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Be Moderate in Outlook, Singapore Muslims
By Kazi Mahmood, IslamOnline Correspondent
JAKARTA, Dec. 20 (IslamOnline) - Singapore Muslims should be moderate in their outlook, conscious of the situation around them and respond accordingly, advised Minister for Muslim Affairs Abdullah Tarmugi in his Eid al-Fitri speech earlier this week.
The Minister was joined by the Mufti of Singapore, Ustaz Syed Isa Mohammad Semait, who added that Islam embraced being moderate in all aspects of life.
Outgoing Minister Tarmugi, who will resign in March next year to take over the role of Speaker of Parliament, said by being moderate, Muslims did not have to become different people.
"This does not involve becoming a different people though," he said, adding that his advice refers to how Muslims can live in peace with the other races in Singapore, as well as move forward and progress.
"We don't live in a vacuum," he added. "The more you understand the reality, the more you are able to fit into it."
In Singapore, Muslims are free to practice Islam even though they have to abide to certain codes of conduct, which did not have anything to do with their external appearance.
The Minister's speech, commentators from the Muslim community in Singapore said, suggested that Muslims had to adopt a more restrained lifestyle and that "unofficially" there may be a ban on certain activities or outlook that may be imposed on Muslims.
However, the Minister was quick to add that moderation is the reality for the Muslim community as well as for all the ethnic communities in Singapore.
Tarmugi is also the Minister for Community Development and Sports. He will hand both the portfolios over to Associate Professor Yaacob Ibrahim, currently the Minister of State (Community Development and Sports).
Ibrahim is viewed as a rising star in local politics among Muslims. He is poised to hold higher positions in the Singaporean ministerial hierarchy in the future, IslamOnline was told.
Muslims form 15% of Singapore's population of four million, which is dominated by ethnic Chinese (80%).
Semait, in a message read out in all Singapore mosques on Eid, said Muslims should work for progress and development.
Ustaz Syed Isa also delivered a sermon at the Sultan Mosque during Eid prayers attended by ambassadors from several Muslim countries, Muslim MPs, community leaders and Singaporean Muslims.
In his sermon, the mufti spelled out what he meant by the word "moderation."
He said that it embraced being moderate in all aspects of life.
"We do not excessively chase the wealth of this world," said Ustaz Syed Isa. "And we do not excessively engage in matters of the soul until we forsake the gifts that Allah has granted us in this world. The rights of our body are that we look after our health, so that we do not fall sick from overeating and drinking."
To progress, Tarmugi said that the community must be up-to-date with the latest developments and remain positive in its outlook.
Workers must continue to upgrade their skills and arm themselves with knowledge, and parents must not let their children languish simply because they were weak in science, mathematics or English.
In a separate Hari Raya (Eid) message, Maarof Salleh, president of the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore, also touched on the importance of being relevant and up-to-date.
"We must be ready to change the way we think, plan and implement work that is no longer compatible with current needs," said Salleh. "We need to find new and creative ideas to update and make our strategies relevant."
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