CCM News (http://www.ccmalaysia.org)
Charter for Compassion: Malaysia Launch, n.d.
On 12 November, in conjunction with the global launch of the Charter for Compassion, former Malaysian Prime Minister, Tun Abdullah Badawi, unveiled the Charter at a ceremony held at the Hilton Hotel in Petaling Jaya, in the presence of a large group of people representing NGOs, religious leaders representing the different faiths, human activists and academicians.
In his speech, Tun Badawi emphasized; “In a multi-religious society like ours, it is crucial that we dedicate ourselves to the principle and practice of compassion. It is a principle that lies at the heart of all religions, ethical and spiritual traditions. It requires us to treat others as we wish to be treated ourselves. It challenges us to demonstrate empathy with the suffering of all human beings. Indeed, compassion, simply put, is loving-kindness towards all living things”
The Charter for Compassion is an idea initiated by the eminent British religious scholar, Ms. Karen Armstrong.
Since November 2008, a panel of individuals from different religious backgrounds, formed a 17 member panel called the Council of Conscience. With inputs from the Council, and after many drafts, the Charter was finalised.
In Malaysia, three groups – the Yayasan Budi Penyayang, the Malaysian Interfaith Network and the International Movement for a Just World, have decided to coordinate efforts around the Charter to help inspire Malaysians to make compassion a dynamic force to transform society for the good.
A interfaith panel discussion was held in conjunction with the event. Rev. Dr. Hermen Shastri , the General Secretary of CCM was one of the panelists.
In his speech, he pointed out that Churches beside being a place of worship, have carried out many activities to show compassion to the less fortunate.
But, “in view of the many serious issues today that threaten peace between communities, and the well-being of our planet,” he asserted that social transformation for a just and peaceful world can only happen when religions are working together.
“There have been many global faith-based initiatives carried out under different names, the point is to achieve critical-mass by all compassion-loving people, to cross the religious-divide, and work together to treat every individual with love, dignity and respect.”
The Council of Churches is committed to interfaith solidarity for peace and social justice. It is prepared to work with all civil groups in the country to encourage a positive appreciation of cultural and religious diversity.
CHARTER FOR COMPASSION
The principle of compassion lies at the heart of all religious, ethical and spiritual traditions, calling us always to treat all others as we wish to be treated ourselves. Compassion impels us to work tirelessly to alleviate the suffering of our fellow creatures, to dethrone ourselves from the centre of our world and put another there, and to honour the inviolable sanctity of every single human being, treating everybody, without exception, with absolute justice, equity and respect.
It is also necessary in both public and private life to refrain consistently and empathically from inflicting pain. To act or speak violently out of spite, chauvinism, or self-interest, to impoverish, exploit or deny basic rights to anybody, and to incite hatred by denigrating others—even our enemies—is a denial of our common humanity. We acknowledge that we have failed to live compassionately and that some have even increased the sum of human misery in the name of religion.
We therefore call upon all men and women ~ to restore compassion to the centre of morality and religion ~ to return to the ancient principle that any interpretation of scripture that breeds violence, hatred or disdain is illegitimate ~ to ensure that youth are given accurate and respectful information about other traditions, religions and cultures ~ to encourage a positive appreciation of cultural and religious diversity ~ to cultivate an informed empathy with the suffering of all human beings—even those regarded as enemies.
We urgently need to make compassion a clear, luminous and dynamic force in our polarized world. Rooted in a principled determination to transcend selfishness, compassion can break down political, dogmatic, ideological and religious boundaries. Born of our deep interdependence, compassion is essential to human relationships and to a fulfilled humanity. It is the path to enlightenment, and indispensible to the creation of a just economy and a peaceful global community.(www.charterforcompassion.org)
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