I refer to the Malaysiakini report Protesters stop Bar's 'conversion' forum .

Religion is a sensitive subject, more so than ethnicity, in my opinion. You can talk openly about almost anything, but the minute you talk about religion, it has the capacity to infuriate people, mostly for no rational reason, as witnessed in the Bar Council's forum held over the weekend.

This was merely a forum where people from both sides of the divide discussed a very significant issue which has affected the lives of many. So forgive me if I am ignorant or blind but I fail to see how this constitutes 'Islam-bashing', as declared by the organisers of the protest.

This is not a forum made up solely of non-Muslims, there were Muslim representatives who presented an Islamic point of view, so why all the unnecessary commotion?

I suppose if these protesters were really there to defend the sanctity of Islam, perhaps I could turn a blind eye. However, I doubt that this was the case.

I doubt that most of these pathetic people have even the slightest clue as to what they are protesting against. If otherwise, it puzzles me as to why instead of actually chanting good factual reasons, they instead resorted to hurling racist jibes, telling the Indians to ‘go to hell’ and the ‘Chinese pigs to go back to China’.

What exactly does this have to do with Islam? Unless my interpretation of Islam is wrong, I would say that such remarks are rather un-Islamic. Are they aware that there are Chinese and Indians who are very happily practising Islam?

However, I cannot say that it was entirely unanticipated as I feel that religous fundamentalism is on the rise, dangerously I might add, in this county. What did disappoint me most was the involvement of a political party which claims to have a desire to bring about openness and change to this country.

To see PKR being involved in this protest really saddens me. Even its much celebrated leader Anwar Ibrahim is of the opinion that such forums should not be held openly.

The Malaysian culture in regards to matters of difficulty and sensitivity is often to sweep it under the carpet. I certainly hope that this is a one-off incident because if our opposition is no better than the incumbent, what hope does this country have.

On the slightly rosier side, perhaps not all hope is lost if Dr Mehrun Siraj is anything to go by. "Open discussion is the way to discuss the issues between Muslims and non-Muslims", she remarked. Maybe before I die, this will be reality.