Inter-Religious Dialogue Activity: An Experience among Undergraduate Students in Selected Universities in Malaysia (Aktiviti Dialog Antara Agama: Pengalaman dalam Kalangan Pelajar Sarjana Muda Beberapa Universiti Terpilih di Malaysia)

Abstract

The study is aimed at exploring a few inter-religious dialogue activities among undergraduate students in the Department of Aqidah and Islamic Thought, the Academy of Islamic Studies, University of Malaya (JAPI,UM); the Academy of Contemporary Islamic Studies, (UiTM);the Department of Usuluddin and Philosophy,National University of Malaysia (JUF, UKM) and the Center for the Promotion of Knowledge and Language,University Malaysia of Sabah (UMS).There are many courses related to religious studies that are taught at these four universities. The lived-experiences of the participants were explored through inter-religious dialogue activities. A purposive sample of various students from the four universities mentioned above participated in this dialogue activity. The data were analyzed using an interpretive phenomenological approach, inductively in order to characterize the received data into respective themes. Hence, the results demonstrated that the lived-experience of the dialogue activities in inter-religious dialogue was characterized by the following: (1) the role of the environment, (2) the value of individual relationships through sharing and storytelling and (3) the experience and relationships among other ethnicities as well as family child-rearing practices. Thus, this study provides information concerning the various dialogue activities of inter-religious dialogue models and designs in universities in Malaysia and proposes that different models and designs of interreligious dialogue rely on different types and goals. This study also recommends the significance of creating environments to foster inter-religious dialogue, expanding the formats of interfaith dialogue and increasing religious study through education and training.

Keywords: Dialogue activity; inter-religious dialogue; experience; models and design; universities

Abstract

Kajian ini bertujuan meneroka beberapa aktiviti dialog antara agama yang dilaksanakan dalam kalangan pelajar Sarjana Muda dan antaranya yang terpilih adalah pelajar di Jabatan Akidah dan Pemikiran Islam, Akademi Pengajian Islam, Universiti Malaya, (JAPI, UM), Akademi Pengajian Islam Kontemporari (UiTM), Jabatan Usuluddin dan Falsafah, Fakulti Pengajian Islam, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (JUF, UKM) dan Pusat Penataran Ilmu dan Bahasa, Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS). Kajian ini merencami pengalaman penglibatan para pelajar dalam aktviti dialog antara agama dan menggunakan kaedah persampelan yang melibatkan para pelajar daripada empat buah universiti tersebut. Data telah dianalisis dengan menggunakan pendekatan fenomenologi dalam usaha mengkategorikan data yang diperolehi kepada beberapa tema tertentu. Hasil kajian menunjukkan bahawa pengalaman hidup hubungan antara penganut beragama yang merujuk kepada aktiviti dialog antara agama ini dipengaruhi oleh: (1) faktor persekitaran, (2) nilai hubungan individu melalui perkongsian hidup dan pengalaman berkongsi cerita dan (3) pengalaman dan hubungan antara etnik lain pada zaman kanak-kanak. Sehubungan itu, kajian ini mengemukakan maklumat mengenai bentuk-bentuk dan model aktiviti dialog antara agama yang dilakukan di (beberapa university terpilih) di Malaysia dan turut mencadangkan bahawa perbezaan model dan reka bentuk dialog antara agama ini adalah bergantung kepada kategori dan matlamatnya. Kajian ini turut mengemukakan cadangan pentingnya sikap kepedulian kepada suasana persekitaran untuk merangsang aktiviti dialog antara agama dan juga keprihatinan terhadap memperluaskan format dialog antara agama dan sekaligus meningkatkan pengajarannya melalui pendidikan dan latihan kemahiran berdialog.

Kata kunci: Aktiviti dialog; dialog antara agama; pengalaman; model dan reka bentuk; universiti