Claudia Theophilus and malaysiakini are to be congratulated for publishing the series of five articles on Islam, and perhaps more importantly for having successfully organised the debate between the four eminent individuals from whom the articles' contents were based. It is well within everyone's memory to recollect that such debates and discourse have been said to be the preserve only of the ulama.

The rationale has always been that the subject matter is so intricate, so fine, so pure, that only these ulamas can have any meaningful comprehension of what Islam really is all about. Ordinary mortals like you and me are deemed to be completely clueless about this subject matter. Worse still for non-Muslim commentators and publishers, they are not even Muslims. This frankness and openness, this willingness to re-examine long held God-sent preconceptions therefore carry many exciting possibilities for the future.