Leaders of the Malay-Muslim community are
taking steps to put across the right message about the Syrian crisis, which has
drawn fighters from around the world to take up arms.
The
Islamic Religious Council of Singapore, or Muis, has roped in mosques,
religious teachers and madrasahs to explain the conflict to Muslims here and to
put things in perspective.
The
government has also started working with the Malay media, like the Berita
Harian newspaper, to put out explanatory articles, and is looking into
cyberwellness programmes that will guard against young people being radicalised
via the Internet.
Some
Malay-Muslim groups have also sourced for bona fide channels for Singaporeans
to provide humanitarian aid and donations to victims of the conflict.
Minister-in-charge
of Muslim affairs Yaacob Ibrahim said of the efforts: "It shows the
community is taking ownership of the challenge and we want to do something
about it."
Dr
Yaacob was speaking to reporters after a closed-door dialogue with 60 community
and religious leaders, at which he and deputy prime minister Teo Chee Hean
spoke of the Syrian crisis.
The
conflict has claimed 150,000 lives and drawn foreigners, including
Singaporeans, to join what some see as a jihad. This has sparked fears of the
spread of extremism around the world.
Yesterday,
Teo, who is also home affairs minister, reiterated concerns about the
conflict's impact on security and social cohesion here, saying it has the
potential to be worse than the Jemaah Islamiah threat.
In
2001, Singapore arrested members of the terror group after the authorities
discovered its plot to attack targets in the country, leading to worries it
could affect community relations.
But
radical ideology today, Teo said, can spread more quickly than in 2001 because
of the Internet and social media. The ease of air travel to Syria has also made
it easier for people to join the fight.
And the
scale of violence in the sectarian war in Syria and Iraq has "caused
emotions to run high", drawing some to the fight.
Pergas
president and co-chair of the Religious Rehabilitation Group, Hasbi Hassan,
said the rebels' calls for jihad "do not fulfil the teachings of
Islam".
"This
can lead to misunderstanding among Singaporean Muslims and also with
non-Muslims. It can threaten the safety and harmony of our multi-racial and
multi-religious society," he added.
Teo
stressed the actions of a small group should not be seen as representative of
the Malay-Muslim community: "We need to understand that in Singapore all
our communities believe in peace and harmony."
Dr
Yaacob said the non-Muslim community can help spread the message that the
conflict is not one Singaporeans should be involved in.
Dr Wee
Boon Hup, president of the National Council of Churches and bishop of the
Methodist Church, said non-Muslims may be "concerned" about the
developments, but noted "both the authorities and Muslim community leaders
have a hold on the problem".
Tham Yuen-C
Business & Investment Opportunities
Saigon Business Corporation Pte Ltd (SBC) is incorporated
in Singapore since 1994.
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