Forward and Welcoming note (WIHW 2017)

 

(by the chairman of the Cabinet Committee to promote the understanding and harmony amongst the adherents of religions in Malaysia on the WIHW celebration)

 

Assalamualaikum and warm greetings of unity and one Malaysia to all.

 

Alhamdulillah, praise be to Allah s.w.t for His blessing and rahmah that we are now enjoying a very peaceful and harmonious life in Malaysia. It is actually quite difficult to create this atmosphere of peace and harmony here especially when there are hundreds of tribes and ethnic groups co-existing- some in almost every neighbourhood. Sad to note, some other countries of similar demographic features are having endless problems with their inter-racial and inter-religious misunderstanding and conflicts. In some other countries, there are even intra-religious feuds amongst adherents of different schools of thought.

 

World Interfaith Harmony Week or WIHW in short, is an initiative of His Excellency King Abdullah the 2nd of Jordan. He raised this concern on September 23, 2010 when the United Nations in New York convened its 65th plannery session. The initiative was then tabled again on the 20th October by His Majesty’s envoy and special advisor HH Prince Ghazi and received overwhelming support by majority of the members in the UN, the result of which the first week of February every year is thus adopted to be the World Interfaith Harmony Week for all member or non-member countries. The decision was also lauded by leaders of various religions and belief all over the world due to the commonness of the theme “Love of God or Good and Love of the Neighbours” in every religion and belief.

 

WIHW has been an important international programme for Malaysia since February 2011. The Cabinet committee (JKMPKA) was entrusted to organise activities to ensure unity, integration and harmony is achieved through the respect and understanding of the various people of the multi-religious backgrounds. The patience, tolerance and openness of the people especially those holding leadership positions in the houses of worships provide opportunities for dialogues and better interfaith relationship. The Malaysian chapter adopted the Arabic-derived word of “Muhibbah” in most of our activities to extend friendship, love, comradeship and esprit de corps among the adherents of interfaith.

 

WIHW 2017 is wholly celebrated in the Forest Reserve Institute (FRIM) located no far from Kuala Lumpur in one of the populous Malaysian state known as Selangor. JKMPKA has her own reasons for selecting FRIM as the venue but these will be explained later in this report. I must thank  the JKMPKA secretariat for planning the whole programme. I must also thank all leaders and the committee members of the different houses or places of worships for giving us all corporation and assistance. Last but not least thank you all for the support, morally or otherwise.

 

Dato’ Azman bin Hassan

Chairman JKMPKA 2015 - 2017