The holy month of Ramadan is often associated with introspection and prayer. But in Malaysia, this month often exposes holes in the country's delicate social fabric.

 

Recently, non-Muslim students in Sungai Petani were ordered not to drink in front of their Muslim friends while another student in Shah Alam had his necklace, which bore a cross, confiscated .

 

But for the Friendship Group of Interfaith Services (FGIS), the month of Ramadan is an opportunity to bridge the religious divide and preach religious harmony.

 

Last night, the group held a breaking of fast event that was attended by minority religious groups at the Masjid Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin in Putrajaya.

 

Prior to the breaking of fast, representatives of various religious groups took turns to discuss the practice of fasting from the perspective of their respective religions.

 

Sri Saranankara ( above, in orange ), the leader of the Sentul Sri Lanka Buddhist Temple, said interfaith events like this were very important for the country because it was a chance to promote religious harmony.

 

"The truth is the negative part (of religious ties in Malaysia) is a very small portion, but their voice is louder.

 

"There are many more people doing good things and we want to put the focus on them," he told Malaysiakini.

 

‘Religions don’t promote violence’  

Another speaker at the event, Abim’s Sayyid Hussain echoed Sri Saranankara's sentiments.

 

"There is no religion in the world that promotes violence. And if there is, it is not a religion at all," he said.

 

Sayyid, who is a preacher, said people of different religions can coexist because all religion believes in fostering peace and harmony.

 

FGIS cofounder Billy Fong said the group has organised many similar interfaith events before, such as plays, youth camps and even an interfaith orchestra that performs at least once a year.

 

"It's good for people of different religions to get to know one another. Malaysia really needs more interaction between faiths," he said.