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Toronto Interfaith Forum: On Morality
Written by Qarmrul Khanson, Recording Secretary, UPF-Toronto, Canada
Saturday, November 19, 2011
Toronto, Canada - At the monthly meeting of Ambassadors for Peace in the Toronto area on November 19, A.R. Qureshi spoke on the topic of morality.
A. R. Qureshi started his session by stating that people in general have not disciplined themselves to become people of good character, a fact acknowledged at home, abroad, in business, in government circles, and in every sphere of administrative activity. Lack of character produces social imbalance and leads ultimately to national decline and disintegration. The malady has been undermining our individual and collective life.
The outward signs of a weak character are commonly believed to be licentiousness, injustice, bribery, corruption, and exploitation but they do not bring out the true significance of the term. It belongs to the realm of ethics, which defines character in terms not easily intelligible to the common man.
Human values might have different meanings in different settings. Take the word honor, for example. To say “God has saved my honor” means that I have not been disgraced before my friends. When someone says, “She gave her life to save her honor,” here honor signifies chastity. But the meaning of chastity itself might differ from person to person. In the East, if someone casts an evil glance at a veiled woman, her father or brother would not hesitate to get upset, angry, and outraged. In the West, however, if a girl flirts publicly, her father or brother, instead of having any qualms, may overlook the act all together. Again, one society might attach the greatest importance to a particular value which in the estimation of another society might not be a value at all.
Consider other examples: We respect and honor our parents, but there have been tribes for whom eating them constituted a sacred duty. The Puritans saw nothing wrong in stealing black children and shooting Irishmen. In an island of the Pacific there is a tribe with whom dishonesty is the best moral conduct and the cleverest cheat among them is held in the highest esteem. Thugs may take pride in killing poor wayfarers. Nationalism is recognized as a political and social creed and someone who promotes the well being of his nation by exploiting other nations is regarded a patriot worthy of being immortalized in metal and marble. Thus, morality and its social expressions differ from tribe to tribe, region to region, and country to country. However, a uniform code is needed so that international norms can be established.
The preservation of life is an animal instinct, but the preservation of honor is not. The concept of honor is unknown in the animal world. In fact, it forms the line of demarcation between animals and humans. Honor is a specific human value. The preservation of human values elevates one's level of life from the animal to the human. Thus the morality of our acts distinguishes us more than our external form. In a civilized society there interest in an international statute of morality agreed upon by all nations and promoted by the international community. Of course, religious and cultural diversity among people and nations shall be respected and accommodated.
A group discussion followed among the attendees, including Rev. Mitch Dixon, Rev. Thillairajan, Dr. Hoossen, Lito Paghubasan, and Auth. Qamrul A. Khanson.
Rev. Mitch Dixon voiced the opinion that Biblical morals should be inculcated first among the adherents, and violators of such laws, after being educated about them, could be subject to apprehension. Any apprehension without the proper inculcation of the moral code cannot be justified. He said he respects the Biblical moral code of conduct but insisted that people be educated before any punitive measures are implemented.
Auth. Qamrul Khanson mentioned that the Torah and the Qur’an have laws against adultery but such laws, when imposed on a state level, should be properly inculcated among the citizens before any penalty for violation is implemented. If someone violates the law, then those in authority should be held accountable first, for not having adequately communicated the law to the people. Letting people know about the moral code is more important than punishing people for violating something they may not have been aware of.
Rev. Thillairajan raised the issue of how people can resolve their inner conflicts; ideally, people agree to abide by moral codes for the greater purpose of pleasing God and unifying the community in serving God.
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