KUCHING: The ‘Soul2Soul 2.0: Tweeting-Up Unity’ forum being organised by Angkatan Zaman Mansang (AZAM) Sarawak in collaboration with the Sarawak Islamic Information Centre (IIC) and held at the Christian Ecumenical Centre is something truly beautiful, said Assistant Minister of Youth Development Datuk Haji Abdul Karim Hamzah.
“This is very common in Sabah and Sarawak because people in both states help and understand each other,” he said when officiating at the opening of the forum yesterday.
Karim delved into his past by revealing that he went to a mission school and was familiar with the way Christians go about their daily lives.
“That did not make me any less of a devoted Muslim. This inter-faith interaction is a beautiful thing that youths should embrace.
“Youths in Sabah and Sarawak should be proud of the existence of this harmonious environment in their respective states,” he said.
Karim went on to say that despite living in a multi-religious, multi-cultural, and multi-racial community, Sarawakians were able to live together peacefully and accept each others’ differences.
“This harmony has allowed us to progress and it cannot be denied that a lot of changes had been happening around us.
“The younger generation should not take this harmony for granted. They should strive to preserve the harmony and keep it intact for the future generations,” he said.
On the forum, Karim expressed his appreciation, saying there were a lot of things to discuss, especially on the abuse of the social media.
He said the social media had been unethically used to spread fear and hatred among the people, thus dividing the people and hindering the development of the country.
“It is important for youths to engage in healthy debate and after the forum, more activities of similar nature should be organised to encourage healthy debates.
“I hope the participants will learn from this forum and leave with a greater understanding of each other’s faiths,” said Karim.
About 200 youths from various communities and beliefs attended the forum.
Soul2Soul is an initiative undertaken by AZAM and IIC in 2012 to provide a platform for young people to discuss current issues and concerns where universal values, ethics, and faiths are the cornerstones to enhance unity and harmonious co-existence, especially among youths in the state.
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