Religious Leaders must Champion Integration: Shanmugam

TODAY

02 February 2017

While the Republic has managed to avoid the sort of backlash against minorities that the populism sweeping some Western countries has wrought, it would be dangerous to assume such things could never happen here, warned Minister for Home Affairs K Shanmugam yesterday.

He called on religious leaders to play a role, not just in promoting their respective religions but in advocating and working at enlarging the common space. They should push back against polarisation and champion the cause of integration and interaction, rather than create greater differences, he added.

Mr Shanmugam noted that, given the stark racial demographics in Singapore, majoritarianism could easily take hold unless the Government and the majority continue to commit to not engage in racial politics.

… Speaking at a symposium organised by the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies centering on religion, conflict and peacebuilding, Mr Shanmugam noted that he was not originally scheduled to speak.

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