About 70 Muslims and Christians came together for an Aidilfitri celebration in Penang yesterday, with the ultimate aim of promoting peace, harmony and diversity and focusing on commonness instead of differences between the two faiths. 

Non-governmental organisation Global Unity Network president Shah Kirit Kakulal Govindji said the friendship fostered between believers of the two faiths would become useful when religious conflicts arise so that both parties can address matters before they are blown out of proportion. 

"Racial and religious tensions and conflicts are growing, for example, issues relating to evangelicism, but what do we do?

"We cannot just ignore them, we cannot sweep them under the carpet, for it will explode someday like a volcano. We need to address the problem without blaming others," Shah Kirit (photo) said during his speech at the Royal Penang Hotel last night. 

The event was held in collaboration with Christians for Peace and Harmony in Malaysia (CPHM) and the Islamic Propagation Society International.

Shah Kirit said Islam and Christianity shared at least 80 percent similarities and questioned why the focus should be on the 20 percent differences. 

"In fact, if we read the Quran, the Christians are the closest people to us Muslims, and we are asked to go to the common terms, so why is there tension between us today?

“We would like them to know each other, so that the next time when a problem arises, they can just give each other a phone call and not go to the media. Even when they cannot resolve the issues, at least they can understand each other,” Shah Kirit said.

'Walk the talk'

CPHM chairperson Rev Wong Kim Kong said Christians welcomed such efforts by their Muslim brethren, which is in harmony with the organisation's theme “Be a peacemaker for a greater Malaysia.”

Wong said similar “peace-making events” were previously held, where Muslims and Christians participated.

He denied the group was pro-government and pro-Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak because the prime minister had been often invited to attend its programmes. 

According to Wong, the group was willing to work with anyone to promote peace and diversity, and their emphasis is on walking the talk, as "words are mere rhetoric; we want to emphasise on a real action for peace, harmony and diversity".

The three-hour programme contained quizzes for Muslims and Christians on the similarities between the two religions, and winners walked home with hampers. 

'Rope politicians into peace campaigns'

David Lim, a participant, urged members of the two faiths to "agree to disagree" as Malaysia is their home. 

“Let’s find a common ground because, at the end of the day, we have our community at heart; what we want to do is improve our communities.”

Another participant from Penang, PAS Youth wing member Asrul Mohamed Zabidi, said despite all the bickerings that the media was fond of writing about, PAS was committed to spreading the messages of peace and harmony.

“Some of us are seen as political maniacs, but politics is just about 20 percent of our concentration or work, while for the rest, we focus on charities and spreading the messages of love and peace.

“That's the best we can do even though we cannot get your vote as a political party,” Asrul said.

He urged Muslim and Christian clerics to “educate the politicians more” as they were the ones responsible for making policies.

“It would certainly be merrier to have politicians in the (peace) campaign."