Building cohesiveness through greater inter-religious understanding

Ambassador Kesavapany, President of the IRO

Excellencies

Community and Religious Leaders

Distinguished Guests

Ladies and Gentlemen

Introduction

1. A very good afternoon to all of you. It is my pleasure to join you once again on Inter-Religious Organisation or IRO Day. I would like to wish the IRO a very happy 69^th anniversary! 

Singapore is not immune to threats that may undermine our unity

2. IRO day is an occasion to celebrate the ideal of multi-racial and multi-religious harmony upon which our nation was built. Today, we pride ourselves to have the most religiously diverse society in the world¹, a richness that bears out in our everyday lives. Our religious festivals and cultural traditions are often celebrated by Singaporeans of all backgrounds. So it is not uncommon to see mosques distributing oranges and rice packs to residents before Chinese New Year. Or non-Muslims joining in the break-fast with their Muslim friends during Ramadan.

3. All of us know that this harmony does not happen by chance. Indeed, we are living in an era where religious and communal extremism, nativism and nationalism are on the rise. Segregationist beliefs and practices shrink our common spaces. Technological advancement can disrupt our way of life. These are forces that can pull our communities apart.

4. The recent Study on Social Capital in Singapore bythe Institute of Policy Studies tells us that it is important to foster social mixing as our society becomes more diverse. At MCCY, we will continue to expand the common space for interactions and shared experiences across different social groups, through dialogues and inclusive programmes. This is where we need your support, to work closely with us to strengthen and promote greater inter-religious understanding, and build a cohesive society, as you have done so in the last 7 decades.

Fostering closers ties through meaningful dialogue

5. In Singapore, the IRO is an important institution that symbolises our inter-religious solidarity. You have been providing a platform for those of different faiths to meet and learn about one another through talks, dialogues and community service projects. Through decades of work, you have built a lasting organisation, bridged our diverse faith communities, and engaged the public in promoting understanding.

6. Many IRO members are also plugged into local community networks; Inter-Racial and Religious Confidence Circles, or IRCC for short, and helped build relationships with other religious organisations at the local community level.

7. For example, a new initiative introduced by the IRO in its new term was to reach out to Singaporeans at various residential estates. The first programme under this initiative was a seminar in December last year, themed “Role of Religion in a Multi-Ethnic Society”. It was organised by the IRO, together with Nee Soon IRCC and Sree Narayana Mission. More than 200 persons attended the seminar, where prominent inter faith speakers shared their insights, followed by an interactive session with active audience engagement. I am happy to hear that the IRO will build on this successful engagement, and will continue to organise more seminars, and reach out to more Singaporeans.

8. The facilitation of such engagements and discussions is increasingly important today. Our people, particularly our youth, are interested in issues surrounding religious practices but do not know how or who to ask.

9. This was why we launched BRIDGE in March last year to enable understanding of religions and cultures through candid and in-depth conversations. Since its launch, more than 5,000 participants have taken part in a series of dialogues that are initiated from the ground. This year, we hope to grow the projects and expand outreach through social media, to facilitate more conversations among Singaporeans. We invite IRO members to support the BRIDGE programme.

10. I also urge the IRO to engage in community service projects. The SG Cares movement is a nationwide effort to encourage Singaporeans to step forward, volunteer and give back to society. Religion has been a tremendous force for good in Singapore. Religious communities can also build bonds across religious lines, by doing good together. Our IRCCs are doing their part for SG Cares, and working with religious organisations to organise social projects that help the vulnerable. In my division of Yuhua, Al-Mukminin Mosque joined hands with the Youth Executive Committee in delivering porridge to the homes of seniors during Ramadan. It is a meaningful project, allowing people of different races and religions to get to know one another through doing good together. I am certain that many such projects are taking place in many parts of Singapore. I call on you to make inter-faith and inter-communal understanding an objective of such projects, in other words, while you are doing these works, going about your social projects, and facilitate an appreciation for the shared values of compassion and service to mankind among the participants. You can do this by emphasising the similarities, the sameness despite the differences, and that together we have a common goal of doing good.

Conclusion

11. I thank the IRO for your service in strengthening our religious harmony over the last 69 years. Do continue your good work in proactively bringing people together. Your efforts bring us closer as one people, from a society where we merely tolerate one another’s differences, to a home where there is mutual understanding, respect and appreciation. We in MCCY appreciate what you are doing, would like to extend our gratitude for what you have done throughout the years, and we will continue to partner and support you.

12. Thank you.

¹ 2014 study by the US-based Pew Research named Singapore the most religiously diverse country in the world.