Three publications gazetted as prohibited publications in Singapore

Source: Muis. The banned

S. Iswaran, the Singapore Minister for Communications and Information, has gazetted three publications as prohibited publications under the Undesirable Publications Act, effective 21 November 2018 following recommendations from the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore (Muis) that they be restricted from circulation in the country.

"Muis found that the publications advocate problematic and extremist views that promote enmity and hatred between Muslims and others, and encourage a culture of violence," the organisation said in a statement.

Those who are in possession of these materials should hand them to the police.

According to the Ministry of Communications and Information, the publications contain exclusivist or extremist religious views that promote enmity among different religious communities, with two publications also purveying divisive views against other groups within the same religion.

Such teachings and ideologies are detrimental to Singapore’s inter- and intra-racial and religious harmony and relations, the ministry stated. "The Singapore government has zero tolerance for individuals or publications which aim to incite hostility or violence among different religious groups, and has therefore decided to prohibit these publications," the ministry said in a statement.

It is an offence to distribute or possess prohibited publications. It is also an offence for any person to fail to deliver such a publication to the police. Those convicted of an offence could be liable to a fine, imprisonment or both.

Details:

The publications are: 

- Things that Nullify One’s Islaam by Shaykh al-Islaam Muhammad ibn ‘Abdil-Wahhaab, explained by Shaykh Saalih alFowzaan, 3rd edition, published by  TROID Publications, Canada, in 2013

- What Islam Is All About (Student Textbook) by Yahiya Emerick published by AS Noordeen in Malaysia 2007, and

- The Wisdom of Jihad by Abuhuraira Abdurrahman, published by Perniagaan Jahabersa, Malaysia, in 2000. 

According to Muis Things That Nullify One’s Islaam promotes hatred and animosity towards non-Muslims to the point of making it an obligation for a Muslim to be hostile to non-Muslims, while the author of the textbook accuses Muslim rulers of being hypocrites and slaves to the Christians and denigrates non-Muslims.

 

On The Wisdom of Jihad Muis commented, "Essentially, this book shares the same exclusivist and radical narratives as ISIS, and also glorifies a Muslim rebel group in the Philippines, the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF)."