As Singaporeans become more religious, there are concerns that some segments of society are becoming more distant from others.

One strong antidote to this exclusive tendency, religious leaders said, lies in their followers reflecting on what their respective religions teach. This is crucial, they added yesterday at a conference on building inter-faith relations.

The leaders also called for more inter-faith dialogues to promote understanding, in the light of sectarian strife and terror attacks around the world.

Such moves will counter the threats posed by some young Muslims in Singapore distancing themselves from mainstream society, and Islamophobia. These threats were highlighted by Minister for Home Affairs and Law K. Shanmugam the day before when he opened the two-day symposium on religions held by the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies.