We have much to be proud of in how our forefathers dealt with race relations. There is little doubt that the country successfully navigated through the tumultuous post-independence period marred by deep tensions, distrust and riots. Much of the violence was kept at bay through public order, legislation and community leadership. For the last 54 years, the Singapore government has taken firm measures to promote racial harmony and social integration through a slew of policies and public campaigns. These measures account for much of the improvement in communal relations.
Read More >Mohamed Imran Mohamed Taib
Confronting Religious Extremism
One observable phenomenon sweeping the world today is the increasing religiously-aligned tensions and conflicts, where Christians and Muslims emerged as the most frequent targets of abuse from groups or individuals for “acts perceived as offensive or threatening to the majority faith”. Christians were the subject of harassment in 102 out of the 198 countries studied by the Pew Research Centre in 2014, while Muslims were harassed in 99 countries.
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