Here's another public forum that should be of interest to you folks. Not only is the topic interesting but the fact that it is organised by a Muslim AND a Christian group is also worth mentioning.
Titled 'People Like Us:How Arrogance Divides People', this forum will be held on
Friday June 12 2009
at The Father's House,
Bangsar Lutheran Church,
23, Jalan Abdullah,
off Jalan Bangsar,
from 8.30pm to 10.00pm.
(Please visit blc.net.my for directions.) All are welcome.
The forum is jointly organised by the Muslim Professionals Forum and Friends in Conversation.
The speakers are Waleed Aly, a young Australian Muslim who has written a book called 'People Like Us:How Arrogance Divides Islam and the West'; Tricia Yeoh, Research Officer to the Selangor Menteri Besar's Office; and Dr. Ahmad Farouk Musa, founding member of MPF and lecturer at Monash University School of Medicine and Health Sciences. The moderator will be Rev Sivin Kit of the BLC.
For more information, please visit Rev Sivin's blog.
Thursday, June 11, 2009
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15 comments:
close down all karaoke and places selling beer and liquor immediately.
top chinese executives from all companies under the pretext of entertaining customer after work
are wasting their time and increasing the companys expenses.
on top of this nonsense hanky panky
are aplenty.
the govt should ban all this nonsense immediately and urged all
executives and above to go back to their respective families after work.
i am chinese and i support PAS 100%
on banning of alcohol.
alcohol is nothing but trouble.
marriages are crumbling becoz of this nonsense
i am very sure all the chinese housewives and whatever will
support 100% PAS good intention.
wow in a church.. this will cause even the "more liberal" Muslims in Malaysia to feel shocked and awkward.
If this was what SIS was up to, then I don't really blame PAS for banning them.
It has nothing to do with religious tolerance or conversion or anything, but if you have been brought up by one way of life, the prospect of simply walking into another place of worship can scare you... especially the Muslims in Malaysia....
THERE'S NO ROOM FOR THE ARROGANT
We'll learn not to be so arrogant
If we can acknowledge flowers so fragrant
Those who think and work hard are not vagrants
And all the wonderful goodness by God grant
(C)Samuel Goh Kim Eng - 110609
http://MotivationInMotion.blogspot.com
Thur. 11th June 2009.
Thanks Marina for your support.
Ah, this looks interesting. I have read Waleed Aly's book, and I must say he's a brilliant writer.
For a moment I thought the forum topic is copied off from his book. :p
It's good to have this type of public forums held around here. But MM, the organizers need to be ready for the forum to be sabotaged by muslims shouting and throwing stones at the church like so many times happened before. And before long, police will be there to 'advise' them to stop the forum immediately for it stirs the emotion of 'certain group of Malaysians'. When you see comment like that from Dato Bendahari and the like, you know this group of people numbers in millions if not tens of millions in Malaysia. And all non-muslims know muslims are intolerance most of the time; I believe that's the root cause. It has nothing to do with arrogance or some other human habits =.=
Joseph, you should really come to this because I think it's meant for people like you. I can think of few people who quite match your prejudices.
Friends, the last time I stepped into the Bangsar Mosque for a forum organized by Muslim Professionals Forum at their invitation, I received a warm welcome. They didn't have to, but the chairman was kind enough to publically welcome me - a Christian pastor.
Sure, there maybe an initial feeling of awkwardness as I was the only non-Muslim (as far as I know) there. But my Muslims friends put me at ease. And I found the interaction enriching.
The back story for the organization for this particular open forum tonight was initiated by Muslim Professionals Forum, and Friends-in-Conversation (the Christian group I'm part of) felt this will be a good grassroots effort for us to work together.
So, as one of the organizers, I'm not worried about shouters or stone throwers. Based on what I know, we're going to have some curry puff and drinks for those coming early :-) We're having a conversation among friends not a grand debate.
Joseph - Frankly, I think it's time for us to drop such generalizations of people whether Christian, Muslim, Buddhist, Hindus, atheist, or whatever. Each person is different. and in all faith communities there's a wide spectrum on how we express our faith.
For me, tonight we're in conversation with friends who believe we must not surrender this important space for us to engage to the so called "experts" or "activists" (whom both may not really speak for any of our communities). So often, we are clouded by the issues and forget the human being before us.
On arrogance, the Bible does clearly say, we are all sinners. So that will keep us all humble and ready to seek for repentance and after that work on better ways to relate.
And one thing for sure, we can't just relate from a distance on the web. Face to face encounters where it's based on mutual respect and trust, and friendship is a good place to start. A safe place.
I've long decided that if I don't want to be part of the problem, then I want to do every bit I can to be part of the solution.
anyone else want to join?
hi marina.. an interesting topic to talk about.. however i'd think it wud b much appropriate and wud attract more ppl if they cud go on a NEUTRAL ground.. d venue dat is really bugging me here. hmmmmmm. disappointed.
Zaidatul, I understand what you meant by a neutral ground or venue.. a mosque only qualifies that, right?
Joseph, please change your name to Xenith or something alien like that and find your self the planet you come from and go back there.
Zaidatul, the grounds belong to the Church, but the premises in which this talk is to be held is not the place where the congregation assembles to worship. Just like all the Mission Schools that many Muslims including our PM Najib attended. And so what if it is within the church itself anyway? How does that taint or diminish your faith in anyway? I have myself been into the Dome of the Rock, the Blue Mosque in Istanbul, another historical mosque in the centre of Damascus and several others. No problems anywhere.
Marina, I think its about time you booted Joseph out of here. He is just being such a jouvenile in his mischief making.
And Joseph, one of these days you are, if ever, going to grow up. Have children and one of your kids is going to bring over a Muslim friend to your house. Believe me, you will do your utmost to ensure you serve that Muslim friend of your child's Halal even if that person is less concerned about it.
How do you define NEUTRAL Mr Joseph? Can't a normal public hall do where d msians wud come with easy n open heart, at least for dis first time?
The Father's House is at Jalan Abdullah. We are indeed tolerant. ;P
old Fart, what if I'm a vegetarian and my child go to his muslim schoolmate house, you think the host will get ready some vegetarian food for him? No way of course! Besides, if his muslim schoolmate comes to my house, most probably his parent already fore-warn not to touch any food (or may be even drinnks offered by non-muslims), so just save my money on that. Old Fart please face the reality of this world, or at least the reality here in Malaysia. We have a rock solid 'DIVIDE & RULE' policy here along muslim vs non-muslims line, it will be there for at least another 100 years, I dare say @_@
Joseph: My goodness! Grow up, child. Facing the reality of this world and being human are two different things. You should try befriending a Malay. You will learn that the Malays are as humans as the Chinese, Indians, Punjabis, Bumiputras, etc. If you claim to be who you are in your blog,
"I have a dream... and I wish this world to be a place of love, peace, friendship, forgiveness, abundance and prosperity. And I will do my part towards this."
then I don't think you are contributing ANYTHING or doing YOUR PART in anything towards this dream of yours if you keep having these prejudices. Seriously...how immature!
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