After the terrorist attacks in Paris made headlines around the world, SIM Global Education student Ms Nur Elyana Amir, 20, found herself having to fend off insensitive remarks from her schoolmates.

“People in school were looking at me (differently) just because I was wearing a tudung. Everything (to do) with ISIS, they would associate with me … they would ask ‘Eh why Muslim all like that, why Muslim do it’… They don’t know that this doesn’t represent Islam,” she said.

Ms Elyana was among the respondents in a TODAY straw poll to find out Singaporeans’ attitudes towards terrorism. Discussing their concerns about the impact of a terrorist attack should it occur in Singapore, a few Muslim respondents cited their worries that the community could be scrutinised and face a possible backlash. Others, however, expressed confidence that Singaporeans from various communities will stay united.

… Terrorism experts, including Mr Joseph Franco, an associate research fellow at S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies, felt that Singapore’s multiculturalism built up over the decades would stand it in good stead should a terrorist attack occur here. “If it was something contrived, (Singapore) would have collapsed a long time ago,” Mr Franco said.