Working towards stronger inter-faith ties

Mr Rustom Ghadiali

President IRO

Ambassadors

Excellencies

Honourable Religious Leaders

Ladies and Gentlemen

1. It is indeed my pleasure to be here with you this afternoon to mark the 68^th Anniversary of the founding of the Inter-Religious Organisation, Singapore. To see such a diverse group of individuals gathered here truly bears testament to the ideal of religious harmony which IRO symbolises.

2. The Pew Research Centre ranks Singapore as the most religiously diverse country in the world, but we are also one of the most harmonious in terms of inter-religious relations, and not by chance. A multi-racial, multi-religious society has been, and will continue to be, a fundamental ideal upon which our nation is built.

3. The IRO is thus an important institution that helps Singapore build upon this ideal, through the promotion of positive and harmonious interactions among people of different faiths. When the IRO was established nearly 70 years ago, even the idea of members and leaders of different faiths gathering and meeting together was largely unheard of.

4. Today, the IRO is a symbol of inter-religious solidarity.  There is strength in the symbolism of representatives from the different faiths standing together, your presence here is a very strong testament and commitment to inter-faith harmony.  This symbolism – of people of different communities united by a common purpose, working together for the future – is, in fact, at the core of the Singapore identity.

5. Beyond the joint prayer services, IRO is also an active promoter of inter-religious understanding.  It offers a platform for members of different faiths to learn of one another through publications, talks, as well as inter-faith dialogues and charity projects. The Harmony in Diversity Gallery is an idea first mooted by the youth wing of IRO. It was later developed into its current form by the Ministry of Home Affairs in collaboration with IRO and other community partners. It has contributed to the engagement of the wider public in furthering religious understanding.

6. With your expertise in inter-faith work in Singapore, I hope that the IRO will be an instrumental partner to my Ministry, because we are very keen to deepen religious understanding. We look forward to work with all of you, to create opportunities and safe spaces for engagement on sensitive questions. Questions that we have, but are too afraid to answer.  I hope that this current generation of dedicated and committed leaders of the IRO will continue, just as the IRO's founders, to build a strong and vibrant organisation.

7. The importance of building bridges and bonds across the different faith communities in our society cannot be overstated. At a time where the threat of self-radicalisation and ISIS pose challenges to the harmony and stability of our social fabric, it is important that we continue to build strong relations of trust in peacetime.  It will enable us to stay resilient when crisis strikes.

8. Towards this end, IRO is a member of the National Steering Committee on Racial and Religious Harmony since 2008. It is a network of apex leaders from various ethnic and religious groups who meet regularly and formulate strategies to strengthen community cohesion.  Many IRO members are similarly plugged into local-level networks, or Inter-Racial and Religious Confidence Circles, or IRCCs.  In fact, IRCC just had a family day yesterday, where I met many of you. So indeed, you have really devoted a lot of your time to inter-faith work. Collectively, these networks help to connect communities.  Recently my Ministry has started to establish the SGSecure Community Network (SGCN), intended to connect with all religious organisations to the SGSecure movement. Under this framework of SGSecure, MCCY, IRO, and all the religious leaders play a very important part in keeping our community united in times of crises. This will ensure that our religious leaders are better prepared to protect their members and help the larger community should a terror attack strike.  It's also about preparing places of worship on their own, to prepare for crises, prepare for evacuation, and prepare for recovery. For all religious leaders here who have not thought of crises planning at your own place of worship, I would strongly encourage you to do so. Please do not be worried if you do not know how to start, MHA and MCCY will be here to provide guidelines and whatever resources to help you.

9. IRO's experience in facilitating deep discussions between communities of different faiths is an invaluable resource that is particularly needed now. Our people, particularly our youths, are interested in everyday issues of religious practice but are afraid to ask. For real respect to develop between different faiths, we have to go beyond just tolerance – for respect to happen you need understanding. Our young people who are very inquisitive, are questioning why we should just look at racial harmony which our forefathers did. They want to go further beyond the mantra of protecting religious harmony. They want to ask questions and we want to facilitate those questions to be answered in a safe space.  IRO can bridge this gap – it can equip them with the necessary knowledge by driving these difficult conversations. It is only through building the capacity of our people to engage in deeper conversation that our society can move beyond a mere 'tolerance' of differences, to one of respect and appreciation. I believe the IRO leadership will rise up to this challenge. MCCY will work with you and support you in this important area of work.

10. On this note, I'd like to thank the IRO for your service in strengthening Singapore's inter-religious harmony in the past 68 years. May you remain steadfast and successful in your efforts and continue to play this important, constructive role in Singapore. Last but not least, I would like to thank every single one of you for being here today. Times like these make us reflect how important peace and harmony is for all of us. It is not by chance that we have this beautiful harmony, it is really your work that has made this all possible.

11. Thank you very much. I wish you a pleasant day ahead.