SINGAPORE: For locals Sarah, a Muslim, and Serene, who is Christian, listening to big-name religious leaders hailing from all around the world is both “inspiring” and “refreshing”.
American Islamic speaker and author Yasmin Mogahed, for instance, offers insights on spiritual enlightenment and personal development – “a combination that speaks to many young Muslims”, as Sarah explains.
And Serene recalls a worship and songwriting conference she attended last year, which featured California-based pastor Dan McCollam. “It’s encouraging to hear from fellow believers who practice their faith and serve God in a different culture, but with the same love for Jesus Christ,” she said.
The reputation and popularity of such foreign preachers lends greater credibility, authority and prestige to the experience of hearing them “live” here, said anthropologist Lai Ah Eng, a researcher at the National University of Singapore who has authored several books on religion.
But to do so they must first be screened by the Government – a process under the microscope recently, after alleged anti-Islamic comments made in Singapore last month by Lou Engle, a Christian preacher from the US.
The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) is investigating the matter and Singapore police have requested Mr Engle to return to the country for an interview. Cornerstone Community Church, which invited Mr Engle to Singapore, has apologised to local Muslim leaders and promised he would not be asked here again.
Foreigners who wish to preach in Singapore must obtain a pass from the manpower ministry, which consults relevant agencies before granting approval, said MHA.
“From a security perspective, MHA will assess inter alia whether the foreigner concerned has attracted adverse security attention previously, or is known to have espoused radical teachings, for example, advocating violence, or promoting segregationist and intolerant teachings that are inimical to Singapore’s multi-racial, multi-religious society,” the ministry told Channel NewsAsia.
SHOULD RULES BE TIGHTENED?
Last year, two Christian and two Muslim foreign preachers were barred from speaking in Singapore.
When asked about the vetting process for foreign speakers, the National Council of Churches of Singapore (NCCS) pointed to an advisory issued last year reminding churches to exercise due diligence. This was reiterated in a statement released shortly after the Engle incident.
The Islamic Religious Council of Singapore referred to its comments on Cornerstone’s apology. It stressed at the time the need “to move on and look forward to a more constructive and healthy relationship” with other religions.
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Singapore, meanwhile, told Channel NewsAsia: “If indeed the Government has to tighten the rules to protect religious harmony, it should be because it wants to ensure that all will able to continue practising our faiths freely, without agitation from those who are insensitive to our environment and those who seek to spread falsehood under the guise of religious teachings.”
Asked if they thought the screening process should be more stringent, Serene said no while Sarah said it sufficed and was “fair”.
Dr Lai, however, suggested that there could be room to tighten the process. “It is not a free marketplace of ideas in the choice of bringing in speakers or in the mass gatherings of the converted,” she noted.
“But post-event action seems to help with damage control, where pre-event intelligence work falls short.”
MHA said that on top of assessments by various agencies, an advisory may be issued to the foreign religious preachers, through the bodies that have invited them, as a reminder.
If still found to have breached laws, foreign preachers will be subject to the Maintenance of Religious Harmony Act, the Sedition Act or the Penal Code. They may also be banned from future entry into Singapore.
The ministry added: “The Government regularly engages local religious leaders and communities across the different faiths … to foster inter-religious harmony and understanding generally, and what we need to pay attention in this regard.”
This was echoed by Dr Lai, who also stressed the importance of individuals’ critical thinking and action. But should the screening process fall short, then MHA might need to “directly monitor” religious speeches, she suggested.
“For example, instead of waiting for some reporter or person to complain, implement compulsory recordings which are also open to others interested. But this would be Big Brother power,” Dr Lai admitted.
American Christian preacher Lou Engle speaking at a conference in Singapore on Mar 13, 2018 (Photo: Kingdom Invasion Singapore Facebook page)
In Engle’s case, it was an article by online website Rice Media which brought attention to his remarks at the three-day Kingdom Invasion conference at Singapore Expo last month.
It was his third time speaking in Singapore – and this year, Cornerstone staff “forgot” to read Mr Engle the advisory on what not to say, said the church’s founder Pastor Yang Tuck Yoong.
Sarah acknowledged she had attended talks by foreign Islamic preachers which mentioned other religions. “Certain lectures are by nature prescriptive, hence there’s a tendency sometimes to compare,” she observed. “But you have to have a certain level of education … to be able to interpret things objectively, and that’s the tricky part.”
Meanwhile, Serene said tensions only arise “when external actors highlight differences with malicious intent”.
“For example, Islam and Christianity are monotheistic religions – each believes theirs is the only God. Theoretically, neither should be able to accept the existence of the other,” she said.
“But no one I know from either religion would interpret this fact as an insurmountable obstacle to making friends with those from the other religion. We accept it as something the other party is fully entitled to believe, just as we trust they would say the same about our faith.
“Most people I know have deep appreciation of someone who is committed to his or her faith, even if it’s a different religion to yours.”
