MAJLIS UGAMA ISLAM SINGAPURA

MAJLIS UGAMA ISLAM SINGAPURA:

(Provision of correct religious guidance to Muslim graduates and professionals): 12.

Mdm Ho Geok Choo asked the Minister for the Environment and Water Resources and Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs in light of the revelation that highly-educated Muslims are being lured into terrorism, what measures are being taken by the Majlis Ugama Islam Singapura to reach out and provide correct religious guidance to Muslim graduates and professionals.

The Minister for the Environment and Water Resources and Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs (Assoc. Prof. Dr Yaacob Ibrahim): Mr Speaker, Sir, Islam is a religion of peace and tolerance. It neither preaches nor condones aggression, violence and terrorism. Unfortunately, a small group of people has distorted the religion and has justified their acts of aggression in the name of Islam. In Singapore, our Muslim community is well-adjusted to life in a multi-religious and multi-racial society. Nonetheless, this is something we cannot take for granted. As an open economy which is well-

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connected to the world through channels such as the Internet and other media, the community must be mindful of negative influences and ideology. And the community must fortify itself from such influences.

Hence, religious development is central to the well-being of the Malay/Muslim community. MUIS, together with its many partners and stakeholders, has put in place a number of initiatives and programmes to ensure that Muslims lead a healthy religious life in Singapore, and that radical or extreme elements do not emerge in the community.

One key initiative is the Singapore Islamic Education System that MUIS has introduced. This is a system for part-time religious education. It has a progressive and inclusive curriculum, which helps to provide a strong religious foundation, based on the values and virtues of Islam. It also takes into account Singapore's multi-racial and multi-religious context, and that Singapore is a secular country.

MUIS has also put in place programmes that focus on the young. It has formed the Youth Development Cluster consisting of the Youth Education and the Youth Engagement Strategic Units. Through these units, MUIS will continue to actively engage youth via multiple channels and platforms, including both the traditional and new media. For example, MUIS has recently launched a youth-friendly website "INvoKe.SG", targeting both schooling youth and young adults aged 15 to 35. This is a platform for MUIS to engage our youth so that they can gain Islamic knowledge from the right sources.

To help young Muslims become more aware and be able to immunise themselves from radical or terrorist ideas and ideologies, MUIS' Youth Education Strategic Unit has been organising the "Building Resilient Youth" Seminars to highlight and

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discuss issues which the youth should be concerned about. The Unit also maintains an Internet-based enquiry service for our young. Through this platform, youth can ask any religious question anonymously, and get answers from authoritative sources in simple, easy to understand language.

MUIS has also set up the Students Resource Development Secretariat (SRDS) to keep in touch with students pursuing Islamic education overseas, and to help them stay connected to the developments in Singapore. This will help ensure that, upon their return, they are able to promote religious teachings that are relevant to Singapore's context.

MUIS has also established the Asatizah Recognition Scheme (ARS), which allows only credible and bona fide asatizahs (religious teachers) to teach in our mosques in Singapore. The ARS will help reassure the public of the credibility of our religious teachers. The Muslim community has accepted the religious teachers' directory as a trustworthy reference when they seek religious teachers. It is a safeguard against false teachers who preach self-serving beliefs. At the same time, MUIS is developing the local asatizahs by providing training to help them upgrade their skills and keep up with global developments.

When seeking religious knowledge, Muslims are encouraged to be guided by a qualified teacher. This applies to every Muslim, regardless of his educational background or social status. Hence, MUIS' efforts have focused on making available qualified religious instructors to guide the community, not only to be good Muslims but good citizens in a multi-racial and multi-religious context. At the same time, families must also play their part and be vigilant of the type of Islamic learning that their family members are seeking.

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Mdm Ho Geok Choo (West Coast): I would like to thank the Minister for the very comprehensive answer. I understand that the Singapore Islamic Education System (SIES) is actually focused on young children and youth. I am just wondering whether the Minister has any plans to tweak the SIES to appeal more to the graduates and the professionals.

Assoc. Prof. Dr Yaacob Ibrahim: Sir, the plans are in the pipeline. These will be rolled out progressively. As we learn from our experiences in dealing with young people and the youth, we roll out the plans to other target groups. There are plans for an adult education programme. But given that they are adults, perhaps the approach may be different, compared to the programme that we are rolling out to the young people.