Straits Time
Praise for S'pore's multi-faith society
Aaron Low
506 words
26 May 2006
Straits Times
English
(c) 2006 Singapore Press Holdings Limited
A country of wise and open minds, says Egyptian Muslim leader
AN EMINENT Egyptian Muslim leader on his first visit to Singapore
said yesterday that he was impressed by what he saw of the
multiracial and multi-religious nature of society here.
Dr Muhammad Sayyid Tantawi, who is with the Cairo-based Al-Azhar
University, said the interactions here reflected a society whose
people were wise and who had open minds.
Speaking after a briefing and lunch with 50 Malay-Muslim community
leaders, he spoke out against religious extremism and encouraged
Muslims to continue working with Singaporeans of other races and
religions for the good of the nation.
Dr Tantawi, a leading figure in the Sunni world and known for his
progressive views on Islam, is Grand Imam of Al-Azhar University,
which is well known as a centre of Islamic scholarship and
education.
He arrived on Wednesday at the invitation of Prime Minister Lee
Hsien Loong and is also here under the inaugural Islamic Religious
Council of Singapore's (Muis) Distinguished Visitor Programme.
During the lunch, Muis religious affairs director Ustaz Mohammed
Murat briefed the 76-year-old Dr Tantawi about the Muslim
community here and developments over the years in the social,
economic and religious spheres.
Responding in Arabic through a translator, Dr Tantawi praised
Singapore's multi-religious society and said he was happy to be
among 'cultured and educated friends'.
'What made me feel very happy - and this is my first visit to
Singapore - is that this country is based on very wise and open
minds, even though the beliefs and ethnicities are very
different,' he said.
He said cooperation among Muslims and other Singaporeans should
continue as working together brought 'goodness to all the land'.
The community should also embrace scientific knowledge and
education, he said, noting that science had always been a part of
the 'vision of Islam'.
In his remarks, Dr Tantawi also condemned religious radicalism and
terrorism as being 'evil' and said those who perpetrated them
should be stopped.
Islam, he said, embraced tolerance and moderation. Such virtues
'should lead us away from blind fanaticism and hatred because
Islam considers all human beings to have come from one mother and
father'.
Islam is a peaceful religion and will offer its hand in peace, if
others likewise offered their hands in peace, he said.
But he also said that in the face of aggression towards Muslims,
'we should stand and fight against those who would do this to us'.
Earlier in the morning, Dr Tantawi met Deputy Prime Ministers S.
Jayakumar and Wong Kan Seng over breakfast.
He was also hosted to a dinner by National Research Foundation
chairman Tony Tan, who is also chairman of Singapore Press
Holdings.
Dr Tantawi rounds off his visit today with a lecture, titled Islam
And The Modern World. He will also attend an inter-faith lunch
hosted by Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs Yaacob Ibrahim.
While the extremists smear the image of Islam and Muslims, I believe that the Singapore's Muslims can help correct people's perception with their harmonious ways.
