Albert Lin, The Merit Times staff writer
April 21, 2023

Fo Guang Shan(Malaysia) took another step towards racial harmony by celebrating another festival together. BLIA World Headquarters Vice Secretary General (Southeast Asia), Venerable Chueh Cheng, invited Malaysian officials to FGS Don Zen Temple for an iftar during the Muslim Ramadan in 2022. This year, Venerable Chueh Cheng was invited to attend a Muslim iftar at the second largest mosque in Malaysia.

The Grand Iftar for Humanity was held at the Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin Mosque in Putrajaya on April 17th, organized jointly by the Global Peace Mission (GPM) and the Angkatan Belia Islam Malaysia (ABIM).
Venerable Chueh Cheng attended the Grand Iftar for Humanity. photo／The Life News Agency

The event's main initiator, GPM Chief Executive Officer Fami, was invited to Don Zen Temple for iftar last year and expressed his hope to invite non-Muslims to experience the iftar dinner at the mosque this year.

During his speech, Fami praised Venerable Chueh Cheng for her humanitarian aid mission to Kabul, Afghanistan in February last year, where she brought supplies for the people. Fami emphasized that Afghan friends knew Malaysia as an Islamic country, but they were grateful for the kindness of the BLIA when they saw Venerable Chueh Cheng bringing relief supplies.

Fami also thanked various groups such as the Catholic Church, the Malaysian Buddhist Association Selangor, and Islamic organizations for their assistance in the relief efforts for the Turkey and Syria earthquakes, demonstrating Malaysia's religious harmony and there are no national boundaries when helping those in need. A donation ceremony for the disaster relief efforts in Turkey and Syria was also held that evening, witnessed by the guest of honor, Senator Datuk Dr. Mohd Na'im bin Mokhtar, Minister in the Prime Minister's Department in charge of Religious Affairs.
Representatives from different religious groups attended the Grand Iftar for Humanity. photo／The Life News Agency

Before the iftar, representatives of non-Muslim religious groups also visited the mosque, which can accommodate up to 23,000 people. There were about 1,000 attendees, including representatives of various religions, ambassadors from various countries, and religious figures. A vegan buffet was also prepared for the iftar to show respect and inclusiveness for various religions.

Representatives from FGS also included Lim Boon Chai, President of the BLIA Malaysia, Leong Siew Keong, Inspector-General of the central Malaysia Association, Chia Bak Khee, Vice President of the Association, and Ko Mei Fang, Director of the Charity Section.
Venerable Chueh Cheng(third from left)and the other representatives of FGS attended the Grand Iftar for Humanity. photo／The Life News Agency