Recent horrific attacks in the French cities of Paris and Nice have shaken the world recently, and refuelled fears of extremism which were prevalent a few years ago.
However, in Singapore, such an attack has never come to pass. And that is partly due to the efforts of authorities – both governmental and religious – working together.
On Friday (30 Oct), the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore (MUIS) shared a letter written to leaders of the Christian community in Singapore condemning the attacks in France.
MUIS Mufti Dr Nazirudin Mohd Nasir called the terrorist attacks “an assault on Islam”, and offered his prayers and solidarity to the victims.
Dr Nazirudin begins the letter by expressing his anguish and concern upon reading about the attacks which took place.
On 16 Oct, a teacher was beheaded in Conflans Sainte-Honorine, which is northwest of Paris, DW reports.
Then on 29 Oct, a man was involved in the killing of 3 people inside a church in Nice.
Both attacks were alleged to be religiously motivated.
MUIS lamented that attacks in churches desecrate the sanctity of places of worship, with the intent to wound community relationships.
Dr Nazirudin called the attacks “an assault on Islam”, because they took place during the month where Muslims commemorate the birth of Prophet Muhammad.
He also called the terrorists’ actions a “clear desecration” of the Prophet’s teachings, saying they have no place in Islam.
Dr Nazirudin then says MUIS will continue working with the Christian community, to ensure that peace and harmony prevail.
There is confidence that by doing so, they can prevent extremist attacks from taking place in Singapore.
Finally, MUIS offers their sincerest prayers and solidarity to the casualties, as well as their loved ones.
Extremist ideologies, which seek to propagate hate and fear, cannot be allowed to take root in Singapore.
As far as possible, we need to safeguard ourselves against hatred to make Singapore a safe place to be.
We’re very lucky that no such attack has ever taken place here, but we also need to remain vigilant to ensure that this never happens.
Kudos to MUIS and the Mufti for rejecting the hate.
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Featured image adapted from YouTube.
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