I read with dismay the recent spate of 'discussions' between PAS and DAP on the issue of Islamic state. It seems to me that there is a stalemate.

According to Islam, God has decreed that His religion shall be spread through compassion and mercy to mankind even when they, the Muslims, have the power to exact revenge, hence the personification of its Prophet as a 'A Mercy to the Worlds'. It seems that some Muslims have forgotten these fundamental precepts of their founding members.

Muslims have failed to enact their fundamental responsibility: Communication of the prophetic message in a way that will leave no doubt in the minds of those they are addressing as to its validity. The Muslim's relationship with non-Muslim has been founded, including in Malaysia, on the authority of political, social and nationalistic confrontation and has never been established on solid, fertile, spiritual grounds. It has been on what we can get off 'them', but not on the grounds on what we as Muslims can offer humanity.

Faith can only reign supreme when those who seek to propagate it work in accordance with God's design. Can an Islamic state allow faith and justice to reign supreme? How do we work for these objectives? It has to be a relationship based on trust, mercy and justice, not on political rhetoric and games. Truth can only be propagated by the truthful.

However, DAP is not helping anyone by being adamant and inflexible. They are merely playing in the age-old Malaysian political rhetoric of race politics and mistrust. We have to lift ourselves from these precepts if we are to proceed to a more just and fair society.