Prepared by Mr. Eugene Yapp, Adjunct Lecturer
The second focus group discussion on human dignity and peace building between Muslim and Non-Muslim was held on March 1, 2023. The focus group discussion attracted about 20 participants with people of different religious faiths and background. This is the second in the Building Bridges series, a collaboration between the Institute of Islamic Understanding (IKIM), the Seminari Theoloji Malaysia (STM), BYU Center for Law and Society and the local NGO, UID-Sejahtera Malaysia. The first under the series was held on January 18 2023.
The first discussion held on January 18 2023 was between Muslims and Christians, while this second in the series expanded the participants to Muslims and Non-Muslims people of different faiths, traditions, and beliefs.
Following the two focus groups discussions that were held, we saw three emerging points of convergence as common grounds that could constitute as consensus between the different religious faiths and traditions in Malaysia. The three points of convergence are as follows.
Relationality and Communicative Capacity in Human Dignity
Human dignity is not an idea or an ideal. It is centred on the uniqueness of the human person. That uniqueness is the capacity for relationality and communications. And so, we hear of words such as “relationships”, “solidarity”, “fraternity”, “mutuality”. All these points to the ability of the human person to relate to others, not just as a form of communicative skill but to relate and communicate to order our lives for the human good and human flourishing.
That this communicative ability in the human person extends beyond social interaction or socialisation is borne out by human and religious experience which shows that the human person can overcome cultural and civilisational barriers, by our words and deeds to bring good and justice to all.
Human Dignity is about Attributing Worth and Respect
As human beings, all are deserving of dignity, the worth and respect on account of him or her being human who can act, purpose, and order one’s own life, community, and society towards its flourishing and beneficial good. This worth and respect is not only centred on oneself but must be expressed and realised in the actual lived realities of every human life and interest. It comes with the value and virtue of seeing each one as beyond colour, race, ethnicity, creed, religion, class, economic status, gender, and status in life to one as part of the larger human family.
Such relationship, behaviour and conduct towards each other must move beyond tolerance to esteem each other, coming with duties and responsibilities to regard each other not as means to an end but an end in itself. It demands of us as fellow human beings to know and understand how the other think, feel, and behave. It requires of us to know not just the culture and civilisational bearings shaping a person but to really ‘know’ the ins and outs of each other as neighbours, as sojourners of life and as fellow citizens in this land of Malaysia.
Positive Actions of Equal Worth and Respect
To demonstrate human dignity, it is not enough to say we love, honour, respect, and cherish the person next to us. Human dignity can only be expressed and realised when it is demonstrated in positive actions of good and wellbeing to all persons. It is to be actualised not in the abstract rational, but in actual concrete realities of living and in contingencies of human life and experience.
For such to be realised and actualised, human dignity cannot remains as just ‘knowing’ each other but must involve mutual collaboration and concrete partnerships not just as distant neighbours but as comrades, friends, and as fellow sojourners in this journey of life to bring good and wellbeing to all people, communities, in society and the nation. In a sense, this mutual collaboration and partnership constitute itself as ‘knowing’, providing the means, opportunities and positive environment to ‘know’ each other; it facilitates the grounds on which to express human dignity to oneself and to the other in relational fashion of mutual sharing and giving of oneself to the other in the bonds of common humanity.
What’s Ahead and Moving Forward
These three points of convergence will be unpacked and explicated further in the third and final round of the Building Bridges series in a symposium planned for July 5-6. As we head towards the symposium, what could be some aspects of human dignity that might enhance our Christian mission and ministry? That God created us ‘in His image’ must not be confined to merely a theological enterprise or remain within the walls of a theological seminary. Human dignity extends beyond just any walls and includes the outside every day life of a Christian.
In John 4:1-42, we have the famous story of Jesus talking to the Samaritan woman. We have been told the story teaches us the Samaritan woman listened with openness of heart and attentiveness. The longer the conversation went, her understanding grew that Jesus is indeed the Messiah. We have also heard how this story provides the lesson by which we can converse and communicate in a creative and non-threatening way to bring the gospel to others. While these lessons may be derived from the passage, what is often missed out is how Jesus treated the Samaritan woman.
The Samaritan woman was obviously a sinner in terms of moral bearings. She was in a somewhat adulterous relationship living with a man who was not her husband. She was considered a social outcast, perhaps due to her sexual activities, an adulterer or even a prostitute. Despite her promiscuity, how did Jesus relate to her? The passage indicates there was no hint or tone of condemnation from Jesus. Instead, Jesus engages her in conversation on what true worship means and true worship must necessitate worshiping the one true God.
The way Jesus relate to the Samaritan woman suggests Jesus valued the dignity of one who is considered an outcast within the social norms of their day. That Jesus respected and gave the Samaritan woman due respect is evident in the manner of conversation Jesus had with the woman, which eventually led her back to her village to tell her own village folks about Jesus. Dignity was then is realised and actualised in the communication between Jesus and the Samaritan woman. How should this story teach us about human dignity in relating to the ‘other’ and in the way we communicate with those whom we are neither familiar or comfortable with in terms of cultural, religious differentiation beyond that of evangelism or outreach?
The symposium in July could accommodate more detailed discussion on our Christian calling for service and mission. Specially, we need to ask the following:
- As Christians, what are some communicative aspects in terms of values, vocabulary and language that could be used in daily lives, in the sphere of media (inclusive of social media) to foster greater inclusiveness, to bring people of different divide to come together and ‘know’ each other better.
- How can Christians as religious people expressed and actualise human dignity and overcome the stigma and general impression that we care only for ourselves (selfish) and not others towards the love for our neighbours (empathy and solidarity).
- As practical expression of human dignity, how can Christians demonstrate positive actions that goes towards reducing the social deficits and the ‘lack’ in society to bring greater good and wellbeing to all people
- What are some practical ways in which Christians can embark on or strengthen the human dignity of mutual collaboration and partnership with people of other faiths in our journey of life together in bringing good and wellbeing to all people, communities, society, and the nation.