I refer to the letter by Umran Kadir about the raid by an unknown mob of people at the premises of Ayah Pin's Sky Kingdom. While I notice the issue has taken many perspectives, it all bogs down to the issue of right to one's faith and how the authority and the people should preserve this right and respect it.

With full respect to such a principle, it has to be said that it should be understood in light of our unique cultural diversity and the deep-rooted history of Islam in the country.

The notion of freedom of faith stems from a Western outlook and its worldview of faith. In the West, the value of freedom in faith is held esteem not merely because the principle is there but also due to Western society's understanding of faith as one's own private and personal matter.

If there were deviationist groups stemming out of Buddhism or Christianity or Hinduism, do these faiths have protective measures to ensure their teachings are preserved and not challenged by others?

In Islam we do, and Muslims are wary of any movement trying to lure the followers of Islam away from their faith. This is not a 'dictatorship', but merely the love of one's faith and a sense of sensitivity to preserve it and protect it.

I would believe that if there were deviationist groups from the other religions, we Muslims would let the protectors of the particular faith handle it themselves as they had been taught by the teachings of that faith.

Ayah Pin's Sky Kingdom is no doubt a deviationist group and it has followers and the means to propagate. Muslims may perceive Ayah Pin's teachings as a humiliation to their faith particularly the associating of Prophet Mohammed's messenger status with Ayah Pin.

This is challenging and enough to provoke the sensitivity of the community. But then again, why were the authorities so slow to act? Forget about the use of ISA and others gimmicks. Have there been any dialogue by Islamic scholars to get those Sky Kingdom followers back on the right track as they are our brothers and sisters in Islam?

In fact, I see the government as manipulative because the Ayah Pin story was known two or three years ago but the government chose to ignore it. Now, they are stirring it up and the whole nation is talking about it.

Does this signal another step towards maturity in understanding religious tolerance or does it signal a challenge to the constitution for one's right to freedom of faith?

Whatever it is, those who take the law into their own hands cannot be tolerated. But until we are serious about understanding our context of freedom in faith, our cultural and traditional backgrounds and most importantly the role of Islam in all this, one can never tell what will happen next.

The writer is the chairman of PAS' National Unity Bureau .