Have a great Awal Muharram to all whatever your religion, race or nationality

I had the opportunity to watch Muallaf the other day thanks to All Malaysian Bloggers Project which is part of the Star Online. This post is not actually about the event. I will do a proper one later. This post is about a message from the movie.

Muallaf is about religions and how one religion can actually be appreciated by other who is professing another religion. Before anything else, please have an open mind as I bet anyone can attest, whatever religion they are professing, all religions have become far too complicated for any one religion can claim they are pure and is the best for everyone. Of course, as a Muslim, I would say mine is the best religion for everyone but I can't say as much for all the people who profess it, even the leaders.

So, today is Awal Muharram or the day where we turn over a new calendar for Muslims all over the world. Just now, after Asr, the final prayer before the day change for Muslim, we have read our end of the year prayer and after Maghrib, the first prayer of a new day for Muslim, we would have done our new year prayer. 

This year is the first time I did it together with my business partner and my staff. I think as the prayers contain the hope for more rezeki and such, where you work plays an important part in your life, doing the prayers where you do your business is more appropriate. I think...

So, that was what has been afflicting religions everywhere. As much as we would like to say we are in the safest route to heaven, nirvana, or whatever we want to achieve in our afterlife, we are losing the sight of our humanity. That is what I have found in Muallaf, a comment in the lives of people of Malaysia who exist side by side with each other but is separated by their belief and race.

So, this new year, whether for Muslims who celebrate it today or all who celebrate in 2 weeks time, what have you achieve? As I tweet early during the day, where you can link me here , it is the growing number of non-Muslims as friends whom I am learning more and more about tolerance and such day after day. And most of them are through social media network. As someone who has just one year of school, either secondary or tertiary or even work with anyone who is of other race or religion, that is a BIG achievement.

And I am proud of it...

Just some of the friendly faces I met within this year (pic courtesy of Euveng.com)

HAVE A GREAT AWAL MUHARRAM EVERYONE!

WHOEVER YOU ARE...