KUALA LUMPUR: Sultan of Perak, Sultan Nazrin Muizzuddin Shah today delivered an address at the Regional Southeast Asia Human Dignity Conference 2024.
The event was held in collaboration with Institute of Islamic Understanding Malaysia (IKIM) International Centre for Law and Religion Studies (ICLRS), Brigham Young University and Religious Freedom Institute (RFI).
Following is the full speech delivered by Sultan Nazrin:
1. It gives me great pleasure to be here at the Regional Southeast Asia Human Dignity Conference 2024, with the theme: "Dignity for Everyone, Everywhere".
I would like to begin by commending the Institute of Islamic Understanding Malaysia (IKIM) for hosting this important conference, as well as the conference's partners at the International Center for Law and Religion Studies of Brigham Young University. Mention must also be made of the Religious Freedom Institute in Washington D.C., and the Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies – yet more friends of Malaysia's from around the world who have helped to make today's conference possible.
2. The fact that I have acknowledged institutions from (practically) all four corners of the globe highlights just how collaborative and international this event is! This conference results from the combined efforts of individuals and teams representing a wide range of faiths and nationalities. It is an event which, if you like, practises what it preaches, enshrining international harmony, co-operation and inclusivity in its very origins. And this is absolutely vital if we are to spread a message about the importance of human dignity for everyone, everywhere: if we are to promote the building of inclusive societies.
3. We live in a world where, sadly, despite centuries of efforts from likeminded individuals, inclusivity and religious freedom are not a given. Across the globe today, people of different faiths and backgrounds are stripped of their human dignity because of their beliefs, in large and small ways. In some countries, certain religious groups are persecuted by governments, forced out of their homes and even incarcerated because of their beliefs. But even in parts of the world which purport to be inclusive, minority populations often experience appalling, everyday degradations – offensive graffiti on a wall near their home, or an insult on their way into work, because of something they wear or the colour of their skin. We must work to eradicate every one of these acts of aggression, from the macro to the micro, because all of them, however small, represent an attack on human dignity itself. Everybody, regardless of faith and background, deserves to feel safe, respected and included, not only in their home country, but wherever they travel in the world. That, to me, is what this conference stands for: everyone, everywhere.
4. Standing before you today, I am proud to reflect on Malaysia's own track record in this area. Tolerance and inclusivity are core values of our nation. Ever since the declaration of the Rukun Negara in 1970 – a response to the dreadful race riots that blighted our young country the previous year – Malaysia has worked hard to promote the unity and togetherness of its diverse peoples, and it is recognized internationally for this. In 2008, the United Nations agency, Unesco, named George Town and Melaka as World Heritage Sites and lauded them as "exceptional examples of multicultural trading towns", commending their almost 500-year histories of intercultural dialogue an exchange.
We have, in Malaysia, as many as 137 living languages spoken by our citizens, and we celebrate a wide range of religious festivals, including the Hari Raya Aidilfitri, Deepavali, Christmas, Chinese New Year, Wesak, Thaipusam, and many more Hari Rayas, always with enthusiasm and vibrancy. Malaysia has, indeed, been hailed as a multicultural 'success story', and I know I am by no means alone in the belief that our inclusivity – our celebration of diversity – is absolutely integral to our continued prosperity as a nation.
Indeed, as I have said before and I repeat: "Malaysians of all races, religions, and geographic locations need to believe beyond a shadow of a doubt that they have a place under the Malaysian sun.
5. Yet, sadly, there are people, here and around the world, who do not share in that belief. Mistrust, intolerance: these are themselves a kind of pandemic, which spreads like a virus between individuals, communities and entire nations. And that is why events such as today's are so important. In the face of hate, we must spread messages of inclusion. In the face of ignorance, we must spread knowledge. And in the face of fear, we must spread love.
Where some people are viewed as less worthy and less welcome because of their faith or the colour of their skin, we must promote the message that all human lives are of equal value.
6. Here, I want first to reflect on the meaning of "human dignity for everyone, everywhere", exploring theological and diplomatic perspectives on this notion. Then, I want to share some global success stories which might guide us towards best practices in the areas of tolerance and inclusion. I have always believed that, when we are talking about humanity – about the value of difference and diversity – real, human stories are so much more powerful than numbers and statistics. And so, I am delighted that the sharing of such stories is a unique and important priority of this conference.
Our event's first objective is to "unpack best practices on how human dignity is actualised and contextualised in the lived realities within communities and society". I hope to contribute a little to this discourse on lived realities today.
7. But first: what is human dignity? There are many different ways of answering this question, drawing on religious, philosophical and political concepts. In Islam, human dignity is based on the Quranic concept of karimah, where God 'ennobles' and 'honours' human beings in the famous verse: "We have bestowed dignity to the children of Adam. God gave Prophet Adam, alayhissalam, the gift of human dignity, and this extends to the entire family of Adam".
In the language of the Abrahamic scriptures, it is the universal verse: "God created man in His image". We thereby have a God-given duty to honour God's gift to us by affording human dignity to all other human beings. As an important Quranic verse declares, "O humankind! Indeed, We have created you from one male and one female and then We made you into different races and nations so that you might know one another".
Muslims are enjoined to embrace the similarities that unite the whole of humanity: to understand, in other words, the essential nature of human dignity for everyone, everywhere.
8. In the field of politics and diplomacy, meanwhile, the concept of human dignity has been enshrined in tracts and treatises from the United States Constitution, in 1787, to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948. But a specific commitment to the protection of "Human Dignity for Everyone, Everywhere", was not articulated until much more recently.
In 2018, in Punta del Este, Uruguay, a Declaration on Human Dignity for Everyone, Everywhere, was adopted to commemorate the Universal Declaration of Human Rights 70 years previously. The Punta del Este Declaration makes explicit a belief that has always been inherent in the original 1948 text, as well as in the Charter of the United Nations, which affirms "the dignity and worth of the human person, [and]…the equal rights of men and women of nations large and small".
In the words of the Punta del Este Declaration, ensuring "human dignity for everyone, everywhere…is the foundational principle and the key objective or goal of human rights".
This 2-day conference takes up that mandate, seeking to understand how we move from the vision to the reality of a world where everyone is respected and valued, no matter who they are, where they come from, or where they go.
9. For, in spite of human dignity being enshrined in world religions and international declarations, it is clear that we have not realised the goal of "dignity for everyone, everywhere" just yet.
Discrimination, prejudice, war, poverty: these and other harmful forces work in almost every corner of our world every single day, to strip people of their essential human dignity. And it is immensely challenging to take the theory – the ideal vision of a world where everyone is respected – and to put it into practice. But that is precisely why this conference is such an important event. Here, we seek to turn words and ideals into concrete, practical action and policies. And so, in what remains of my speech today, I want to share three real-world stories of individuals who have done just that, advocating for universal human dignity, and working to build inclusive, cohesive societies, not only in what they say, but also in what they do.
10. My first story, I am proud to say, hails from right here in Malaysia. Last year, at a conference organized by IKIM, the Bishop of Kuching, Reverend Datuk Donald Jute, recounted an incident that happened in 2010 at his church.11 This was a time of tension between Muslims and Christians, and on the morning of January 10, 2010, Reverend Jute awoke to see that bricks had been thrown at the church, breaking a stained-glass window.
When the press assembled, they expected Reverend Jute to blame Muslims for the violence; but, instead of inflaming the situation, he simply responded, "We really don't want to speculate on the incident, and we don't want to blame anybody as we don't know who is behind this." His only wish was not for retribution, but for peace: "We hope and pray", he said, "that the incident will not become worse and spread to other churches and other houses of worship in Miri and elsewhere in Sarawak".13
11. By diffusing the situation and offering a voice of calm, the church was able to continue its longstanding friendly relationship with the An-Naim Mosque located next door. The mosque and the church returned to their practice of sharing parking lots with each other for Friday prayers and Sunday services, as well as their joint celebrations of open houses during each other's holidays.
Reverend Jute said at the time, "We have been neighbours for a long time with no negative feelings but respect and brotherhood."
He noted that an Imam of the An-Naim Mosque had visited the church after hearing of the incident, and that the Imam condemned the act of vandalism.
12. This story holds several important lessons. Firstly, it shows us the power of religious leaders to decelerate conflicts, dousing the fires of hatred by staying true to the principles of mercy, love and forgiveness that are at the core of all our faiths. In fact, the vital role of religious leaders is a theme held in common by all of my stories today.
But Reverend Jute's calm, open-hearted response in the face of hurt sets an example to us all, regardless of our faith or our role within it. May his actions remind us to always respond with dignity, even when we have not been treated with it. For only by being the better person can we make the world a kinder, more inclusive place.
13. The second story I want to share hails from a little-known city between Northern Nigeria (which is majority Muslim) and Southern Nigeria (which is majority Christian). Several years ago, a small local Christian congregation received planning approval to build a church across the street from an existing mosque. The Christian Priest, in an effort to be a good neighbour, took the architectural plans to show the Imam of the mosque; and, while examining the plans, the Imam noticed that the steeple of the church would be higher than the minaret of his mosque. Although planning approvals had already been granted, the Christian congregation, upon hearing this, decided to lower the height of the steeple, so it would be no higher (indeed, slightly shorter) than the minaret of the mosque.
This was a demonstration of respect, and a gesture of friendship: the Christian community graciously accepted that their newer place of worship should not appear to compete with or outdo the existing mosque.
14. A little while later, religious tensions erupted in the local area. Late one night, a group of young Muslim men marched down that same street with torches, with the intention of burning down the Christian church. But the Imam from the neighbouring mosque crossed the street to speak to the young men, imploring them not to damage the church. He said to them: "These people are our friends". And, heeding the words of their own faith leader, the young men retreated, leaving the church in peace.
15. What I find so powerful about this story is the way that small gestures of respect and courtesy grow, over the years, into large acts of protection, and even potential sacrifice. The Priest's thoughtfulness in consulting the Imam about the church plans; the Imam's respectful communication of the discrepancy in the steeple height; and the church congregation's gracious response to this concern: these simple acts of consideration are what sowed the seeds for the Imam's defence of the church at a time of extreme
need. We learn, from this story, never to underestimate even the smallest gesture of kindness or humility. The foundations of dignity for everyone, everywhere, are built in those moments when we seek to understand and value another's point of view.
16. I have just one more short anecdote to share – this time, about a Buddhist monk named Uzin Pein, who leads a monastery in Meiktila City, in the Mandalay region of Myanmar.
In early 2013, terrible religious violence broke out in the city, all stemming from a disagreement about a bracelet purchased by a Buddhist customer from a Muslim jewellery shop owner. Where, in my previous story, we saw the potential of small acts of kindness to ripple through the years, we see here how one seemingly small disagreement can escalate into tragedy. Although the matter of the bracelet was resolved by the police, local communities were not satisfied. One of the Muslim shop owner's stores was burned to the ground by Buddhist activists; and, the next day, a Buddhist monk travelling through the city was dragged from his motorbike as he passed by a mosque, and murdered.
17. This brutal act ignited a firestorm of reprisals. Angry Buddhist crowds marched through the city, armed with spears and swords. Over 100 Muslims were killed, including, tragically, 28 Muslim children in a school.17 As the violence raged, more than 850 Muslim men, women and children sought refuge in the Buddhist monastery led by Uzin Pein. And, in spite of the religious conflict and the events of the preceding days; in spite of the very real risk to his own life, this Buddhist monk protected them. When hundreds of armed and angry people showed up at the monastery door that night, demanding for the Muslims to be turned over to them to be killed, Uzin Pein stood at the door to his monastery and refused. He stayed there all through the night, saying, "I cannot do that. If you are to harm them, you need to kill me first". And at last, the mob grew tired and went home.
18. This is a truly astonishing act of selfless bravery. Uzin Pein did not judge or condemn the Muslims who sought shelter at his monastery by the acts of an entirely different group of Muslims some days earlier. Instead, he gave them shelter without question and, when it came to it, he put his life on the line to protect them. This story absolutely epitomizes a commitment to "dignity for everyone, everywhere". For this Buddhist monk, it did not matter that the people seeking shelter were Muslims, and that so many of his fellow Buddhists wanted them dead. To him, they were humans in grave danger; and he stood up for their right to dignity, to life, by being willing to sacrifice his own.
19. We may not all have Uzin Pein's incredible bravery; but we can all try to follow his example in seeing and valuing the human first, rather than the religious label. During this conference, I have no doubt that we will hear many more stories of individuals and groups selflessly standing up for each other in this way. I hope that these incredible, real-life examples will illuminate the path towards dignity for everyone, everywhere, and teach us how to tread it. The rhetoric of intolerance and exclusion would seek to convince all of us that what is different is also lesser: a threatening, inhuman other.
By telling stories like those I have shared this morning, and those that will be shared over the coming sessions, we can combat such rhetoric, demonstrating that there is always more that unites than divides us, and promoting the essential dignity and worth of the human being.
20. I would like to end today by echoing some words spoken by the 7th Secretary-General of the United Nations, Kofi Annan, during his Nobel Peace Prize Lecture of 2001. Mr Annan said: A genocide begins with the killing of one man – not for what he has done, but because of who he is. A campaign of 'ethnic cleansing' begins with one neighbour turning on another.
Poverty begins when even one child is denied his or her fundamental right to education. What begins with the failure to uphold the dignity of one life, all too often ends with a calamity for entire nations.
May these words resonate with all of us, not only during this important conference, but long afterwards. May we, like Reverend Jute, like the Christian Priest and the Muslim Imam in Nigeria, and like the Buddhist monk, Uzin Pein, strive to uphold the dignity of each and every human life in even our smallest actions. For, as Kofi Annan's words emphasize, large-scale evils stem from individual acts of disrespect.
And, as the Quran teaches all of us, the reverse is also true. A single act of kindness has far-reaching impacts: "If anyone saves one life, it will be as if he had saved all of humanity".
21. I wish all of you a productive and illuminating two days at this conference. I have every faith that the discussions that take place here will contribute powerfully to the cause of human dignity for all people in all places. And with that I hereby launch the Regional Southeast Asia Human Dignity Conference 2024.