Never allow divisive rhetoric to erode mutual respect and unity, says Faishal Ibrahim: Singapore live news
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. According to the Straits Times, he warned against allowing such divisive rhetoric to erode Singapore's hard-earned spirit of mutual respect and unity.
Read more in our live blog below, including the latest local and international news and updates.
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. According to the Straits Times, he warned against allowing such divisive rhetoric to erode Singapore's hard-earned spirit of mutual respect and unity.
In a Facebook post on Friday (23 May), Halimah said that being silent on the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza "makes us complicit" in the violation of humanitarian laws. "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," she said.
In response, Facebook page Critical Spectator, run by Polish national Michael Petraeus, said Halimah 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," the post, put out on Friday, said. It cited situations in places such as Sudan, Libya, Yemen and Myanmar.
"And yet I've tried searching if Madam Halimah expressed her horror and grief about the torment of millions of people in these and other countries – and I, sadly, found nothing."
Read more about the incident and comments here.
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. According to the Straits Times, he warned against allowing such divisive rhetoric to erode Singapore's hard-earned spirit of mutual respect and unity.
In a Facebook post on Friday (23 May), Halimah said that being silent on the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza "makes us complicit" in the violation of humanitarian laws. "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," she said.
In response, Facebook page Critical Spectator, run by Polish national Michael Petraeus, said Halimah 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," the post, put out on Friday, said. It cited situations in places such as Sudan, Libya, Yemen and Myanmar.
"And yet I've tried searching if Madam Halimah expressed her horror and grief about the torment of millions of people in these and other countries – and I, sadly, found nothing."
Read more about the incident and comments here.
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