IALRW Conference 2025: Power of Dialogue and Partnership
The International Association of Liberal Religious Women (IALRW) will host its 2025 Conference from June 11-16 in Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia. The conference will be held in a hybrid format, allowing both in-person and online participation. Under the theme “Power of Dialogue and Partnership,” participants will explore indigenous perspectives, interfaith dialogue, and women’s leadership in addressing global challenges.
About the Conference
Building on discussions from the 2023 gathering in Cluj-Napoca, Romania, this five-day program combines academic presentations, interactive workshops, cultural experiences, and networking opportunities. The conference will feature interfaith dialogues with Buddhist and indigenous perspectives, with special attention to their traditions of living in harmony with nature.
The venue, The Waterfront Hotel in Kuching, will also host the 19th Sakyadhita International Conference for Buddhist Women immediately following the IALRW event, creating opportunities for extended dialogue and connection.
Program Highlights
Featured Speakers
Rev. Dr. Esther R. Suter
Prof. Dr. Kamar Oniah Kamaruzaman
Prof. Dr. Kathy R. Matsui
Dr. Thea Mohr
Registration Information
The conference offers two participation options:
Registration is considered complete upon submission of the online form and receipt of payment. For complete details and to register, visit the IALRW Conference 2025 website.
We invite IARF members and friends to join this gathering to explore the power of dialogue across religious and cultural boundaries, and to support women’s leadership in addressing today’s challenges.
IALRW Interfaith Seminar in Malaysia
The International Association of Liberal Religious Women, a branch of the IARF and one of the oldest interfaith women’s organizations in the world (founded in 1910), co-organized an interfaith seminar in Malaysia on 7-8 February. The seminar brought together women from Malaysia, Yemen, Myanmar, Cashmere, Sri Lanka, Japan and Europe, and included two public sessions: “Plight of Domestic Helpers: Interfaith Perspectives” and “Conflict and War: Direct Accounts.”
Rev. Esther R. Suter, IALRW Vice-President from Switzerland, summed up the sessions as follows:
Domestic helpers is a crucial topic in Malaysia with
mainly women (“maids”) coming from Indonesia, often immigrants without a legal status or documents. Faith communities such as Muslim, Buddhist, Hindu, Christian (Roman-Catholic) Sikh and Taoist exposed the situation and presented their approach on a spiritual as well as social, moral and communitarian level.Although the women gathered in Kuala Lumpur had a variety of approaches, presented separately, they managed to formulate firm recommendations to be addressed to the government, for training, support and protection of workers; regulation of agencies providing staff; and fostering right relationships with workers within families, respecting them as human beings.
…
The topic “Conflict and War: direct accounts” was presented by four IIUM students. They came from Burma, Yemen, Kashmir and Syria. With the exception of the student from Kashmir, they all presented conflict situations involving Muslims and another faith group and exposed the political conflict as an intentionally created religious conflict, which exploits religions for political and power strategies.
Here you can read the full report by Rev. Suter published at oikumene.org, and here her more detailed account of the stories told by four participants of the seminar: women from Myanmar, Yemen, Cashmere and Malaysia from protestinfo.ch (in French).
17th UPR Session – Country Review of Malaysia
Country Review of Malaysia
Malaysian Government Statements (Opening, Closing, Country Report) [upload pdf]
Media Statement: http://www.ohchr.org/EN/HRBodies/UPR/Pages/Highlights24October2013pm.aspx
First Cycle: Date of consideration: 11 February 2009 – 2.30 p.m. – 5.30 p.m.
Second Cycle: Date of consideration: 24 October 2013 – 2:30 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Draft Working Group Report: First Cycle [upload pdf], Second Cycle [upload pdf]
Statements on Freedom of Religion or Belief by the Delegation of Malaysia:
66. The delegation further discussed the constitutionally guaranteed freedom of religion in Malaysia which is subjected to the constitutional restrictions pertaining to the propagation of other religion or belief on Muslims and the preservation of public order and national security. Malaysia explained on the recent Court of Appeal decision dated 14 October 2013 on the case concerning the Herald – the Catholic Weekly. In gist, the Court decided clearly that the Minister’s decision to ban the use of the word “ALLAH” in the Malay version of Herald is constitutional and legal. The Court ruled that the Minister’s decision was based on legitimate grounds of public safety and public order as such action raised religious sensitivities in Malaysia. The Minister’s decision as a preventive measure to ensure public safety and public order in Malaysia is legal and also in compliance with the laws to control and restrict the propagation of religious doctrine or belief among Muslims.
73. Malaysia emphasised that Islam and Islamic administration of justice under the Syariah has a long history in Malaysia. The status of Islam as the religion of the Federation and the freedom to practice religions other than Islam is also enshrined in the Constitution.
130. The delegation responded to questions and comments raised in the preceding interactive dialogue by reiterating that Orang Asli rights to land, beliefs, culture and non-discrimination are clearly provided for by the Federal Constitution and the Aboriginal People’s Act 1954.
Recommendations on Freedom of Religion or Belief by other States:
|
State |
Recommendation |
Reference in Report |
|
Canada |
Take concrete steps to implement its commitment to promote and protect the rights of all people to worship in peace and security without discrimination or restriction
|
146.153 |
|
China |
In accordance with national circumstances, continue to strengthen mutual respect and tolerance and different cultures among religions and maintain social plurality while maintaining improved family harmony and respect for women
|
146.87 |
|
Italy |
Revise Malaysia’s legislative framework in order to ensure freedom of religion or belief for all
|
146.152 |
|
Sudan |
Continue its efforts to promote inter-religious dialogues and reconcile different schools of Islamic thoughts and other religions
|
146.154 |
|
Austria |
Continue efforts and engage in a structured interfaith dialogue, including religious minorities
|
146.155 |
|
Austria |
Take measures to ensure that all persons, including Muslims, can freely exercise their right to freedom of religion and belief, without interference by the state and including the right to change their religion |
146.156 |
Muslims told Valentine’s Day can invoke wrath of God
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia –
An invitation “to be my Valentine” on February 14 is against Islamic beliefs and would incur the wrath of Allah, Muslims were told today in the official Friday sermon prepared by the federal government. The sermon warned Muslims against celebrating Valentine’s Day, which the federal Islamic authorities claimed was in breach of the tenets of their religion.