Dialogue to promote Buddhist and Muslim relations
The Star, October 25, 2013
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia -- More than 200 people are expected to attend a dialogue here on Nov 1 to promote Buddhist and Muslim relations in the region.
The inter-faith forum will see an exchange of opinions from participants of various countries to formulate ways in addressing social issues, said conference coordinating organiser KV Soon.
The International Network of Engaged Buddhists (INEB) website said the biennial international gathering would bring together “spiritual friends” to achieve this.
“I think we have passed the stage where we merely sit down with people of other faiths to just discuss the differences or similarities between your religion and mine.
“We are now looking at issues relating to our society, which could be anything from corruption to vice, to see how we can draw common spiritual values to address things affecting the world that we are living in,” said Soon, who is the INEB executive board vice-chairman.
According to its website, the INEB conference has been held every two years since its inaugural gathering in Bangkok in 1989.
The conference has since been hosted in countries such as India, South Korea, Sri Lanka and Taiwan.
This year’s conference is set to zoom in on Buddhist and Muslim tensions that have occurred in certain countries such as Thailand, Indonesia, Myanmar and Sri Lanka.
The inter-faith dialogue will be held on Nov 1 at the Institute of Islamic Understanding Malaysia (Ikim) as part of the nine-day conference starting from Oct 27.
More information may be obtained from www.inebnetwork.org.
