At a time of rising religiosity in the region, Singapore has to firmly protect its religious harmony, said an expert on inter-religious understanding yesterday.

Professor Julius Lipner told The Straits Times that various measures, such as barring foreign preachers who spread divisive messages from coming here and ensuring views on sensitive issues are aired responsibly, show the Government is very conscious of this fact.

Prof Lipner is a visiting fellow of the Studies in Inter-Religious Relations in Plural Societies Programme at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies.