Multi-religious forum attracts 200 participants
SIBU: About 200 people of various faiths attended a multi-religious forum on ‘ Faith and Justice’ organised by the Sarawak Islamic Information Centre ( IIC) at the Islamic Complex here yesterday.
The participants comprised representatives from government agencies, corporate organisations, Islamic nongovernmental organisations ( NGOs), community- based organisations, and institutions of higher learning.
The forum, the first of its kind by IIC this year, highlighted the common values of different religions in their pursuit of justice.
It provided concrete examples of how individuals and institutions from different religious background worked for justice throughout history.
Speaking before the forum, IIC chief executive officer Zabariah Matali noted that people used to connect justice with legal systems, punishments, police and so forth.
“When we talk about justice, is it only political? What about the moral aspect of justice?” she
When we talk about justice, is it only political? What about the moral aspect of justice?
asked.
The four speakers at the forum were Reverend Dr Wong Kee Sing from the Methodist Theological School Sibu, associate professor Dr Rohaida Nordin from Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia ( UKM), Venerable Bhante U Mangala from Sibu Buddhist Association and Manogaran Krishnasamy, chairman of Sibu Hindu Temple Association.
Dr Wong said in the Christian perspective of justice, Christianity teaches one should not oppress others and be fair to self, family and society, adding that justice is one of the fundamental issues in the Bible.
Dr Rohaida, on the other hand, said based on Islamic view, the root of justice is the understanding of God and one cannot just believe in justice, but practise it.
Bhante U Mangala said Buddhism teaches that people
Zabariah Matali, IIC chief executive officer
suffer because they do not understand how nature works.
Manogaran said in Hinduism, people should do justice and care for other people as they are created by God.
IIC initiated the multi-religious forum in 2008 and some topics covered include the environment, governance, women, festivities and observance, children as well as religious practices.