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<\/div>Singapore will continue to crack down on foreign religious preachers sowing discord and seeking to divide its pluralistic society, said acting minister-in-charge of Muslim affairs Faishal Ibrahim.<\/p><\/div>\n
During a recent fireside chat with Malaysian journalists, Faishal, also Singapore\u2019s senior minister of state for home affairs, said the Singaporean government carefully vets all religious speakers to ensure their preachings are not divisive.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have (our own) criteria as some topics are sensitive,\u201d he said, adding that Singapore does not condone violence or extremism as such actions could disrupt the country\u2019s social harmony.<\/p>\n
In 2017, the government barred renowned Islamic preacher Ismail Menk, from Zimbabwe, and Haslin Baharim, a Malaysian, from entering Singapore, on grounds that their \u201csegregationist and divisive teachings\u201d were incompatible with the country\u2019s multi-racial, multi-religious framework.<\/p>\n
Youth radicalism and headscarves<\/strong><\/p>\n Beyond monitoring preachers, Faishal said his ministry is working proactively with the youth to counter extremism at the grassroots level.<\/p>\n He said his ministry conducts mosque visits and holds sessions in schools to counter youth radicalism, amid a rise in extremist content driven by artificial intelligence.<\/p>\n \u201c(Our) programmes aim to teach students not only about faith and morality but also how to resist extremist narratives online,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Faishal was also asked if Muslim students and women in schools and uniformed services should be allowed to wear headscarves.<\/p>\n The Singapore government currently has a no-headscarf policy for public schools and uniformed services \u2013 although nurses were granted an exemption in 2021 after several engagement sessions.<\/p>\n \u201cIt is something that we continue to raise and explain to the community \u2014 why the government thinks that having a consistent uniform and identity is important.<\/p>\n Nevertheless, he acknowledged that some within Singapore\u2019s Muslim community aspire to see the no-headscarf policy lifted.<\/p>\n \u201cI will continue to engage community leaders, the prime minister and my Cabinet colleagues (on this matter),\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n