Singaporean researcher: 'Religious dignitaries must escape personal interests'

(Baonghean.vn) - This is the information given by senior researcher Barry Desker at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies, Nanyang Technological University, in Singapore's Strait Times newspaper.

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An article by senior research fellow Barry Desker at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies, Nanyang Technological University in Singapore's Strait Times newspaper on ensuring religious harmony, the part about the role of religious dignitaries:

“… A large part of social strength stems from the trust built within and between communities through simple, everyday interactions and the expectations that come with such interactions. This is essential to preventing everyday conflicts from escalating to dangerous levels.

It is important that our religious leaders continue to step outside their own interests, understand the national interest, see where the threat is, and act accordingly. They play a vital role in building bridges and engaging frankly with each other to resolve sensitive religious issues that occasionally arise.

A ceremony at the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Singapore. Photo: catholic.sg

These incidents remind us that religious harmony is a work in progress for all societies, including Singapore. Many countries are divided by deep ethnic and religious differences. Even in societies much older than Singapore, where different communities have coexisted for centuries, religion remains a thorny issue.

Increased religious controversy could lead to exclusion and alienation between different groups. This would not be in the interests of Singapore, where we have succeeded in creating a diverse society based on compromise and mutual respect.

All over the world, there is no shortage of examples of hate crimes, hate speech, threats directed at certain groups of people, communities, etc. Social media, and the anonymity it brings, makes it easier for people to create hatred and resentment...

To safeguard the hard-won religious and ethnic harmony, the Singapore Government actively engages with different groups and balances their conflicting interests in a pragmatic manner.

The Singapore Government has always taken a tough stance against ethnic and religious extremists and chauvinists because we know how much damage our society would suffer if such conflicts broke out. There is always room for us to do more to strengthen Singapore’s resilience against such forces and impacts…

Phu Binh

(According to Strait Times)