Can We Handle Dialogue?
By Nursufya Yacob
While living in Malaysia I have never asked myself, nor have I been asked by others questions about my faith. Question like, why Muslims have to wear the hijab, why is Muhammad the Muslims' last prophet, what is the logic behind our 5-time prayers, why doesn't Islam allow for homosexuality, why can't Muslims withdraw from Islam, is there freedom of religion in Islam, and many other queries pertaining Islam only surfaced after I was a thousand miles away from home. Now, I finally realise how these questions are more than just 'questions,' they are opportunities for me to promote understanding and dialogue about my faith around the world.
Last month the New Zealand National Muslim Organisation held an Islam Awareness week. It was an opportunity for the public to learn about the beliefs, values and practices of Muslims. One of the events was an interfaith dialogue session given by a Muslim representative. There were non-Muslims in the audience who raised their doubts about the teachings of Islam during the event. Some were concerned about the prevalent issue of terrorism, while others questioned the reasons for why Allah imposes certain obligations onto Muslims. I was particularly impressed by the explanations and answers this representative was able to come up with. Despite the controversial nature of the questions asked, she was still able to maintain her composure. Above all, she managed to respond with good analogies and gave well-thought out, rational explanations for every question asked. I wondered to myself, could Muslims in Malaysia handle such questions with similar elegance and wit?
Well, firstly, Malaysia does not hold interfaith dialogues in public, something very much needed in a coutry where all Malays are considered Muslims. In fact, religion tends to be used as a political tool by interested parties under the race politics platform, time and time again, something which makes dialogue tense and regressive. The current government which consists of the Barisan Nasional, is constantly making politically-motivated statements on how Malaysia is an Islamic State, despite the absence of the Hudud Law (a set of laws prescribed by Allah in the Qur'an) from our justice system. Not only that, the government also has a stand that issues of race and religion should never be questioned nor discussed as they are both 'sensitive' to the Malays. Hence, real issues of race and religion are lost to discussion - either being swept under the carpet or solved unjustly, not unlike the case of Lina Joy.
Precisely because Malaysia is a multi-racial and multi-religious country, open discussions are among the crucial steps needed to promote understanding and hence secure much needed harmony in the country. Without it, can we truly understand each other's race and religion? It is my firm belief, that we cannot.
I was once asked by a Kiwi (New Zealander) employer about my religion. She studied many religions when she was in university, after which she resorted to becoming an atheist.
She asked, "Does Islam treat women as equals to men?"
I answered with confidence, "Absolutely. Women's rights were established by the Qur'ân and the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh)."
Then she replied, "So what is the logic behind Islam allowing men to practise polygamy?"
I explained that only men who are fair and just can practise polygamy, hence practising polygamy does not automatically result in women's rights being violated. But my ability to give a satisfactory answer was to little avail, because the assumption I make that all persons will be fair and just, was apparently and obviously flawed.
This was when I realised that not only my non-Muslim brothers and sisters have limited opportunity to understand the practises in Islam, in fact, we Muslims ourselves are also subject to doubts and misconceptions about our religion as well. After all, asking questions and working through the answers is the most important aspect of getting to know your faith. This could be the explanation for some Muslims choosing to leave the religion, or "murtad." But, too often a time this issue is classified as 'sensitive' by those in power, and the very pertinent issue is then entirely dismissed. Those who have questions on their faith, and the faith of others are not engaged, but turned away!
Based on this, I believe it is about time for Malaysia to allow interfaith dialogue to take place. The trend of banning such talks, books or even movies like Fitna, are doing more harm than good to us. These are all dialogues; messages that the public are tying to convey to Muslims, about their fears, their thoughts and their concerns. They want to understand and know why we believe what we do, and why we act the way we act. They are providing us with opportunities for Muslims to learn how to face criticism from other religions, a skill which most of us lack, sadly.
In my opinion, the argument that it could threaten the harmony among Malays/Muslims can no longer be sustained. The world needs to understand us as much as we need to understand the world, and they cannot do this if we do not allow them to.
It is high time for the government to acknowledge that the policy of banning such dialogue - backfires. The culture of fear then permeates public spaces for discussion, and those different from us are viewed with much hatred and suspicion. This, is the worst way of ensuring peace and progress in our nation. My query is this, if teenagers in school are considered too vulnerable to such open discussions, how about university students? How about professional lawyers in the Bar Council? How about the many Ustaz and Ustazah, Reverends and Rabbis? Are they vulnerable and easily influenced too? Yes, interfaith talk could distort one's faith in the religion, which is why we have to actively rectify those misleading allegations that cause one's faith to be distorted. We have to present our version of the truth. Avoid sweeping these questions under the carpet, rather, face it. In the end, it will promote a better understanding of Islam.
Interfaith dialogue encourages Muslims together along with non-Muslims to understand why Allah impose certain obligations or rules onto Muslims. It is an effective form of education where everybody learns about everyone's religion, and not just Muslims learning about Islam, Christians learning Christianity, Buddhist learning Buddhism and Hindus learning Hinduism.
How can Malaysians live in harmony if there is not enough understanding between us in the first place? I cannot have a close relationship with my Indian neighbour if I do not know that the cow is a sacred creature for the Hindus. I will be deemed ignorant and that is an obstruction to having a relationship of mutual respect.
Religion should not be a sensitive issue. If it is, it has to be 'desensitised.' Just because there is tendency for arguments to happen, does not mean we should avoid discussing it in the first place. What are we afraid of? All religions are based on truth. A harmonious nation needs to understand each other, and only through open discussion can this understanding be present in our society.
