Turning ignorance into knowledge through love and compassion

These are trying times indeed. Malaysians live in a dangerous era where religious fundamentalism and right wing politics have fused together to create an unholy matrimony.

Interfaith dialogues between all religious organizations or even individuals no longer exist but is a necessity our society desperately needs, now more than ever.

The year 2014 highlighted numerous incidents where the line between logic and fallacy has been crossed many times, as if to test our society’s boiling point. The intensity of those bent on creating chaos and disunity has obviously increased, hence, the need to understand what triggers such a situation must be done without letting emotions cloud our judgment.

Many communities live under governments that curtail serious conflicts that involve religion or matters of faith. These governments understand how religion can be manipulated by tyrannical regimes who seek nothing but control and power. The late Benazir Bhutto of Pakistan once said, “Extremism and fundamentalism can only grow in environments where basic governmental social responsibility of the people is neglected."

Such governments create a sense of social hopelessness and fear that invigorates extremism. Therefore, it is important for Malaysians to realise this: religious beliefs and cultural system can be severely compromised to manufacture legitimacy through political control.

These fundamentalists believe in an angry, vengeful God. They practise incensed self-righteousness as a template of condemnation and to belittle others around them – a result of attaining superficial and shallow knowledge where rituals (the dos and don’ts) dominate religious teaching and followers are driven into blind obedience.

Unfortunately, many have forgotten or are unaware that love and compassion are the true essence of Islam, even as declarations filled with fanatical elements and the horrors perpetrated by extremists eclipsed legitimate religious beliefs.

Ignorance and fear are often exploited to propagate political agendas. When the overzealous come in contact with those of a different faith or who may interpret certain doctrines in a more rational manner, their inability to comprehend logically will often lead to heated discussions that lack intellectual depth.

The frailty of their beliefs and understanding prohibits them from answering any sort of profound questions that might arise, and Malaysia has quite a number of those prowling and seasoning in our otherwise dull political landscape.

The core belief of Islam is centered on the principles of "tawhid: (oneness), which has been identified as the dominating factor fundamentally linked with the concept of compassion: “My Mercy encompasses all things” (Quran, 7:156). Islam perceives both love and compassion as the ability to empathise with other people and our surrounding,  reflecting oneness and unity.

The Quran frequently mentions the goodness of diversity and the propriety of divergence, “O mankind, We have indeed created you as male and female, and made you as nations and tribes that you may come to know one another” (49:13). 

Great writers who emerged in the Golden Age of Islam, such as the Sufis, wrote relentlessly about embracing universal values, especially love and compassion, as an integral spiritual path Muslims must undertake.

Jalal al-Din Rumi (born 1207 AD in modern day Afganisthan), one of the greatest Sufi writers, stipulated that the message of love involves embracing diversity and the transcendence of self, the foundations of spirituality and a significant part of Islamic teaching. Love is often thought of as the cure of "all ills and the alchemy of existence".

Present-day Malaysian society has no place for religious principles that are insensitive or that validate discord. Negative attitudes and biased beliefs do not encourage good judgment neither do they foster unity nor instill humility. Such values are antithetical to progress and go against every foundation that all religions are built upon.

Perhaps the best way for Malaysians to overcome this is by nurturing sensibility and wisdom. It is our responsibility to teach one another to understand faith and religion in a way that emanates emotional intellectualism.

People must be taught to accept that every religion is a legitimate expression of seeking the same universal truth. Respect, tolerance and compassion towards all living things are upheld and encouraged by all religions.

Regardless of what some might say, there are no such things as exclusivity and religious superiority. – January 2, 2015.

* This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of The Malaysian Insider.