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| Southeast Asia |
| Controlling Muslim unrest in Singapore will lead to more unrest? |
| 2002-09-20 |
| Singaporean Muslim activist Zulfikar Mohamad Shariff urged the Singapore government to be more sensitive in dealing with Islamic-related issues and to avoid taking extreme actions deemed insulting to the Muslims in the republic. Extreme actions like arresting them when they form terrorist groups, he means. He said the arrests of 21 Muslims under Internal Security Act (ISA) on Monday while the community was still reeling from the tudung (headscarf) and restriction on Islamic education controversy had created more unrest. "The arrests puts the community on the defensive. It makes certain sections of the community feel it is necessary to repair the image of Islam. It is a good time for the government to act magnanimous." "Repairing the image of Islam" could, in some people's minds, be accomplished by acting like good citizens. I don't think that's what he has in mind... Zulfikar fled to Melbourne, Australia in July alleging that the Singapore government was out to persecute him for his beliefs. They wouldn't let him cut anybody's head off? |
| Posted by:Fred Pruitt |