Malaysian Muslim Youth Representatives visit Dalai Lama, discuss issues of religious harmony
Mar 23, 2023
Dharamshala (Himachal Pradesh) [India], March 23 : Representatives from the Muslim Youth Movement of Malaysia (ABIM) visited the 14th Dalai Lama Tenzin Gyatso at his official residence in Dharamshala, India, the Star reported.
ABIM President Muhammad Faisal Abdul Aziz said that the issues discussed during the visit included promoting religions as tools of peace.
"It is important for us as the religious community to work together to promote religions as the source of peace, not conflict," he said in a video posted by the Dalai Lama on Facebook.
The Tibetan spiritual leader, who donned a traditional Malay songkok given by Muhammad Faisal, said he was committed to promoting interfaith harmony, the Star reported.
"One of my commitments, in this life, is the promotion of religious harmony. We're all brothers and sisters of this world. There's no reason (to) quarrel in the name of religion," he said to an audience that also comprised other NGOs from the United States and Sweden.
On Twitter, Muhammad Faisal said ABIM also gifted the Dalai Lama with an English translation of the Quran and a copy of the "Islam and Buddhist Eco-Dialogue" book, the Star reported.
In the meeting, ABIM touched on issues related to Islamophobia, how the society together as a religious community clarifies the misunderstanding of society about religion, especially Islam, the Star reported.
"Leaders of various religions, especially Islam and Buddhism, should be more active in exploring solutions to the world's problems together, including those that touch on aspects of climate change. Thus, religion should be seen as playing an important role in being a source of peace and security and not conflict or violence," ABIM President Muhammad Faisal Abdul Aziz said in a tweet.
On the Uyghurs issue in China, "His Holiness the Dalai Lama stated that "I feel pain and sadness when I hear about my Uyghur friends who are oppressed", ABIM President tweeted.