M’sians urged to be moderate and tolerant

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysians should stop focusing on differences and start giving prominence to commonalities to keep the nation together.

Islamic Education Foundation chairman Datuk Seri Mohamed Iqbal Rawther (pic) said there were concerns that conflicts or extremist views were becoming more profound lately and it should be addressed.

“Those with moderate views should speak up and Malaysians must focus on common aspects between the different religions, races and backgrounds instead,” he told The Star in support of the second wave of The Star’s voices of moderation campaign.

The campaign is aimed at keeping discussions open, rational and moderate and showcasing the many liberal and balanced voices.

Mohamed Iqbal said that while being vocal about a certain topic or having opinions was not wrong, when voiced out in a hard-hitting manner, it could cause negative repercussions.

“People tend to react harder to such views or go along with it and this is what leads to extremism,” he said, adding that this included views posted on social media.

He said he remembered the time when Malaysia was so tolerant that no one really looked at themselves as Indians, Chinese or Malays.

“The tolerance limit was high and we were always able to accommodate each other.

“It was not uncommon to see non-Muslim children hanging around in the mosque or non-Hindu children go to the temple, or people of all races watching a Chinese wayang (Chinese opera) by the roadside,” he said.

He added that people just accepted the different cultures, traditions and religions as a reflection of the different communities in Malaysia.

“Today it is all about exclusivity to one and inter-religious or inter-racial events are solely associated with national festivals or open houses,” he said.

He said many were also more concerned about themselves.

For example, the Muslims tended to see what would benefit other Muslims and not Malaysians as a whole.

“This is not a healthy way for progress. We should focus on the commonalities and understand that moderation is the bedrock of the nation,” he said.

He said in order to overcome this, it was time for everyone to take the initiative towards a moderate attitude.

“We should shake hands, love one another, focus on the good and do not fall into the trap of leaders who have extreme left or extreme right views.

“We also have to sow the seeds of moderation among our children and teach them that we all belong to the same people and are heading towards a common destiny,” he said, stressing that differences should just be facts of life which one lives with and not something that bothers Malaysians.