MABDA Report 27/10/2013

Event held in UK to boost understanding of Islam

Followers of different faiths have held an interfaith event in Gloucester, southwest England, to boost Britons’ understanding of Islam and Muslims.
During the event, titled Engaging with Islam and organized by St James’ and Christ Church, Gloucester’s first Muslim Sheriff Said Hansdot said the recent murder of a British soldier in Woolwich, London, and the ensuing arson attack on the city’s mosque showed the need for greater efforts to introduce people to Islam.

"Until what happened a few months ago, we had thought we were doing a great job in engaging with the community but obviously a lot of work still needs to be done," Hansdot, told The BBC.
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/2013/10/21/330526/interfaith-event-in-uk-focuses-on-islam/

Interfaith dialogue goes to the Far-east

Leader of the Serbian Orthodox Church, Archbishop of Pec Metropolitan of Belgrade and Karlovci, Patriarch Irinej, is in Jakarta to attend the Indonesia-Serbia Bilateral Interfaith Dialogue (ISBID) II at the Religious Affairs Ministry on Wednesday. The dialogue lasts from Oct.22 until Oct.26 and will be attended by government representatives and religious figures from both countries. The event has been organized in an attempt to reflect both countries will to live in peace.
http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2013/10/23/interfaith-dialogue.html

The man behind Malaysia's interfaith tours

Uthaya Sankar was raised a Hindu, but as a child, he often went to Sunday school at a Christian church and even sometimes played at mosques.
"We had colouring contests, we went looking for the Easter eggs... and it was fun meeting people from different religions," said Mr Uthaya.

But by the early 1990s, things had changed, he said. People refused to visit other religions' places of worship and he felt Malaysia's political parties began to emphasise religious differences - rather than similarities - for political gain.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-24583935