PETALING JAYA: Seeking forgiveness, or forgiving others, is a most powerful act that has not only healed relationships but saved entire nations, says Projek Sama member Thomas Fann.
PROJECT Stability and Accountability for Malaysia (Projek Sama) is one of the civil society organisations participating in the #MZB365 campaign to fight hatred with grace.
In a written piece on his blog site, Fann wrote about Rwanda’s recent commemoration of the 30th anniversary of the genocide of the minority Tutsi by the Hutu in 1994.
“The root causes that led to the massacre were their colonial legacy where ethnic divisions were exacerbated and then perpetuated by local politicians after independence in order to gain political power.
“The genocide ended when the Rwanda Patriotic Front (RPF) rebel group led by the Tutsi, took control of the country and installed a Hutu as President and the rebel leader Paul Kagame as Vice-President,” he wrote, stating that the long-term reconciliation process emphasised unity, forgiveness and healing.
Forgiveness is the antidote to inevitable offences when humans interact with one another, especially in multicultural communities with strong religious identities, said Fann.
Malaysian media corporations and civil society organisations (CSOs) are standing for racial unity and have collectively launched a campaign called “Maaf Zahir Batin Hari Hari” or known as #MZB365.
This initiative aims to promote the practice of seeking and giving forgiveness among Malaysians throughout the year, extending beyond the Hari Raya Aidilfitri festival.
Fann cautioned that genocides, wars and civil wars are firestorms that flare up when the conditions of hate and anger are left unattended by the authorities and fanned by opportunistic politicians.
“Some may think that Malaysia is far from such scenarios, but so was Rwanda 30 years ago until the plane crash that killed the then-President,” he said.
“Let us not slip into the cesspool of hate, strife and violence where we need a catastrophic event to wake us up. We need to cultivate a culture of graciousness towards each other where we are quick to seek forgiveness and extend forgiveness,” Fann added.
In his call for togetherness, the activist said the gracious act of extending forgiveness is a universal virtue embedded into all religions and shared by all cultures.
“It is indeed a Malaysian trait that has been sidelined for far too long but must be revived if we want to save this country.
“I want to live in a country that is known for our graciousness to each other, compassionate to those who are less fortunate than us and merciful to those who have fallen,” he mused.
Fann also called upon fellow citizens to celebrate diversity as Malaysia’s strength: “Could all Malaysians of goodwill come together and make #MZB365 a national movement? Could we find ways to express this gracious act and spread its message?
“For this Hari Raya Aidilfitri, let us say Maaf Zahir dan Batin with all sincerity and practice this gracious act of forgiving whenever we have the chance, all year round,” he concluded.
