Religious leaders in Malaysia advocate human rights issues

KUALA LUMPUR – The conference was held to discuss the religious contribution to international peace building as well as the need for mutual recognition for a peaceful coexistence

Heavenly Culture, World Peace, Restoration of Light (HWPL), an international NGO affiliated with UN ECOSOC together with religious representatives held the “2018 Malaysia Peace Forum” on the theme of “One Malaysia, One Asia, One World” at University of Malaya in Kuala Lumpur.

The conference was held to discuss the religious contribution to international peace building as well as the need for mutual recognition for a peaceful coexistence and progress to both Malaysia and Southeast Asian countries.

“We cannot and should not take peace for granted, we have to work for it, we have to preserve it and keep it for future generation,” emphasized Mr. Ghani Bin Ibrahim, president of HWPL Malaysia and a former member of advisory committee of the Prime Minister’s Department. “From universities in Malaysia, students will discuss the international law for peace, which will be the basis of advocacy plan from the youth,” he added.

“We are forming a network of women peace committee leaders throughout the country to build awareness through community work and education for a peaceful, united and harmonious society,” said Ms. Woo Sow Pheng, former President of Johor Women’s League.

Commemorative-photograph of the Religious Leaders Peace Dialogue Session

The conference on interfaith dialogue was carried out with the topic of “restoration of a peaceful world through commitment and implementation.”

The interfaith dialogue called “World Alliance of Religions’ Peace (WARP) Office Meeting” is one of major peace projects in 126 countries by HWPL with the approach to peace building in religion based on comparative studies on scriptures to find commonality of the spirit of peace in different religions.

The discussion and attention in the WARP Office meeting were given to forced conversion that occurred in South Korea and led to a death of a 25-year-old woman by her parents. According to the report suggested, she was kidnapped and confined in a pension and finally suffocated by her family.

“Just because of not registering under the certain denomination of vested interests, they interrupt the peace works of a religious person. Can we say these kinds of religious people are the ones who promote peace? There are no such sayings in the scripture that we should use violence nor encourage discrimination,” said Sethu Pathy M A Cumarasamy, Hon. Secretary of Sri Mahamariamman Temple. “There are no such teachings from God. They even use violence and kill those who are going to moving to another denomination, and this is happening now, in the 21st century, within the religious world. Religious scriptures, such as the ones discussed during our WARP office meetings, are aimed to be solutions to problems within mankind, to act as a guidance,” he added.

“There is a saying ‘Heaven helps those who help themselves.’ Religious leaders should steel themselves to make this world a better place to live. To put an end to war and establish peace in our globe, everyone is required to be a messenger of peace,” said Mr. Man Hee Lee, Chairman of HWPL.

All the participant representatives from religions in Malaysia including Hinduism, Islam and Christianity signed an agreement on the role of religious leaders in cooperation of peace building and harmony of religions to spread a culture of peace.

Chairman Man Hee Lee of HWPL and Sethu Pathy M A Cumarasamy of Sri Mahamariamman Temple are signing into the World Alliance of Religions Agreement
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