S'pore must never allow divisive rhetoric to erode mutual respect and unity: Faishal Ibrahim
S'pore must never allow divisive rhetoric to erode mutual respect and unity: Faishal Ibrahim
SINGAPORE - Acting Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs Faishal Ibrahim has expressed grave concern about remarks made by a Facebook page that former president Halimah Yacob is 'complicit' in a few humanitarian disasters, warning against allowing such divisive rhetoric to erode the mutual respect and unity built up in Singapore.
In a Facebook post on May 23, Madam Halimah said that being silent on the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza 'makes us complicit' in the violation of humanitarian laws.
She said the trickle of aid that is now entering Gaza following a three month-long blockade is far below what is needed to stop the ongoing starvation, and that more than 14,000 children have been killed by the Israel Defence Forces.
'Keeping quiet makes us complicit in the violations of international humanitarian laws and encourages similar aggressions elsewhere. Our world is all the poorer for it. Uphold humanity,' said Madam Halimah.
In response, Facebook page Critical Spectator said the former president is complicit in 'quite a few humanitarian disasters'.
'If 'keeping quiet' about Gaza 'makes us complicit' in the violations there it stands to reason that remaining silent about every other such crisis makes us complicit in it as well,' read a post by Critical Spectator on May 23, citing the situation in places such as Sudan, Libya, Yemen and Myanmar.
'And yet I've tried searching if Mdm Halimah expressed her horror and grief about the torment of millions of people in these and other countries - and I, sadly, found nothing.'
The post then went on to say: 'By her own words, then, the former president of Singapore is complicit in the ongoing starvation of up to 3.2 million children in Sudan alone, with close to 800,000 facing severe malnutrition... Looks like Mdm Halimah is complicit in quite a few humanitarian disasters.'
Critical Spectator is run by Polish national Michael Petraeus.
Condemning the post by Critical Spectator , Associate Professor Faishal said that while it is valid to draw attention to suffering elsewhere, 'we should reject any statement that minimises the suffering of Palestinians'.
In a Facebook post on May 23 , Prof Faishal said that like many Singaporeans, he has been following the recent developments in Gaza with a heavy heart. 'The immense suffering of innocent civilians, especially women and children, pains us all deeply.'
He said he shares Madam Halimah's sentiments, and has made his views public that Israel's actions in Gaza are 'oppressive and unacceptable'.
'Mdm Halimah is a deeply respected national figure. Her concern reflects the compassion and moral courage we know her for - and that many in our community share. We must not lose sight of our shared humanity, especially in times of crises,' said Prof Faishal.
He added that the Singapore government has not been silent on the conflict, and that it has consistently called for a humanitarian ceasefire and the protection of civilian lives, as well as supported the Palestinian people's right to a homeland.
Singapore has, for example, consistently voted in support of UN General Assembly resolutions that reject Israeli settlements in the West Bank, and also continues to support the Palestinian Authority in building capacity for eventual statehood through the Enhanced Technical Assistance Package, said Prof Faishal.
He added that Singapore and Singaporeans have collectively contributed over $19 million in aid to Gaza.
Prof Faishal noted that many in Singapore's Muslim community, as well as Singaporeans from all walks of life, continue to feel deeply about the tragedy unfolding in Palestine. 'That includes our former President, Mdm Halimah Yacob, whose views are widely respected across our communities,' he said.
'In times like these, we need more understanding, not division. We must never allow dismissive or divisive rhetoric - local or foreign - to erode the mutual respect and unity we have worked so hard to build in our multicultural society.'
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