Interfaith groups should gather regularly instead of meeting only when there is an incident, Friendship Group of Inter-Religious Service (FGIS) of Malaysia coordinator Suresh Kumar Govind urged.

 

He argued that interfaith dialogues are not even meant to resolve conflicts because participants would be entering the discussion with clear positions, making it not conducive to holding discussions.

 

“Groups of people should not just come together when a conflict comes.

 

"We should come together even in cases where we don’t have a (situation of) conflict, just to share the fellowship, happiness, and joy.

 

“Then, in the process, if there is an issue, you discuss it in that manner.

 

“If you come only when there is an issue, you will find that nothing will be settled because everybody will be seeing things from their own perspectives,” he said yesterday.

 

He was addressing reporters after speaking at a workshop on interfaith relations as part of the Asean People’s Forum in Kuala Lumpur.

 

The forum, which ends today, gathers civil society organisations and communities in the region and is held parallel to the Asean Summit.

 

Not a futile attempt

 

In his talk, Suresh argued in favour of more interfaith dialogues and activities when asked whether these are exercises in futility.

 

“The point is, at the end of this day I think we should make very, very strong and deliberate attempts to create groups like this that have strong fraternity, and discuss whatever issues you have within the framework of familiarity and fraternity.

 

“You will find some answers coming up,” he said.

 

At the talk, speakers shared programmes conducted by their respective groups to bring peoples of different faiths together in their respective countries.

 

Suresh said the FGIS is staging a theatre performance next month involving people from various faith traditions.

 

The rehearsals, he said, have brought the participants closer together.

 

Groups involved with FGIS include the Islamic Youth Movement (Abim), the Buddhist Maha Vihara, the Council of Churches Malaysia, and the Malaysian Hindu Sangam, among others.

 

Another activity involves sending volunteer doctors to rural areas to provide medical care, but with the doctor’s religious affiliation displayed prominently on their nametags.

 

Exposure at grassroots helps

 

Meanwhile, Myo Win of Myanmar’s Smile Education and Development Foundation explained how their own programmes promote interfaith harmony.

 

One project involves gathering youths from multifaith backgrounds to provide community service at places of worship on Saturdays, including those not from their own faith.

 

These, based on the photos the group displayed, include cleaning temple grounds and providing refreshments to visitors.

 

Another programme involves organising meetings between youths and faith leaders in Myanmar, giving an opportunity for the participants to ask questions and for the leaders to dispel myths.

 

Stressing the importance of such programmes, Myo Win said hate speech campaigns are “very popular” in the country, including claims that Malaysia and Indonesia had been Buddhist countries before being taken over by Muslims.

 

Another speaker, Yos Hut from Cambodia’s Maha Kosanantha Pobular Ven, advocated for better education about all faiths in schools.

 

However, he stressed that it should only provide information and not indoctrination, as the children should have the freedom to choose their own religious belief.