interfaith conference in malaysia banned

And so it appears as if the ruling powers in Malaysia still think that we are like little children, who can't think rationally and decide the truth for ourselves.

Summit on Religious Harmony is Thrown into Discord by Malaysia
The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, has suffered a serious setback in his attempts to foster Muslim-Christian dialogue after the Malaysian Government banned an interfaith conference...Building Bridges conference, the sixth in a series intended to foster dialogue between the two religions...he was due to be chairing this week. It was cancelled with just two weeks notice.

This year’s seminar in Malaysia was to signal a breakthrough in Muslim-Christian relations in a region where they are particularly delicate.

However, it is understood that some influential Muslims believe that Christianity is “not a heavenly religion” and therefore they frown on interreligious dialogue.

Although the Malaysian Government allowed Dr Williams into the country to preach at the consecration of a new Anglican bishop, it said that it would not permit the interfaith dialogue to take place.

This is compounded with many other religious cases that are happening right now, such as the Marimuthu case, the Subashini case, the ongoing Lina Joy case. There is talk about setting up an Interfaith Commission, but if it is indeed to produce actual relief in the current tumultuous religious and legal atmosphere in Malaysia, changes need to be made in not just the legal structure, but also in the repressive culture here. Article 11 of the Federal Constitution is emphasized time and time again by various NGOs. Yet, there are many who try to shut the voices of those people, closing off the minds of other people.

It is as if they are afraid that we would immediately change the religion we have clung on to for years just by listening to the discourse of another religion. If the religion of these fanatics really is the 'true' religion, why should they be afraid that we would so readily believe the 'lies' of another religion? Neither Islam nor Christianity coerce belief. As long as religious fanatics try to shut up the voices of the believers of other religion in this multicultural society, religion will just be a tool of political power--no longer a personal philosophical system meant to produce good to oneself and everyone else.