File photo showing Associate Lay Leader of Methodist Church Sarawak Chinese Annual Conference Hii Chang Kee (left) greeting Dr Annuar with a handshake at An-Nur Mosque during the Raya open house last year as other religious representatives look on.
SIBU: An-Nur Mosque’s second Hari Raya Aidilfitri open house will be held here soon following the success of the inaugural interfaith gathering to celebrate the festival last year.
The gathering last August was intended as a precursor to more future interfaith gatherings.
Assistant Minister for Science Research and Biotechnology Dr Annuar Rapaee the invitation would be extended to all religious bodies here to join the unique open house.
“This is the second time that we are doing it after the inaugural one last year, which drew a good response.
“We hope to have it in a couple of weeks’ time. This is indeed a step forward to preserve religious and racial harmony,” Dr Annuar told reporters when met at his open house here yesterday.
He pointed out that Sarawak was unique because its people had high tolerance for one another.
He added that the different faiths came together during celebrations and festivities especially for open house and that this showed the strong racial solidarity and harmony amongst people of different backgrounds.
Last year’s festive gathering hosted by the mosque was attended by representatives from the Association of Churches Sarawak (ACS) Sibu branch – comprising those from Roman Catholic, Methodist, Borneo Evangelical Mission (SIB) and Anglican churches – as well as representatives from seven Buddhist associations, Sikh gurdwaras as well as Hindu temples.