By SHAILA KOSHY
The Star 29/11/09
In multi-religious Malaysia, people of different beliefs are reaching out to each other to foster better understanding and friendship.
On Malaysia Day, the Open Hearts and Mind Study Institute and the International Institute of Advanced Islamic Studies (IAIS) co-organised a closed-door dialogue between Muslims and Christians.
At that session, Islamic Information & Services Foundation (IIS) chief dakwah officer Shah Kirit Kakulal Govindji shared something odd. Odd, that is, in light of the continuing controversy over whether Muslims can wish their friends on the occasion of their religious celebrations, visit them or even invite them to a mosque.
The IIS takes Muslims on visits to churches and temples; they attend the service, dialogue, and share a meal with their Christian, Hindu or Buddhist hosts.
During the buka puasa after the dialogue on Sept 16, this writer asked Shah Kirit whether he had taken his group to an Eastern church service. When he said no, I suggested they visit the St Thomas Mar Thoma Church in Kuala Lumpur.
He said thanks and laughed when I said: “Come for an English service and your friends will not have to worry about seating arrangements because the women still generally sit on one side and the men on the other.”
Shah Kirit got in touch with Council of Churches Malaysia president Rev Dr Thomas Philips, the vice-president of the Mar Thoma Church (Malaysian Zone), and on Nov 22 brought a group of 50 for the Holy Qurbana (Communion) service at the church in Jalan St Thomas.
The service was at 10am, but they turned up at 8.45am when Rev Mothy Varkey, the vicar of the church, said there was a Bible Study session at 9am before the service.
During the service, many of them picked up the service book and followed the liturgy, which is in English with some chants in Malayalam and Syriac, and some even opened the Bible when passages were read out.
The service, in which the congregation also sang choruses in Bahasa Malaysia, was followed by a light tea, after which the visitors gathered back in the church for a dialogue.
There wasn’t much time for questions as they were expected at the Sri Lanka Buddhist Temple in Sentul for lunch and dialogue. But those who did ask showed they had been paying attention during the service and sermon.
One woman prefaced her question on the Holy Trinity with this: “I always thought that Christians worshipped three Gods. But from your service I realise that’s not true.”
One of the men told Rev Mothy that he found his sermon inspirational.
Later, a young adult member of the church said she hadn’t been sure what to expect when she heard there were going to be Muslim visitors.
“I certainly didn’t expect to see tudung-clad women coming for a communion service.
“I was a little confused as to what to say and do because I didn’t want to offend anyone but it was good they came,” she said.
A 16-year-old boy, who had acted as usher, said the visitors were friendly. “They went up to people and talked to them. They said they were not made to feel like strangers; it was nice to have them.”
Similarities and Differences
In an interview a few days later with Shah Kirit and Rev Mothy, Shah Kirit said the group was amazed by the hospitality shown to them at the church.
“They got a better understanding of Christianity,” he said. “They discovered not all of their assumptions were correct. They had more questions but there wasn’t enough time.”
The IIS, which has been around since 2002, was registered as a foundation a few years ago. Its efforts at building bridges are certainly meeting a need for inter-religious dialogue in Malaysia where religious sensitivities are taut at best.
Shah Kirit said the IIS strives to give a proper understanding of Islam, correct misinformation and disinformation in a just manner, promote unity among Muslims and bridge the gap between Muslims and those of other faiths and work together with the good people of the world of all faiths.
As such, the IIS reaches out to Muslim university students and young career people to expose them to the major religions in the world, especially the ones in Malaysia.
“Our programmes are geared towards exposing them to the basic beliefs of other religions – what are the similarities and the differences.
“When I first took a group to a church and temple, they were concerned that they would not be welcome, that there might be hostility."
“But after the visit, they were astonished at the welcome. It broke the barrier,” said Shah Kirit who is now trying to organise a visit to a mosque for the Mar Thoma church members.
On whether the misconceptions he’s come across among his group over the years are due to the lack of teaching or mis-teaching, he replied, “Both.”
“But we need to work carefully. Any change in a community has to be gradual. It cannot be forced.”
Establishing Dialogue
And what does he tell the Muslims in his programmes if they ask whether it is all right to wish a person of another faith during their religious celebration, or visit them?
“Islamic scholars are divided on this issue."
“Our Prime Ministers (all Muslims) have always wished Malaysians of all faith, showing they are Prime Minister to people of all faiths.”
He then tells them that while there are differing opinions, they must choose what they see is right, he added.
“My personal choice is this. My mother is a Hindu and every Deepavali I visit her. I spend time with her. I will even send her to the temple but I do not participate in the worship. It is not appropriate that my mother should take a bus by herself to go to the temple."
“When you visit your neighbours during Deepavali or Christmas, it is to establish a bonding."
“I tell them also, when you visit, to ask their friends why they celebrate their festival so you get a better understanding. They may also ask you about Islam. That is how we establish dialogue.”
And is there any fear among the group that they may be “converted” by their exposure?
“No, I take mature Muslims on visits to other places of worship, those who have been coming to our programmes for a year."
“When we go on these visits, it is to understand other faiths. We embrace the similarities and agree to disagree on the differences, not fight each other.”
While this was Shah Kirit’s first visit to a Mar Thoma Church, having Muslims at his service was also a first for Rev Mothy, an Indian citizen here on a work visa.
Asked whether he has visited any mosque in Kerala, Rev Mothy said no. “In Central Travancore, where I live, the people are predominantly Hindus and Christians.
“There is no mosque in my area. I haven’t had the opportunity to have inter-religious dialogue with people from the Islamic faith. This is the first time. I’ve had fellowship with Hindu friends and visited temples but no inter-religious dialogue.”
Rev Mothy said the people in Kerala are more understanding and are into inter-religious fellowship but this equation has been disrupted since the advent of the charismatic, independent churches.
“Tolerance has gone down because they are more aggressive, less inclusive and less tolerant even towards Christian denominations,” he said.
Shah Kirit, a proponent of dialogue but not debate, which he says is about one side winning, is already making plans for future meetings.
“When you spoke that day I could see we can have a future in dialogue. You’re objective.
“When we’re more comfortable with each other, maybe we could have a more serious discussion on our respective faiths; no censorship,” he told Rev Mothy who replied, “That’s a good idea.”
Nov 22 was certainly a day for building bridges. Maybe, just maybe, we can bring down the walls of bigotry in people of all faiths and build bridges of respect and compassion instead.
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