Blurring race and religion

The Government’s effort in commemorating the inaugural World Interfaith Harmony Week recently is laudable, but many feel that more long-term efforts need to be taken to foster the right values in the most important target group – the young.

A GROUP of Chinese schoolboys see a tudung-clad Malay girl walking across the road and start wolf whistling. As soon as she passes them, one boy shouts, “Ninja, ninja!” while his friends bend over laughing.

In a classroom, tired of an Indian classmate’s incessant chattering, a Malay girl turns to her friend and says loudly, “Do you know why Indians talk so much? Because their fullstop is on their forehead.”

Kids will be kids, some might say, and we adults have our own share of “race and religion” jokes.
Interfaith advocates: Dr Gurusamy (left) and Father Philip Thomas holding the umbrella which states the golden rule: ‘Treat others the way you want others to treat you’.

Yet, if not checked, exchanges like these may well just escalate into full blow-ups.

The case might be closed now for the authorities, but the alleged prank on a Sikh National Service trainee whose hair was cut while he was asleep remains a sore point for many.

Currently, a video clip that is hotly making the rounds online is one of an Indian boy being “coerced” by two Malay boys – shot in what looks like school grounds – to say “Ke**** Babi.” Whether the clip is a hoax or not is a moot point. In a country like Malaysia where the lines between religion and race are blurred due to a lack of inter-cultural and religious knowledge, it should not be taken lightly.

Speaking from experience, TV personality Baki Zainal, 30, knows only too well how religious and cultural ignorance plagues the young here.

“One of the funniest incidents I had is a conversation with a Chinese friend who was afraid to put on the Baju Melayu thinking that it’s a religious symbol and he would be betraying his faith and culture,” he shares.

Understanding others’ culture and religion is vital, stresses the fluent Mandarin speaker.

“When you understand, you won’t need to ‘tolerate’ it for it would not even be an issue.”

It is sad that young Malaysians do not understand or know about other people in their community, says Dr Chandra Muzaffar, chairman of the Board of Trustees of Yayasan 1 Malaysia, conceding that “episodes” like these – which reflect a lack of religious sensitivity between communities – have become more frequent in the last 10 years.
Ananda: ‘They learn from the adults (at home and in school); they see what adults do and behave and simply copy.’

He attests that education is important. “We have to educate our people about each other’s religious sensitivities, practices and beliefs. We need to educate on how the different communities have certain practices and observances that are unique.”

This is something founding Director of Institute of Ethnic Studies (KITA) at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Prof Datuk Shamsul Amri Baharuddin has been recommending for years.

“The solution is not to go and have a durian party. The solution is to teach the young to understand and learn about other races. We are not making an effort in teaching Malay­sian studies or ethnic differences,” he argues.

In our schools there are no subjects that teach and expose our young to other cultures, he laments. “Previous attempts to introduce Ethnic Studies have been shot down and criticised.”

For Dr John Gurusamy, a Malaysian Interfaith Network coordinator, having interfaith studies is the answer.

“The Moral or agama classes that we have now mainly emphasise matters of indivi­dual faith. If we have interfaith studies, we can look at the customs of different religions, and students can learn to respect each other,” he argues.

Dr Gurusamy believes this can help overcome the lack of mixing in schools among our young.

“Many of our young are ignorant about other religions. They are not able to appreciate or accept the differences. Learning about each other’s cultures and religions will help open their minds and hearts,” he says.

Crucially, fostering interfaith harmony is a 365-day task.

A 20-something IT professional who only wants to be identified as N. Singh agrees.

“The government should encourage interfaith dialogues in schools to discuss and learn about each other’s religion and cultures. The leaders of each religious group should be active in dialogue engagement so that any misconception can be avoided. Worship places should be preaching kindness and compassion for all humans,” he opines.

Change from within

All agree that more needs to be done to train teachers to be aware of religious and racial sensitivities.

“Teachers who teach these classes should make it a point to talk through sensitivities and not trivialise other people’s cultures.

“But teachers have been wrongly taught and are not inculcated with the right moral values, so many are prejudiced themselves. Worse, many are politicised – many religious and moral teachers in school are teaching the wrong thing,” Dr Gurusamy alleges.

N. Singh, however, argues that it is not only teachers who need to be “educated” about respecting other cultures and religions.
Baki: ‘When you understand, you won’t need to tolerate it for it would not even be an issue.’

“For me, instilling respect and educating oneself on other cultures and religions needs to begin from a young age, at home,” he says.

Former ambassador and dhamma speaker Datuk Dr G.K. Ananda Kumaraseri concurs, saying that the home is where these values need to be instilled.

“The unwholesome behaviour we see is a manifestation or symptom of a deeper problem. We cannot just blame the younger generation because they are a product of society. They learn from the adults (at home and in school); they see what adults do and behave and simply copy. They think there is nothing wrong with it or that it is an acceptable behaviour.”

It is the responsibility of society to provide the young with the right “grooming”, he stresses, and it is all in the “mind”.

“We need to accept the fact that the uncultured mind is the root of the inter-ethnic issues, intolerance and insensitivity that are plaguing our society,” he says.

“We need to look at the childcare service before formal education starts – it needs to address the development of the mind of the young.

“It’s important to mould a child from the ages of one to five so they do not start behaving insensitively at the age of 13 or 17.”

Respect for other people, religions and cultures cannot be taught; the values need to be “programmed” or inculcated in the child, he continues.

“We need to look at this in a holistic way –how we can develop this human being from birth at home until they go to school – regardless of their social, cultural, religious make-up.”

Family life and parents are the biggest aspect, he points out.

“We need to recognise that bad parenting is part of the problem – parents need to instil good values where these problems are concerned. By the time they go to school it will be too late to start instilling these values; the first five years is essential.”

Ananda also proposes parenting courses for all couples planning to get married, “People are getting into marriage without understanding or guidance on how to create a good family environment, raise children well and instil good values.”

But as the second important place for the young, schools still have a big responsibility.

This does not necessarily mean a reform of our education system, he clarifies.

“What we need is to focus more on experiential learning and less on rote learning. There should also be less emphasis on examinations,” he adds.

Providing the right “grooming” is not so much about telling children what is good or bad, Ananda points out.

“When we talk about education for the child, we need to look at their minds.

“This is something that we don’t do. In school, under the national curriculum, we look at developing their physical development and imparting knowledge and information. That is not wholly effective. Whatever we teach is not internalised because we don’t focus on their mind,” he stresses.

Ultimately, says N. Singh , the government needs to review policies that just champion the cause of the majority and ignore the minorities.

A Psychology lecturer who only wants to be known as Sonya also believes that the unwillingness of those in power, or majorities, to take the trouble to appreciate or understand minority groups is an obstacle to interfaith harmony.

“It is putting race and religion ahead of humanity and respect that is the problem. If we see all Malaysians as individuals worthy of respect, there is no issue. But because we want to be ‘superior’, to feel ‘better’ than others (due to lack of confidence in ourselves), we look down on other races – put them down to elevate ourselves.

“There is little room for this kind of archaic segregation any more,” she opines.

Dr Gurusamy adds: “If we develop confidence and assurance in ourselves as individuals, groups and a nation, we will not need to prove how much ‘better’ we are, and we will truly respect each other. Treat others like how you want others to treat you.”

He believes that everyone is to blame when people behave insensitively to other religious communities, citing a famous quote from Mahatma Gandhi: “We are all children of God. All humanity is one undivided and indivisible family, and each one of us is responsible for the misdeed of others. I cannot detach myself from the wickedest soul.”

He quips, “For example, I cannot blame the Taliban for killing my family member. They are also my brothers, their behaviour is a reflection of what I’ve not done to help them.”

Blurring race and religion