Let’s have more exchange visits to mosques, temples, churches

 

I was pleasantly surprised to watch a video of a group of 32 Muslims visiting a Hindu temple recently to learn more about the religion and to foster friendship.

The group, according to Tamil news portal Makkal Osai, also visited a church and a Buddhist temple.

This augurs well for better inter-religious understanding in multireligious Malaysia.

The Makkal Osai report said the group was from the Perak Islamic religious department.

I didn’t, however, expect the bridge-building gesture of the Perak Islamic religious department to be criticised by some Muslims, resulting in the department issuing an apology yesterday.

The visitors to the Sri Maha Kaliamman Temple in Kampung Kasipillay, Kuala Lumpur, did not take part in any ritual but just observed and listened to explanations on aspects of Hinduism.

All of them wore t-shirts with the words: 

Spread love, we are family.

It was wonderful to see those words because it showed that the Perak Islamic religious department not only recognised but was promoting the fact that we are all members of the same family; that Malaysia is our mother.

It is imperative that this message is taken to all parts of the country for the future good of our nation.

Too many nations are embroiled in internecine warfare, in conflicts over religion. I’m sure no Malaysian wants that to happen here. We all want Malaysia to remain peaceful so that we can get on with our lives undisturbed.

Peace can prevail if we take the trouble to understand that despite the differences in the way religions approach God, the fundamentals – such as the search for God, inculcation of virtuous values and observation of self-discipline – are the same or similar.

One member of the delegation later said the visit had given her an opportunity to understand Hinduism and helped clear some doubts and misunderstandings. She also said there were some similarities in both Islam and Hinduism and understanding this could enhance harmony in Malaysia.

This did not go down well with some Muslims, who criticised the department on social media for arranging the visit to the temple.

And on Aug 1, the NGO Perkasa expressed disappointment over the visit and demanded an explanation from the department. It also took exception to the remarks made by the woman participant.

Perkasa called on the department of Islamic development Malaysia (Jakim) to monitor the Perak Islamic religious department so that 

it does not become an agent for the agenda of pluralism

.

In its apology, the Perak Islamic religious department said the remarks of the woman in the video, who was not a staff member, had caused a misunderstanding and tarnished the department’s reputation.

In the video, another Muslim participant said Muslims’ views of Hinduism were coloured by what they had read or seen in the media but seeing it firsthand at the temple had cleared many doubts.

He invited Hindus and other non-Muslims to visit mosques to learn about Islam, saying that such exchanges were needed to foster understanding between Malaysians of various religions, particularly now when Malaysian society was deeply divided.

I couldn’t agree more. We need to build bridges.

In addressing those present, one of the visitors said differences were part of life and that Islam taught its adherents to respect other religions. Muslims, he added, were taught not to insult any religion.

I suppose opposition to such visits and exchanges between religious groups is to be expected. Educating people is a long-drawn process, and experience has shown us that many people can’t see the wood for the trees.

Malaysians who realise the importance of fostering inter-religious understanding and who treasure peace, however, will hope that the Perak Islamic religious department and others will continue building bridges.

Organisations and leaders representing the various faiths practiced in Malaysia should, in fact, double their efforts to promote understanding and harmony. They should emphasise the commonalities in all religions to followers of their faiths.

On May 24, in his commemoration speech honouring the late professor Toshihiko Izutsu at Keio University, Tokyo, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim stressed the need for open dialogue and greater empathy between people of different faiths.

Calling for civilisational dialogue in an increasingly fragmented world, Anwar said: 

By promoting empathy, understanding and respect, we can counter the forces of division and build bridges across cultures, religions and nations.

He added: “In a world where populism and right wing ethnic or religious extremism prevail, the calls for empathy may not be the easiest approach, particularly for politicians who want to get re-elected.

We are seeing this across the world, particularly in Europe and the United States, which is why the imperative for cross-cultural dialogue is more pressing than ever.

Well said.

But saying is one thing, doing is another. We must start doing this in our own home – our Malaysia – first.

And that is why we should all support the efforts of anyone and any group that carries out programmes to make our lives more peaceful. - FMT

The views expressed are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect those of MMKtT.