Religion as a force for good and a tool for terror is a phenomenon with a long history and, yesterday, Home Affairs Minister K. Shanmugam dug deep into the past to show the evil that men do today is not unique to any organised faith.

Whether it is the Christian Crusades in the Middle Ages, the conquests of the Muslim Mughals on the Indian sub-continent between the 16th and 19th centuries, or the Hindu-Muslim-Buddhist conflicts in Asia in more recent decades, their justification boils down to one factor: religion.

While religion did play its part, often it is just a vehicle and an excuse to achieve very old human urges, said Mr Shanmugam, who is also the Law Minister.

“Look closely and you may often see the real reason for the conflict was the basic human lust for power, profit, control of people and lands,” he said in a speech to open a symposium that explores how religion can expand the common space for all.

The two-day meeting attended by more than 500 people, including religious and community leaders, is organised by the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies.