Building Bridges: The Importance of Safe Spaces for Dialogue
As global tensions escalate and polarisation intensifies, our commitment to mercy, justice, solidarity and reconciliation must be strengthened. These fundamental values are crucial for humanity's mutual progression and our role as stewards of the earth (khalifah fil-'ardh), promoting healing and understanding rather than violence, destruction and greed.
Bridging discourses across ideological divides requires a delicate balance of empathy, listening and courage to challenge one’s own bias. By manifesting mercy in our interactions, we can create spaces for understanding and reconciliation, amidst disagreements and differences.
Building connections and having conversations is important in our pursuit of justice as we seek to address systemic oppressions and hold accountable those who perpetrate harm. Weaving these concepts involves creating spaces for honest, open dialogues where voices are heard, yet harmful actions are not excused.
In a Berita Harian (BH) article, youths in Singapore expressed that they yearn for safe space to discuss, ask questions and express their feelings. Since the crisis in Palestine intensified after October 7, 2023, several dialogue sessions have been held in Singapore, enabling youths and individuals to express their views harmoniously. We explore five of those dialogues in this article.
Read: Addressing Misconceptions: Islam and Diversity
5 Examples of Interfaith Dialogues
1. Youth Interfaith Dialogue: Mercy & Justice
While we navigate turbulent times, let us strive to embody mercy and justice in our interactions. Muslim.Sg, in collaboration with Al-Falah Mosque, Harmony Circle and Inter-Religious Organisation (IRO), recently organised an inaugural Youth Interfaith Dialogue: Mercy & Justice, on 28 September 2024, uniting diverse faith communities to explore the shared values of mercy and justice.
Presenters of diverse faiths at the inaugural ‘Youth Interfaith Dialogue: Mercy & Justice’
This event, which was attended by 130 youths, not only forged new friendships but also sparked fresh perspectives.
Ms Alia Abdullah, Editor-In-Chief of Muslim.Sg, opened the event by highlighting the intricate relationship between mercy and justice. In her keynote speech, she posed a thought-provoking question: “How can we manifest mercy and justice in today's world, and to what extent have we, as a society, truly understood, projected, and embedded these increasingly elusive values in our lives?”
The highlight of the event was a panel dialogue moderated by Ustaz Ridhwan Basor, a member of the Asatizah Youth Network (AYN). The panel featured representatives from diverse faiths: Ustazah Liyana Rosli Asmara (Muslim), Mr Nicholas Lye (Catholic), and Mr Shukul Raaj Kumar (Hindu).
Mr Shukul Raaj Kumar, Chief Coordinator of the Inter-Religious Organisation Youth Wing, emphasised that the most effective way to show mercy is through community contribution. He stated, ”Through dialogues like this, we empower one another to become informed allies, deepening our understanding of ground realities while strengthening our mutual support and uniting in solidarity for shared causes.” To delve deeper into these topics, participants engaged in breakout sessions.
Opportunities like this allow us to promote conversation and understanding between our communities, helping to reduce gaps that could lead to tension and discord. Our peaceful exchanges must continue, especially in times when bridges are burned.
Participants in a group activity at ‘Youth Interfaith Dialogue: Mercy & Justice’
2. Manifesting Mercy: Finding Meaning in a Troubled World
In fact, shortly after the crisis escalated on October 7th 2023, Muslim.Sg organised an insightful event to uncover the meaning of mercy in a troubled world. Mufti Dr Nazirudin Mohd Nasir, Ustazah Shameem, and Ustaz Luqman took the stage to present their thoughts before the attendees divided into smaller groups to discuss the topic.
This engagement allowed participants to share their thoughts and process turbulent issues, particularly on the values of mercy. Some may see mercy as inadequate against intense forces. But mercy is not about leniency or being compliant. Mercy is a spiritual virtue reflected in our actions, with the best example being the life of Prophet Muhammad s.a.w. This thought-provoking discussion allowed participants to engage with the topic deeper and process turbulent issues, especially with the facilitation of AYN members.
Read: The Prophet of Mercy: Showing Care and Concern for Others
Such dialogues serve as examples for the global community. They demonstrate that peaceful discourse can be a powerful catalyst for growth and progress. Our differences, rather than being obstacles, can become opportunities to pivot society towards harmony and mutual understanding.
3. Shine Your Light: An Interfaith Panel Hosted by Saint Andrew’s Junior College (SAJC)
Blending its Anglican heritage with a commitment to foster understanding across Singapore’s multicultural landscape, SAJC hosted its first interfaith panel held in July 2024. The event welcomed speakers from Muslim.Sg, Buddhist Youth Network, and Archdiocesan Interreligious Dialogue and Ecumenism Centre of Singapore (AIRDCES). The panel discussed what serving others means in our various faiths, and created a safe space for students to initiate their own cross-cultural dialogue with one another.
Reflecting on the event, Ms Alia Abdullah, who was part of the interfaith panel, said, “The students’ openness, empathy, courage and willingness to truly listen deeply touched my heart. They created a safe space for one another, regardless of beliefs or backgrounds.”
4. Faith in The Heartlands (F.A.I.T.H): Interfaith Dialogue Programme
While facilitating dialogues in interfaith contexts presents a set of challenges, it requires thoughtful approach and careful navigation. An example of fostering interfaith understanding and harmony is a pilot training programme called Faith in The Heartlands (F.A.I.T.H) by Harmony Centre @ An-Nahdhah Mosque, in partnership with MCCY’s Harmony Circle. Beyond the training provided, participants in this programme also exchanged best practices in the field of interfaith work.
5. Roses of Peace - Temasek Foundation: Harmony Champions Programme
Multi-racial and multi-religious harmony is dearly valued in a small country like Singapore. Despite the size of our country, it is by developing our peaceful and harmonious landscape that we hope to offer the world an optimistic prospect of a bright future where the global population is expected to become more diverse.
Earlier in June this year, a joint-homegrown effort by Roses of Peace (ROP) and Temasek Foundation resumed their second appointment of Harmony Champions with close to 60 youth leaders and educators from tertiary institutions in Singapore (IHLs).
The Harmony Champions Programme aims to gain a deeper understanding of Singapore’s multiculturalism and develop skills to promote harmony and social cohesion through a series of projects.
Central to this initiative is to cultivate an open-minded attitude for youths towards racial and religious discourse. By empowering them to become agents of change and influence in their respective circles, the programme hopes to foster peaceful and engaging dialogue opportunities to create a safe and supportive environment where the community can explore beliefs, values and experiences with others regardless of their differences.
During the inauguration of the new Harmony Champions, our very own Editor-in-Chief, Ms Alia Abdullah, was invited to speak for the Harmony Dialogue 2024, titled ‘Navigating Responsible Youth Advocacy in a Multicultural Community,’ alongside Mr. Divian Nair, Founder of We Are Majulah, and Mr. Malminder Singh, Chairman of the Sikh Advisory Board. They emphasised how courage and patience are essential for advocacy because change does not happen overnight.
Conclusion
Dialogues organised by various organisations such as Muslim.Sg, Al-Falah Mosque, Saint Andrew’s Junior College (SAJC), Harmony Centre @ An-Nahdhah Mosque, Harmony Circle, Roses of Peace, Inter-Religious Organisation (IRO) and IRO Youth Wing serve as crucial platforms to promote understanding and bridging communities, thus demonstrating that meaningful conversations can be a potent countermeasure against violence and discord.
Since October 7 2023, many communities beyond the borders of Palestine and Israel are affected. For example, reports of violence and attacks on Muslims drastically escalated by 172% in the U.S. While Singapore is relatively safe from such horrendous prejudice, Islamophobia has proven to be a potential threat. Developing dialogues is a practical solution to viable discrimination and animosity between communities.
Read: Dismantling Islamophobia With Compassion and Understanding
Mercy and justice are not merely abstract ideals, but they stand as the pillars of society, fending us against oppression and offering relief to the wounded. In fact, both mercy (rahmah) and justice (‘adl) are part of the divine qualities of Allah s.w.t, as described to us in many Quranic verses. Seeking to establish a merciful and just community can reflect our effort to seek His divine qualities.
Read: 99 Divine Names of Allah s.w.t.
The journey ahead is not easy, and the crisis remains uncertain. Yet, our determination to establish virtues through peaceful efforts must continue. Ultimately, Allah s.w.t. holds the outcome for all our efforts, and He is the Most Just and Most Merciful. We shall end with a statement by Prophet Musa a.s. as he reminds and reassures his people, the Bani Israel, that good outcomes are only for the righteous, not the malicious and unjust:
قَالَ مُوسَىٰ لِقَوْمِهِ ٱسْتَعِينُوا۟ بِٱللَّهِ وَٱصْبِرُوٓا۟ ۖ إِنَّ ٱلْأَرْضَ لِلَّهِ يُورِثُهَا مَن يَشَآءُ مِنْ عِبَادِهِۦ ۖ وَٱلْعَـٰقِبَةُ لِلْمُتَّقِينَ
“Moses reassured his people, ‘Seek Allah’s help and be patient. Indeed, the earth belongs to Allah (alone). He grants it to whoever He chooses of His servants. The ultimate outcome belongs (only) to the righteous.’”
(Surah Al-A’raf, 7:128)
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