Singapore
Pastor Yang Tuck Yoong’s Cornerstone Community Church had invited the American Christian personality Lou Engle to speak at a Singapore event in March.
Pastor Yang Tuck Yoong from Cornerstone Community Church (left) with Mufti of Singapore, Dr Fatris Bakaram. (Photo: Justin Ong)
SINGAPORE: A local pastor apologised to Muslim leaders on Wednesday (Apr 4) over alleged anti-Islamic comments made by a foreign Christian preacher in Singapore last month.
Pastor Yang Tuck Yoong is the founder of Cornerstone Community Church, which organised the conference at which American Lou Engle was accused by an online publication of threatening “a Christian-Muslim divide” in his speech.
The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) is investigating these claims and Cornerstone had filed a police report on the article.
Addressing a group of Muslim community leaders which included Singapore’s Mufti, Dr Fatris Bakaram, Mr Yang promised that Mr Engle would not be invited back to Singapore again.
“We came to apologise and to make right amongst the communities. We understand that the statements were quite hurtful to quite a few people,” Mr Yang told reporters after the meeting. “We were disappointed with the statements (made by Mr Engle).”
He added: “We should have been more stringent in our due diligence, we should have gone back further to check a bit more on his background.”
The Mufti said that the apology was sincere and Muslim leaders want to move on and look forward to more constructive and healthy relationships with other religions.
Mr Engle – who was speaking in Singapore for the third time – is known for airing his anti-gay views in the US and overseas. At a 2010 rally in Uganda, he spoke in support of the government’s efforts to criminalise homosexuality.
In response to media queries, police said Mr Engle left Singapore shortly after the conference ended. “The police have requested him to come back to Singapore for an interview. As investigations are ongoing, we are unable to comment further,” they added.
Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs Yaacob Ibrahim said he appreciates that Mr Yang has apologised and taken responsibility for inviting Mr Engle to preach in Singapore.
“Words matter, and words that sow discord and ill will among the various communities have no place in Singapore,” Dr Yaacob said in a Facebook post.
“Our willingness to forgive reflects the Singapore way, and what is important is that we continue to uphold mutual respect and harmony for our common good.”
Pastor Yang’s apology comes a year after an imam, Nalla Mohamed Abdul Jameel Abdul Malik, also said sorry to leaders of different faiths for stating: “Grant us help against the Jews and the Christians”.
The Indian national, who had been working in Singapore for seven years, was fined S$4,000 and repatriated. This was reported as the first local instance of a religious leader being prosecuted for an inappropriate sermon.
