Your report entitled Don't let male chauvinists monopolise Islamic discourse missed the proverbial wood for the trees by firstly misunderstanding the gist of a question I put forth to Dr Khaled Abou El Fadl and secondly, by failing to include some important statements made by the eminent scholar.

The question I posed to El Fadl was how he thought the Shariah, and in particular the Hudud, should be implemented in an Islamic society given that the Hudud included punishments such as amputation of the hand (for theft) that were seen by some quarters, particularly in the West, as barbaric.

While El Fadl began by responding that Muslims needn't rely on the West as a benchmark of morality, it was the latter portion of his answer that was most interesting.

He said that one must stress the beauty or merciful aspect of Islam. He offered that the verb 'to cut' could also mean to 'be resolute' thus implying that steps should be taken to ensure that a person does not resort to thievery in the future.

Another salient point made by El Fadl was his oft-repeated assertion that the Shariah was never intended to be imposed by a state. He added that in his opinion , fatwas are to be non-binding in nature and that the ulama are to be consulted for their opinion. Upon reflection, none of this is the case in Malaysia.

While El Fadl did state that Muslims who are not trained as scholars should refrain from 'speaking in God's name' he encouraged all Muslims to speak out against injustice. I believe many Muslims will agree with El Fadl's writings , in which he suggests that the principles of justice, democracy and human rights can be found abundantly in Islam.

Despite this, what we find today are self-appointed defenders of Islam demonstrating their devotion to God in the most vulgar of manners, be it dramatic kamikaze-style acts of murder, persecution of women and religious minorities, curtailment of free speech or the churning out of asinine edicts.

It is a shame that few are brave enough to take a public stance against these injustices. In such a climate, it is increasingly important that organisations such as Sisters in Islam be encouraged to explore and discuss the humanistic, democratic and merciful values of Islam.