While Hindu roots in the country go back to the 2nd century AD, descendants of the early Hindu kingdoms in the country are almost non-existent, the entire population having converted to Islam. Most of the Indians in Malaysia today were brought as indentured laborers by the British to work in oil palm and rubber plantations across the country between the 19th and 20th centuries. A significant portion of these laborers were from the south Indian state of Tamil Nadu, and share the language and culture of the Tamils. There are smaller numbers of Malayalis and Telugus, from Kerala and Andhra Pradesh respectively, in the country as well, along with Tamils of Sri Lankan origin who are also overwhelmingly Hindus.

Smaller migrations of Indians in the form of skilled workers have occurred in recent years. The latest statistics place the number of Hindus in Malaysia today at approximately 1.6 million.

Read Full Article – Hinduism in Malaysia

Meeting scholars: Abdullah shaking hands with Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris Associate Professor N.S. Rajendran as Indian Council for Gandhian Studies New Delhi chairman Prof N. Radhakrishnan looks on in Kuala Lumpur yesterday.

from The Star
PM: Combat ignorance and the perversion of religion

KUALA LUMPUR: Many individuals and groups have abused the name of God and religion to justify violence and terrorism, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said.

“Such extremism has been observed many times in the course of history and is certainly not new to our modern age. In each instance, the virtuous teachings of religion were twisted and manipulated to serve an unholy agenda.

“Hatred and bigotry are propagated on behalf of one’s religion for the sake of political gain or personal profit.”

He said those who advocate extremist tendencies often had a very shallow understanding of the philosophies and worldviews embodied in their respective religions.

“They take verses out of context, without any understanding of the larger historical setting which underlie such verses.

“This distorted perspective of religion becomes a convenient tool for the pursuit of power and selfish interest, he said, adding that thinkers and researchers must be prepared to play their part in broadening the public understanding of religion and its role in promoting justice.

“We always face the same issues and always feel disappointed. We hope for peace but war erupts. We hope for justice but violence occurs.

“We should not admit defeat in the jihad to free the world of war and violence. Don’t give up on fighting those who cause war and violence. It should be our lifelong struggle,” he added.

The Prime Minister, who outlined a strategy to combat such occurrence, said religious scholars and intellectuals in the country must be encouraged to engage with the wider public.

“Scholars and intellectuals should not lock themselves away in their ivory towers,” he said in his opening address at the international conference on religion in the quest for global justice and peace at Renaissance Hotel here yesterday.

“Instead, they should be prepared to educate the public on the great issues that face us all,” said Abdullah, adding that the religious curricula in schools and universities should be scrutinised.

“Our religious education should convince us that the dignity and integrity of all human beings is worthy of our respect. Religion should inculcate a truly universal and inclusive outlook, not mentality that is narrow, exclusive and parochial.”

He said the role of the media in promoting a universal and inclusive dimension of religion that focused on justice and peace should be intensified.

He added journalists and media practitioners should broaden their understanding of religion to play a more effective role in advancing the universal values of justice, peace and compassion.

Positive religious values in the governance of institutions from the Government to the basic family unit must be implemented, he said.

The Centre for Policy Research and International Studies (CenPRIS), Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) is organizing an international conference on the theme Religion in the Quest for Global Justice and Peace from 23 – 26 July 2008 in Kuala Lumpur.

Objectives
The main objectives of the Conference are:

• To develop a deeper understanding of the principles of justice and peace in the different religions.
• To analyze the internal and external forces that impede a religion’s quest for justice and peace and how these obstacles can be overcome.
• To provide concrete instances of religious groups working towards global justice and peace especially through non-violent means.
• To explore the possibility of evolving a shared universal spiritual and moral vision of global justice and peace.
• To formulate an action plan which will attempt to translate that vision into reality through concrete programs that will bring together different religious groups in their common quest for global justice and peace.

Participants
About 200 participants from different religious backgrounds are expected to attend the Conference. Young people are encouraged to participate.

Speakers and Panellists
Renowned scholars and activists from Malaysia and around the world are among the Speakers and Panellists.

While Cambodia and Thailand have remained largely Buddhist with religious elements incorporated into governance as well as daily life, other countries like Indonesia and Malaysia are today majority Muslim nations. In fact, Indonesia is the biggest Muslim country in the world. But Hindu and Buddhist elements remain, in the form of culture, language and values.

The form of Islam practiced in the Muslim countries of southeast Asia is a moderate form of the religion, preaching tolerance to other religions and understanding between different peoples. This formula of peaceful coexistence has served the region well. While ethnic clashes have occurred in small scale  on occasion, such as in Malaysia in 1969 and in Indonesia as recently as 1999, large scale clashes like Rwanda or Yugoslavia have been successfully prevented in southeast Asia.

But this history of tolerance is at risk from extremist elements within the region. Radicals in the Muslim faith have taken root and are gaining strength. Taking cue from the ideology of terrorists in the Middle East, Afghanistan and elsewhere, religious fundamentalists have attempted to create new social orders in the region.

Largely rejected by the modern, mainstream Muslims, radicals nevertheless pose a great threat to the stability of the region and security of Hindus, Buddhists, Christians and other indigenous peoples. Groups like Jemaah Islamiyah and Abu Sayyaf have brought the problem to the fore. And while their targets so far has been largely western interests in the region, their growth will be a risk for nation building and religious tolerance within the region.

The continued prosperity and coexistence within southeast Asia depends on moderates rejecting extremism.