麻豆社

Yesterday, Sikhs throughout the world celebrated the birthday of Guru Nanak, the founder of the Sikh faith. Guru Nanak is regarded by some as the father of interfaith dialogue, and it鈥檚 a happy coincidence that his birthday falls in inter faith week; a week in which different faiths share food and pledge to work together.
Guru Nanak was acutely concerned that people at the time were ignoring the many commonalities between different faiths and instead focussing on supposed difference and looking at those of other beliefs as lesser beings. It was against this background that the Guru in his very first sermon declared that in God鈥檚 eyes there was neither Hindu nor Muslim, and by today鈥檚 extension, neither Christian, Sikh nor Jew. That the one God of us all is not interested in our different religious labels but in what we do to bring peace, justice and harmony to our fellow beings.
The Guru, who lived in the 15th century travelled widely with a Hindu and a Muslim companion constantly emphasising commonalities in our different faiths while criticising superstition and divisive practices that attach themselves to, and take us away from underlying ethical imperatives. His teachings were widely welcomed by all communities. Succeeding Gurus elaborated on his teachings in various ways, such as including verses of other faiths which parallel Sikh teachings in our holy scriptures the Guru Granth Sahib. The following lines by the Muslim poet Kabir, resonates with Sikh teachings on equality. Kabir writes:
鈥楾he same one Divine light permeates all Creation
Why should we then divide people into the High and the low?

As we celebrate another Inter faith week, I can鈥檛 help wondering how little real progress we鈥檝e made in true understanding and respect for other beliefs. True we鈥檝e learnt to be more politically correct than Guru Nanak and not say anything that might possibly be construed as offence. Fine, but the downside is that events like Inter faith Week can easily become a bit superficial rather than an opportunity to question, look and learn from the positive while challenging that which needs to be challenged. And looking at the religious intolerance and active persecution of minorities in many parts of the world today, there is much to be challenged.