The observations made in BG's letter titled 'Nationalistic Islam as preached by Umno is worse' (Nov 21) are both wrong and right. There is no such thing called "nationalistic Islam". By its very nature, Islam is universal and rejects narrow, oppressive and discriminative nationalism as assabiyah .

For example, there are not only Arabic and Malay Muslims in the world, but also Chinese, Indian, African, Caucasian, European, Russian and American Muslims (although, in my opinion, Muslims should live within the system of modern nation-states, any political sentiment and ideology based on the elevation of any exclusivist nation or race ought to be rejected). Nationalism, communalism, racism and fascism are antithetical to the universal teachings of Islam, and, if I am not mistaken, Christianity.

Because of the belief in One God and His Creation, Muslims should not discriminate and oppress other races and followers of other religions. Thus, the so-called "nationalistic Islam" as preached and practised by Umno is wrong from the point of the basic and fundamental teaching of Islam.

Umno itself was founded on an assabiyah basis which is unIslamic. The ideology of Umno, namely Malay nationalism is in fact a made-in-London product, a carbon-copy of the 19th century secular (and possibly anti-religion and atheistic) nationalism in the European system after the conclusion of the Thirty-year War (1618-1648) and defined by the 1648 Peace of Westphalia. Umno's is the "Islam" of "Laurence of Arabia".

BG is right when he/she pointed out that PAS and Keadilan are in fact more inclusive than Umno because PAS accepts all Muslims, including Chinese and Indian Muslims as members and leaders, while Keadilan accepts all Malaysians. Both PAS and Keadilan are in fact more respectful of the cultures, customs and languages of non-Malays and non-Muslims. Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) enjoined Muslims, if knowledge can be found in China, go there to seek it.

The major divide between Umno's "Islam" and the Islam of PAS and Keadilan is that Umno supports and implements ISA detentions without trial and without strict rules governing evidences and the characters of court witnesses. There is even no need for witnesses or open trial for ISA detainees. This is certainly unIslamic because Islam, since its very revelation, has made it one of the paramount principles of jurisprudence to have open trial and credible witnesses for anyone being accused of something wrong.

The western jurisprudence also provides similar rules of evidence. Only the barbarian or jahiliah values of "law" allow detentions without open trial, torture and calumny ( fitnah ) being used as "evidence".

It is time for Muslims to understand the right and correct interpretation of Islam, and for non-Muslims to respect the kind of Islam that is universal, inclusive and humanistic based on the true belief in One God.