Maybe someone needs to remind Dato' Fadzil Noor and Mahfuz Omar that they are not only leaders of a major political party that participates in the democratic process, no matter how flawed, but they are also members of an important institution of democracy, the parliament.

Even more so, the former is the leader of his majesty's loyal opposition in the August house. Condoning as they did the burning of a US flag in an emotional frenzy by their followers as shown on Harakah daily last week is irresponsible and is an exercise in bad taste.

There have been numerous analyses on the flawed US foreign policy and her special relationship with Israel that helped explain why some desperate people could be driven to such dastardly terrorist acts as the Sept 11 attacks, and that imposing war on the Talibans ignores the principle of the rule of law and is unlikely to solve the problem of terrorism.

And as many have warned, the bombings largely hurt the long-suffering Afghan civilians who have not known peace for one generation. It is still not clear how much "collateral damage" will be exacted before the war's objectives are achieved.

For ordinary Muslims, it is normal to express sympathy for and solidarity with the Afghan people, even indignation at the cruelty they unjustly suffered. But we expect the response from people in leadership positions to be more measured. Instead of reflecting on these issues soberly and critically as behove their stature, showing true leadership by engaging in constructive dialogue, they have allowed themselves to be led by their more volatile followers.

Mahfuz's calls for the severing of diplomatic relations with the US and sending the Malaysian army to Afghanistan were ill thought-out and display his lack of sophistication in the world of politics.

Time and again, whenever a part of the Muslim world is struck by a crisis, PAS leaders exhibit their greatest vulnerability, allowing themselves to be seen as regressing into obscurantism. They must act more responsibly as their actions inevitably drag down with them other Muslims who do not necessarily share their views. You can call that 'collateral damage'.