When US President Donald Trump put a temporary travel ban on citizens of seven Muslim-majority countries, he “validated the feelings” of a significant segment of his voters, Home Affairs and Law Minister K. Shanmugam said yesterday.

Such anti-Islamic sentiments are also sweeping through other parts of the Western world, gaining significant support from the far right in countries such as France, the Netherlands and Germany, he noted.

This global trend, and recent regional events, can disrupt Singapore’s racial and religious harmony, he told a conference held by the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies and attended by religious leaders, students and academics.