PLACES OF WORSHIP: Strive for tolerance, open-mindedness

2009/11/11

DR M.A. NAIR, Kuantan

IN the United States and many other Western countries, places of worship are open to all people irrespective of race or religion. They are allowed to visit these places out of the goodwill of those practising the religion.

This openness has led to many inter-faith dialogues being held in places of worship to foster better relationship and understanding among people of diverse faiths in the community. People of different faiths go to each other's place of worship not to prostrate or devote themselves to the faith but to better understand each other's way of worship.

This has thus created a much more tolerant society in this part of the world as compared with what is happening in some developing countries.

From my own experience as a student in Ann Arbor, Michigan, I know there exists a mosque for the Muslim community and there are churches and synagogues for the Christians and Jews. It is an accepted norm to have Christians and Jews going to the mosque for inter-faith dialogues and they are received warmly by the multinational Muslim community there.

I remember the issue of kosher meat being discussed in the mosque with the Jews, Christians and Muslims -- all sharing a common viewpoint on this. Many Muslims there bought kosher meat when they could not get halal meat.

There were other issues discussed relating to the Abrahamic religions and the issues affecting the Palestinians and Muslims, Christians and Jews in the Middle-Eastern countries. Scriptures from the holy books were read out and many were surprised to learn that there were many commonalities among these religions.

The whole discourse on occasions depicted the broadmindedness of the people. It stimulated the mind and the community as a whole ended up having a high tolerance threshold.

There were many occasions when Muslims were invited to churches and synagogues for the same purpose.

The atmosphere was always congenial at the University of Michigan. Friends from other faiths attended each other's wedding. Muslims had no qualms entering a church to attend a Christian marriage. There was even an occasion when Yusof Islam (aka Cat Steven) was invited to the campus to deliver a speech. The huge crowd consisting a majority of Christians and Jews and a minority of Muslims, among others, received him warmly. Such was the tolerance shown by students and the community in a developed country.

My wish is to see the same harmonious environment in our country. We live in a multi-religious society and politicising religion will make us none the wiser.