim. But I am one and it is my moral obligation to not allow such a statement to be preached without justification.

Religion is a way of life. If I ask 10 different ustaz (religious preachers) on a complicated issue, it is very unlikely that I will get 10 of the same answers. Each will have their own interpretation, most likely in keeping with the same basic fundamentals.

Maybe what the writer was trying to say was that today, we are facing much more challenges with regards to moral issues. Religion teaches us a righteous way of life, the differentiating between the good and the bad. In the case of Islam, all aspects of life are written in the Quran and one who follows its direction is guaranteed a place in heaven.

Would I allow someone in my community lead me into sin just because he or she didn't take my advice? I know that I am a better Muslim if can drink mango juice with a Muslim friend who is drinking beer, cherishing the friendship instead of rejecting the idea of him drinking beer completely and losing my friendship.

Maybe one day, he will realise that our religion does not permit drinking (or maybe not) but I would still be his friend. Judging, punishing or rewarding is the duty of the creator and not men.

We are obliged to give advice, provide guidance and use all means to communicate but the final decision to take any piece of advice will still rest with the individual.

The accused on trial for Noritta's murder is a Muslim. Why do we not preach to him about good Muslim values and why society has failed in preventing him from being accused of murder? What about our moral obligations to him?

Another statement of Deanna's that I don't agree is: 'But I cannot help but look at it from a cultural perspective'.

Religion is not culture as there are many aspects in life that are practiced because of culture and not religion. Don't confuse the two. Although there maybe some cultural practices that may required in religion, there are as many that are not.

In this country, being a Malay is most likely being a Muslim, but that is not so in other parts of the world.

Islam, like all religions of the world, is a way of life and some may perceive the grass is greener on this side and some, on the other. But whatever, the grass exists and it is green. Let us learn from the Noritta issue and make the necessary efforts to better ourselves and move away from this blame culture.