On 23 December 2023, Reverend Dr Munther Isaac delivered the Christmas eve sermon at the pulpit of the Evangelical Lutheran Christmas Church in Bethlehem, West Bank[1];. In his stirring address, he said “If Jesus were born today, he would be born under the rubble in Gaza. […] Born among the occupied and marginalised. He is in solidarity with us in our pain and brokenness.” Representing the Palestinian Christian community, Rev. Munther expressed his unwavering solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza, regardless of faith. He criticised how leaders around the world had […]
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Role of Singapore Muslims During the Ottoman-Balkan Wars
In the early 18th century to the end of the 20th century, with the rise of the Industrial Revolution, colonial powers such as the Great Britain, France and Russia started to expand their power to other regions such as Asia and Africa through colonisation. Their main goal was to search for wealth abroad and extract the resources there to expand their economical markets and influences on other regions.
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Social Media = Social Change?: The Benefits and Pitfalls of ‘Slacktivism’
It is a familiar enough situation to many who spend enough time online (which is probably too many of us). A controversy or conflict arises and within days, hashtags are created, profile pictures are changed and statuses are updated to ‘bring awareness’ to a cause.
With much of human communication happening over the internet over the past couple of decades, it is only natural that activism too has moved into the online space. Yet such form of raising awareness has often been described pejoratively as ‘slacktivism’ or ‘clicktivism’ – a ‘lazy’ form of activism that asks little of its participants and affects little change in the real world.
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Hagia Sophia and Its Multiple Lives
In July 2020, Turkish President Erdogan surprised nearly everyone with his decision to annul a 1934 bill converting the Hagia Sophia into a museum and instead reinstated the space as a functioning mosque. The transition was quick: the announcement to do so was done on July 10, and within two weeks, the building reopened its doors to host Friday prayers attended by Erdogan, top government officials, and around 350,000 congregants.
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BLM Movement Around the World and in Singapore: Reflections on Struggle and Solidarity
On 25 May 2020, George Floyd was unjustly killed by a white police officer in Minneapolis, United States. The impact of his death reverberated across the country and the globe, from Sri Lanka to Spain and South Korea to Senegal. All over the world, people took to the streets – for the most part, peacefully – to demonstrate solidarity with Floyd, and the larger Black community in the United States.
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Intellectual Rigour in Islamic History: A Lesson for 21st Century Malaysian Muslims
The growing pains of political transition after a general election is a common occurrence in many societies. Malaysia is no exception. A year after the overthrow of the Barisan Nasional (BN), the more “democratic” coalition of Pakatan Harapan (PH) is not without its harsh critiques. There are rising tensions due to PH’s capitulation to far-right Malay/Muslim sentiments.
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A Singaporean’s Perspective on Fostering Inter-Religious Relations in Malaysia
Interfaith relations are perhaps one of the most visible barometers one could use to assess a country’s state of social harmony.This is because of the difficulty entailed in administering a country where individuals who have different religious beliefs literally live side by side. With a population comprising 68.6% bumiputras, 23.4% Chinese and 8% of other ethnic groups, Malaysia is one such country[1].
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Thai Cave Rescue: Lessons on Humanity
Switching on the television and catching a glimpse of the news might make some people be sceptical of humanity. However, from time to time, the human race reminds us how it is like to be united. Earlier this June, the story of twelve schoolboys and their football coach from Thailand’s rural north caught the attention of the whole world. Millions were glued to their screens as the world went on an emotional rollercoaster ride. Everyone waited for developments of the boys, hoping for good news to be shared.
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