Research report on religious co-existence and interreligious relation: a study on Gombak Community

• Main Author: Ibrahim, Haslina
• Format: Proceeding Paper
• Language: English
• Published: 2023
• Subjects: BL Religion
• Online Access: http://irep.iium.edu.my/107189/1/ISRUPIC.pdf; http://irep.iium.edu.my/107189/

Gombak, is in Mukim Setapak, one of the five districts in Selangor, strategically located at the outskirt of Kuala Lumpur. The population is predominantly Malay Muslims, and the non-Malays represent 20.4% from the total population. This paper reports the findings of a research with the villagers of Kampung Sg. Chinchin, one of the seven villages in Mukim Setapak on issues related to religious co-existence. Using purposive sampling method, in depth interviews were conducted with twenty villagers who volunteered to participate. The research finds that the villagers accept living in coexistence however most of them acknowledged that they took it for granted. Though they have high respect for religions other than their own but some of them thought it is unimportant to communicate with other religious followers. Some of them were also unaware that there had been sporadic religious disputes. They were also unfamiliar with the needs to mediating religious disputes. Most of them agreed that community disputes need interventions from the authorities such as policemen or the village leaders. These findings suggest that there is lack of dynamics in the relationship between the different religious followers of Kampung Sg. Chinchin. The Malays who are the majority of the population live comfortably and they take for granted issues that may arise in a multi-religious society.