The Singapore Eiduladha sermon released by the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore (Muis) has touched on opinions that can cause conflict within the Muslim community as well as opinions
which state that
Muslims cannot live in harmony with non-Muslims.
"Dear jemaah (Editor's note: congregation), do not let
the devil
stoke the flames of hatred
between us," notes the sermon, continuing on to say that opinions
which
are
more antagonistic
towards
non-Muslims are typically taken out of context.
"..we will find that those opinions and
fatwa were issued at a time when Muslims
were living in an
environment where there was conflict and tension,
and
in some
instances
during
times of war.
Those opinions are
hence
inappropriate to be applied in
Singapore where we live in peace
and have good relations with
followers of other faiths,"
the sermon adds.
The importance of the right teachers becomes paramount in such circumstances, which is why the scholars and senior asatizah (Editor's note: religious teachers) in Singapore, together with Muis
and
Pergas, set up
the Asatizah Recognition Scheme (ARS) more than 10 years
ago. The ARS enables those who wish to seek religious guidance to
identify asatizah who are trained and have the required skills
needed.
"It is hoped that with the accreditation system, ARS, the
integrity of the Islamic education institution in Singapore will be
safeguarded from irresponsible individuals who want to spread
religious perspectives that can be problematic or even deviant.
Besides that, we also need to take note of the content taught
during the religious classes
attended by our
children, as well
as
the
sources that they access online," stated the sermon.
Parents who notice that their children are talking about violence or supporting
certain factions are encouraged to get
immediate help from the local mosques, the Office of the Mufti or the Religious Rehabilitation Group (RRG).
Interested?
Read the complete sermon in English, Malay, Jawi or Tamil (PDF)
Read the Suroor Asia blog post about enhancements to the ARS