The Light that Illuminates,witten by Chandra Muzaffar(Eye Asia Magazine April 2008)

One of the greatest challenges facing humanity in the first decade of the twenty-first century is whether the followers of different religions can live together in peace and harmony. This is a challenge that manifests itself at both national and global levels.

At the national level, there are more multireligious societies today, compared to even 30 years ago. Religious consciousness has been rising in these societies. Similarly, at the global level, religion has become a major factor in the inter-face between civilisations.

Is increasing religious consciousness in a world divided by religious boundaries a bane or a boon?

From the evidence available to us, it appears that as people become more committed to their own religious identity understood in terms of distinctive symbols and practices, a certain distance develops with the religious other. This is sometimes exacerbated by the belief that one's religion is superior to other religions. It is a belief that reinforces the idea that there is an exclusive uniqueness about one's own religion which ensures that it has nothing or very little in common with other religious traditions.

In themselves, these notions of religion which are widespread do not cause intr-religious tensions. It is when certain trends or policies or events, often linked to politics or the economy or both, begin to generate adverse consequences for individuals or groups who happen to belong to a certain religion or religions that inter-religious ties deteriorate. If deteriorating relations are not attended to, inter-religious conflagrations can occur.

This is why more than the phenomenon of rising religious consciousness, it is the impact of prevailing power structures and policies upon the people that national elited should be concerned about. The equitable distribution of power and wealth that seeks to do justice to the weakest of the weak should be their top priority. Fairness should be the cornerstone of the public policies and accountability the hallmark of governance.

These principles of justice and fairness should also apply at the global level. If the chasm that separates people in the West and Muslims is getting wider it is not because of religious issues as such. As long as Washington and the centres of power in the West continue to pursue policies that subjugates Muslims in Palestine, Iraq and Afghanistan for reasons connected with Israel, oil and strategic routes, the relationship between the two civilisations will remain problematic. By providing enthusiastic endorsement to Washington's hegemony over parts of the Muslim world, Christian conservatives in the United States and elsewhere have further aggravated relations woth the Muslim Other. A fringe within the Muslim world has chosen to react to the violence hegemonic power through senseless terror, and, as a result, Muslim-Western ties must have plummeted to the bottom of the pit.

It follows from this that at the global level a quick end to Washington-led hegemony is the prerequisite for better relations between the US in particular and the West in general, on the one hand, and the Muslim world, on the other. At both global and national levels there should also be sincere efforts to improve and enhance the people's understanding and knowledge of the different religions and cultures that comprise our world. At the same time, a concerted attempt should be made through educational institutions and the media to eradicate misconceptions and prejudices of each other's religion.

However, all these endavours will not be sufficient to bring the adherents of the different closer together if exclusive, parochial religious attitudes continue to express themselves. There is an imperative need to develop an inclusive, universal approach to, and understanding of, religion. The resources for cultivating such an approach can be found in every religious philosophy. Even as it is, there are a number of groups and individuals who are striving to strengthen this trend in their respective faiths. Many of them have forged links across religious boundaries in their common quest for justice and equality at the global and national levels.

The inclusive, universal approach that they may subscribe to has certain essential attributes. Among them, 1) an acknowledgement that there are similarities in certain values and principles that constitute the ethical core of the different religions; 2) a recognition that there are parellels in the way in which the meaning and purpose of life is conceived in the different religious philosophies; 3) an acceptance that profound religious experiences are not confined to any particular faith; 4) an understanding that the joys and sorrows that characterize the human condition transcend religious boundaries; and 5) a readiness to recognize that beyond one's religious identity is one's human identity which in the ultimate analysis is a more enduring bond that links the individual to her fellow human beings and to her Creator. It should be emphasized that acknowledgement of commonalities among the various religions does not mean that the universal approach ignores or minimizes the differences that exist.

Whatever the differences, for advocates of the universal approach, God is not the possesion of a particular religious community. The Absolute Truth is not the monopoly of a particular individual or commmunity or religion. God- and God alone- is the Absolute Truth. We are all journeying towards that Truth.

This explains why in most religons, submission or surrender to God is the quintessence of faith. It is God- and God alone- that we worship- not religion. The exclusive approach worships the forms an practices associated with religion, more than God.

When a truly universal God is at the centre of our being, the religious other ceases to be. The God of the universes does not dichotomize the human family. It is a God that is like the Light that illuminates the world.

When that Light illuminates our lives, the human family becomes one.

Bro's 15th bday

haha,2day is my bro CHONG ZHENG HAO 15th bday..15 liao wor!!!haha..seriously i think he's a good bro altho he not very good smtimes n i lose my patience wit him..but at least we can share things n communicate n sampat haha..

i said i would giv him a stack of past yr pmr papers as his present since he din study much..haha..but mum say no need..last time my past yr papers all giv 2 him oso nvr do..waste oni if i giv him haha..so no need lo..but i wanna wish him happee 15th birthday la,hope u enjoy ur life 2 da most(which he does all da timeXD) n gd luck in ur future..muz be better thn me know!!I CHALLENGE U MUAHAHAHA..

thn we went out 2 eat,whole family..haha,laugh here laugh thr while eatin n chattin n playin on da car lol..waa such a nice warm family oni comes once in a lifetime so i wanna brag here muahahaha

thn i read star's blog..最近我让失眠陪伴我度过无数的日子。。。其实失眠也好...因为真的很害怕睡觉...每次一关上眼睛...就会看到...或想到一些不开心的东西...真的很辛苦!!!累了...想睡觉...又怕闭上眼 ou star did dis really happen 2 u?r u ok?if got anyting unhappy pls tel me ya:)

plus hor,really guys can oni concentrate on one thing at a time..but star can juz tell me 2 hang up ma or tel me u're gaming so no need call me de,im ok wit it..so dis is not considered as a phone chat between us coz is oni me talkin n shuang away while u not concentrating haha :p

erm..i wanna add here tat mafia is a word in Italy tat signifies gangster..same as da case in da United States whr they call gangster.n in China we call them triads or kongsi gelap, whereas in japan they're called yakuza..geng heh,different countries has different names for them..heh heh

n Manchester United n Manchester City is not da same football club k..n i dislike former Arsenal striker Adebayor for stamping my Van Persie n his act..he's not a very gd player in my opinion,altho many Arsenal club members claimed so..his performance is considered not very gd by me n me dad n me bro..fabregas n van persie are more consistent n better player,but i miss thierry henry da most,besides alexander hleb n jens lehmann:)anyway congrats 2 Gunners for their 4-0 win against wigan^^

sm1 said my blog is black black which means emo..i dun think so,coz mostly my posting follows my mood hihi..n i wanna ask,do i really usually overreact???hope many ppl who read dis can answer me:)

ok,i think tat's all lo..till nxt time ba^^

Ruling's bday

top 3...??

Da results of all da l6 students is out 2day..i went 2 hav a look in 3rd period..turns out my cgpa is 3.75(coz muet not counted)..they mixed up da results of arts class n science class students..i got 3rd in my whole form n 2nd in class..wao i impressed myself..XD



however i hav 2 work hard hard hard hard 2 maintain my result lo..if not sure drop tremendously..hav 2 start readin up d..anyway congrats 2 those who get gd results n jia yu 2 those who not satisfied..remember,our main aim is at stpm so kp on work hard work smart n jia yu jia yu^^

shee's bday celebration

I got da pics d fr shee's blog..haha,cool,4 bday cakes!!!wao waoXD anyway here r da pics

b4 i go

2day b4 i go..i wanna ask smting..WHO TOOK DIS PIC???DERRICK!!!

btw..my name's xin er,not xingggggg er..tq tq

DERRICK!!!!!CHICKENNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

dis few days..

Dis few days kp on playin nvr study..now i realise im abt 2 b left behind if i dun catch up..PILING HW N PROJECTS n exam's comin in abt a month..so hav 2 ctrl myself n CHIONGGGGGGGG STUDY muahahaha..

i went 2 ruling bday on saturday n brought shee out on sunday..those i know went 2 ruling bday include andrew(drive so cool haha),roystan,jace(show power lawyer haha),winford,jo ann,peii hwei(willy ong keep call me bao ya..u see!!),siew ping,willy,ejynn,soo lin,johnson(u owe me 1 free meal ha),chong hau(whn u wan?),teng,wei jie,pek n peng(pek peng),mau,jared,matthew,seph..i think tat's all i can remember hehe..on ruling's bday i met alot of old frens..angela,lynn,yew li,jasmine(kaishern,not bad taste hor said chong hau haha),wan ting n jo anne.jo anne seems like in a relation d worr..i saw u hahaha

smmore prank ppl til siao..matthew forced 2 sit wit ruling whn takin pic..haha,n ppl kp callin AH ER AH ER dunno wth..XD 4 da photos i mayb post later coz haven get..mayb gonna steal agn haha

n sunday is me n wendy bring shee out..went 2 dreambox ktv 4 HRS..3 PPL!!!haha..sing til siao d..lucky no sore throat aftermath haha..thn i went 2 big apple,me n wendy bought oreo doughnuts n we belanja shee..not bad,da 1st few bites r like weird weird but after a few bites it gets nicer n nicer..n is not so sweet after all(im not a sweet tooth so i dun quite like 2 sweet food) so i like it..thx o liang liang for introducin it 2 me^^

n i found out tat i stil hav left out hw thx 2 ian sms tat reminded me..so i rushed my hw after i reach home..oso found out tat my brain berkarat d coz long time no use..so hav 2 chiongggggggg study dis few days..wil less online n i wil nvr go out dis few days..

smmore 2day ejynn suddenly told me i hav 2 do proposal for rovers camp as im secretary..dunno wad da hell detail he wants inside,nvr tell properly oso..NEXT TIME TELL PROPERLY LA,I DUNNO WAD U WAN OSO..zzz..

haha..time 2 go now..n 2 STAR i got d ans d for da maths ques..thx ya for helpin me thru da ques n my hw..Sn IS TIN NOT ANTIMONY i'll remember tat^^

2day i subscribed 2 star newspaper..resume back my readin newspaper habit(cut tat habit b4 dis) coz i wanna kp up wit wad's happenin around liao..dun wan da muet tcher n dad 2 sour d for knowin so little..if not mayb i hav 2 go back live in jungle haha..

But..y da more i read newspapers dda more i get fed-up wit politics..damn politicians,act like children oni..fight here fight thr for no purpose..i wan 2 ask,can y'all find smting else 2 do beside fighting??if we can't even unite in a damn small political party,how r we goin 2 unite da ppl of da country??talk abt perpaduan,wad 1Malaysia..if u leaders can't even unite urselves 2 serve da country thn dun talk abt unity in front of ppl..FAKE FAKE FAKE!!!better find urself anothr job 2 do in life if u're not even ready 2 serve da ppl..u r da leaders,u r da ppl's model,yet u do dis childish fighting..n u bring dis kinda mentality 2 da ppl,ur followers,aren't leaders supposed 2 be open minded?if u kp acting like dis,u affect ppl 2 think like u,n i think da quote tat da country 'first world infrastructure,3rd world mentality' situation wil nvr change..im pessimist abt it if u ppl kp acting childish n unreasonable like dis..im tired of seein adults act like children,it makes me wanna puke..UPGRADE URSELF PLSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!

phuh..haha..time 2 go..hav 2 prepare for ttn haha..b4 tat here sm pics of meself ssing haha..hope y'all enjoy^^

Personality test

Your view on yourself:
Other people find you very interesting, but you are really hiding your true self. Your friends love you because you are a good listener. They'll probably still love you if you learn to be yourself with them.

The type of girlfriend/boyfriend you are looking for:
You like serious, smart and determined people. You don't judge a book by its cover, so good-looking people aren't necessarily your style. This makes you an attractive person in many people's eyes.

Your readiness to commit to a relationship:
You are ready to commit as soon as you meet the right person. And you believe you will pretty much know as soon as you might that person.

The seriousness of your love:
You like to flirt and behave seductively. The opposite sex finds this very attractive, and that's why you'll always have admirers hanging off your arms. But how serious are you about choosing someone to be in a relationship with?

Your views on education:
Education is very important in life. You want to study hard and learn as much as you can.

The right job for you:
You're a practical person and will choose a secure job with a steady income. Knowing what you like to do is important. Find a regular job doing just that and you'll be set for life.

How do you view success:
You are afraid of failure and scared to have a go at the career you would like to have in case you don't succeed. Don't give up when you haven't yet even started! Be courageous.

What are you most afraid of:
You are afraid of things that you cannot control. Sometimes you show your anger to cover up how you feel.

Who is your true self:
You are mature, reasonable, honest and give good advice. People ask for your comments on all sorts of different issues. Sometimes you might find yourself in a dilemma when trapped with a problem, which your heart rather than your head needs to solve.

U DUN MAKE ME EMO!!!!

2day is da 1st time i emo..shouted at ivan..HE'S BEEN TEASIN ME 2 MUCH N DUNNO HOW 2 CTRL!!!DAMN YOU!!!i've been ctrllin myself since monday n i find it quite annoyin until u say abt star..damn u i hate it...!

I've nvr said anyting 2 tease u,i ended our rumours whn u said u wanted 2.WAD ELSE U WAN ME 2 DO?!!!!WHR DID I ANNOY U UNTIL U HAV 2 TEASE ME LIKE TAT!!!DAMN DAMN DAMN

i think i scared seph by shouting..1st time i emo in class,1st time he see me emo..sorry ya,make u worry whole day..anyway i'll b ok:)

I dunno wad i'd do if im a guy..maybe i'll punch ivan in da face..im so angry tat i emo during da bio lesson(tat is until i tertidur in class)..i hope u can respect abit n ctrl ur teasing..u can tease but i hav a limit ok!!!

tat's all for now..altho i think u r nice person but i stil bo song wit ur teasing...so damn u..

n for star i know star is very tough de,be strong ya..pig support u..:)

...

Long time nvr update my blog d..feel abit boring amidst of all dis craziness..n i feel abit luan..

My test results r ok la,no fail,average cgpa 3.67..i guess tat makes me top 5 n class...?but i see alot ppl not satisfied wit their result lo..hmmm..

wad 2 say smmore..A YA,da class bcm lively abit liao,THX 2 ME who active active simply go explain n talk in front of class..MUAHAHAHA

thn i wan 2 say HAPPEE BIRTHDAY 2 all ppl whose bday is in september..i remember queenie is 2nd sept,ivan 4th,soon 6th,chee sing 7th,ming ann 10th,shee 14th,jasmine 15th,my bro 21st..2 any1 whose bday i nvr mention sorry lo i can't remember it hehe,but anyway happy bday^^

i dun wan 2 talk much abt my life coz is quite boring n luan dis few days..i juz hope sm politicians can stop their stupidity..i see dis quote n i think it quite suits sm of them.."POLITICS IS A WAY 2 MEASURE HOW MISERABLE IS ONE'S LIFE"..hope they realise wad they're doin n go back 2 da basic neccessities of da ppl n think for da country good..

i think tat's all for now..2 BE CONTINUED WHN I HAV MOOD:)