Scholars and philosophers have looked upon religion in various ways. Some have defined it in a very narrow and limited sense while others have given it a much broader outlook. According to the Buddha, religion should be regarded as a noble way of life:

"To avoid evil, To do good, and To purify the mind, This is the teaching of all the Buddhas."

Malaysia is a rich country. The diversity in its culture highly promotes Malaysia as a country that treats everyone as one, regardless of colour, creed or race. Our nation is rich in its geography too. We are rich because of the fact that we are located at the crossroads of Asia. Here was the meeting point of so many cultures and civilizations stretched from mainland China to South Asia, Central Asia, the Mediterranean and Europe.

Because of the strategic location, our nation discovered the meaning of plurality - of religion, ethnic and culture. Our leaders always market Malaysia as a global example of multi-ethnicity, multi-culturalism and multi-religiosity, but the reality is, after five decades of living together, distrust, prejudice and intolerance still lie dormant beneath the patina of our harmony.

We hear every now and then, that some people have attacked churches or temples in different places. A place of worship is a "sensitive" issue especially in a multi-religious society like ours, and this kind of demolition of places of worship must stop with immediate effect. Why is it happening now?

Previously these kind of sensitive issues were handled with great care. Negotiations and alternatives are worked out first before such acts of demolition of temples, churches or mosques happen. An ancient Chinese philosopher, Lao Tzu once said, "The greatness of every human being is his capacity to put his heart where the other person's heart is."

Such, how would a Muslim feel if he discovered his mosque was destroyed? Or likewise if you are a Christian, only to find out that your church or chapel has been demolished? It hurts and it makes you very angry - more so when the images and statues of your religious deities are being destroyed right in front of your eyes. The destruction of religious places of worship is a "very sensitive" matter and it must be handled with great care and compassion even if it really could not be avoided. Would you just stand by and witness the demolition? What would you do? - put yourselves in the shoes of those affected and try to understand their feelings and their plight.

If we can still remember one case, the Sri Mariamman Muniswaran Temple, located at Batu Lima, Jalan Tampin, near Seremban. Historical records indicated that the temple was built around 1870-1890, so the temple may be anything between 130-150 years old. The temple was a modest structure with a simple roof sheltering the image of the local deity, backed by spectacular Banyan tree, a sprawling mass of vegetation that would bolster the claim of its relative antiquity.

However, on 26 February 2005, the temple structure was smashed by men wielding sledge hammers, though it was immediately rebuilt by regular devotees who visited the temple. The fate of this tiny temple is now being decided in the courts, though opinion on the matter remains divided.

The destruction of Hindu temples all over the Peninsular has been cited as a case in point, though in practically every case of Hindu temple destruction, we have been told that it was for the sake of 'development' and that the temples in question were illegally built anyway. Have we ever wondered whether the foundations of Angkor Wat or Borobudur were laid on legally-sanctified ground, or whether those who built them had applied for planning permits?

Let us remind ourselves of some basic facts. The destruction of these temples is not a 'Hindu' issue, nor is it an 'Indian' issue. It is in fact a 'Malaysian' issue. These temples are just as much a part of the Malaysian multi-cultural, multi-religious landscape as any other mosque, church or pagoda in the country.

Hinduism is where the Malay identity started and it has since been part of the culture and history of the Malaysian people more than any other belief and cultural system. The recognition of these temples means the recognition of its Malaysian characteristics.

Malaysian will remain as a land that is rich in culture and history, as long as we collectively preserve and protect it. Such, the defence of these temples should well be a Malaysian concern.

In Islam, the Hanafi, Maliki, Shafi' and Hambali scholars all state that dhimmis (non-Muslims living under the protection of a Muslim state) must not be forbidden from repairing the churches, temples and other places of worship, because forbidding them from doing so would lead to the destruction of these places. Thus, the ruin of these places takes the same ruling as destroying them.

Al Kamal ibn Al Humam, a Hanafi scholar said, "All opinions adopted in the Hanafi school assure that no temple, church or other place of worship can be destroyed."

Places of worship that belong to non-Muslims have a special position in the Quran, which mentions protecting them before mosques.

'Did not God check one set of people by means of another, monasteries, churches, synagogues and mosques wherein the name of God is mentioned much would surely have been pulled down' [Quran, Surah Al-Hajj 22:40].

The Quran, verse 22:40, indicates that the scheme of God is to protect monasteries, churches, synagogues and mosques which establish pluralistic religious nature of Islam.

Islam is basically a tolerant religion. The difference between people, nations, races and religions may lead to conflict and therefore man's responsibility remains in establishing peace and tranquility in the society. It is important that a balance is established in the society based on mutual respect, love and compassion rejecting all types of arrogance, whether it is material or intellectual. Establishing such balance between different nations and communities is possible only by sharing knowledge about each other. Diversity of religions, nations and peoples is a test. The teachings of Islam require that we manage the differences and live a peaceful harmonious life in this world. This is pluralism.

Since there is a gap between religious belief and reality, no community and no human being has a right to believe that the religion professed is something that frees him from the laws of human behaviour.

By looking at every religion in great depth, we find that there is a certain unity in terms of common universal ethical values. This is the foundation of good deeds. The outstanding similarities among the various religions can be seen through many ways; the attitude towards nature, the development of moral values in the individual, the idea that man has a spiritual origin and destiny and the view that the human being is a single, integrated entity. Equally important, all religions perceive ethical principles as transcendental.

This is what unity means: God is in the heart of everyone. Instead of force-feeding morality, we should instill in ourselves the pride of being a part of a rich multi-ethnic, mutually respecting and mutually tolerant society.

If this is made a compulsory lesson for every Malaysian child, perhaps there could be better hope for us to achieve true national unity.