IPOH, Oct 18 — The Sultan of Perak Sultan Nazrin Shah has expressed sadness and concern about the way in which words like "multiculturalism”, "diversity” and "tolerance” have been weaponised in the culture wars of global political discourse today.

"As a firm believer in the virtues and value of diversity, then, I am deeply saddened and more than a little worried,” he said in his royal address at the 6th World Conference On Islamic Thought & Civilisation (WCIT) 2022 here today.

The Sultan said this pervasive change in attitude towards multiculturalism is nothing short of a tragedy, not only because it sows seeds of division within countries, but also "because of what we stand to lose when we reject and deny cultural diversity”.

"Without multiculturalism, I believe that our world becomes infinitely poorer. Different backgrounds, different faiths, different ethnicities: we all have so much to gain and learn from one another,” he said.

Therefore, those who are, perhaps, suspicious of diversity, should be encouraged to appreciate the incredible benefits that arise when "all the people sharing all the world”, the Sultan said while quoting a certain John Lennon song.

Sultan Nazrin said there are a few metrics of cultural diversity which quantify, not only the number of different groups within a society or country but also the extent of their integration.

He said while the Stirling Model combines measurements of variety, balance, and disparity to assess the diversity of cultural expression, other social scientists have taken measures of ethnic, linguistic and religious fractionalisation within countries to demonstrate that ethnic fractionalization is a significant predictor of economic performance.

"The success of cultural integration, on a national scale, has been assessed according to a variety of indicators, including access to the labour market, education, political participation, and housing and social services, using data from population surveys and censuses,” he said.

Other than through figures and statistics, the ruler said he believe that everyone could feel the benefits of diversity in real stories, experiences, and shared human encounters.

"More than seven centuries ago, collaborations between people from different faith backgrounds were advancing human learning, and leading to mutually beneficial developments of science and culture. This is surely the goal to which all institutions of learning should aspire even today!” he said.

Stating good food as another of the fruits of multiculturalism, Sultan Nazrin said it was perhaps the most joyful and vital manifestation of cultural exchange that exists.

"There is, perhaps, no hard data to prove that the quality of a country’s cuisine is directly proportional to its cultural diversity, but anyone who has ever experienced the bustle and excitement of a vibrant street food market, or luxuriated over a long meal with friends, will know that this is undoubtedly one of the most important ways in which we share our humanity,” he added. — Bernama