Islam in Singapore, multi-racial muslims Options

[Zainuddin Shariff]

I live in Singapore. Most muslims here are Malay with Indians and Chinese being the minorities. 80% of the populations are Chinese. The Malay muslim are quiet and perform their Islam uninhibited. Me as an Indian speak their language becoz i'm brought up among their communities. Most of my religious books on Islam are in Malay and there are plenty on any subject. (IMG:http://www.gawaher.com/style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[Sayyid]

How many chinese muslims who live singapore?

[Zainuddin Shariff]

How many chinese muslims who live singapore?

They are only a monority. Previously pagan or christian believers who then converted to Islam either thru inter-marriage or individual. Could'nt get the exact figures for u . Sorry. (IMG:http://www.gawaher.com/style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[Sayyid]

Salaam Alaikum!
Are you Malay?

[Anzi]

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Brother Zainuddin, do you care to describe more how Muslims practice Islam in Singapore? I heard that as minorities, the Malay Muslims were discriminated and 'exiled'. Because of this the bond between Muslims there are stronger and they are very supportive to each other. Is this true? Thx.

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[Alikhlas999]

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Salaam Alaikum!
Are you Malay?

Brother Zainuddin has said that he is ethnically Indian. Nothing wrong with that. (IMG:http://www.gawaher.com/style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)
BTW, I'm Malay.

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Brother Zainuddin, do you care to describe more how Muslims practice Islam in Singapore? I heard that as minorities, the Malay Muslims were discriminated and 'exiled'. Because of this the bond between Muslims there are stronger and they are very supportive to each other. Is this true? Thx.

  (IMG:http://www.gawaher.com/style_emoticons/default/sl.gif)

Yeah, I think that is the case in Singapore, even though there are many lapsed muslims. (IMG:http://www.gawaher.com/style_emoticons/default/no.gif)

:w:

[Introvert]

Are the Muslim South Asians and Malays devided or do you attend the same Masjids? What are the attitudes to the Hindus, Buddhists and Christians? How is it like to live under such strict 'tidy' laws?

[Alikhlas999]

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The sense of brotherhood is strong among Muslims regardless of ethnicity, there Masjids where you might find more people from a certain race but that's really a matter of the area demographics. Any Muslim, from any race, nationality, madhab, social background etc is welcome in all masjids in Malaysia. I suspect that the sense of brotherhood is more pervasive in Singapore as Muslims are the minority there. Ditto about the masjids in Singapore.

As for other faiths, there is a live and let live attitude. For example, hindus can have their processions in the streets. Muslims are okay with that as long as the procession doesn't disturb the ibadah of Muslims by passing close to a masjids (Hindu processions a are noisy affairs). But we like to get to gather to celebrate each others festivals by having open houses (where everyone is welcome) during Hari Raya (Eid), Diwali, Chinese New Year and Christmas. One thing I've learned is that no matter what religion you are, you eat yummy food during festivals. (w00t)

Malaysia too, has strict laws. They generally keep tabs on Masjids by monitoring khutbahs and ceramahs (talks). It's "to check for extremists" (read: to crush Islamic opposition before it rises). It's probably worse in Singapore. You can't even wear the hijab in school. (IMG:http://www.gawaher.com/style_emoticons/default/no.gif)

I hope those can answer your questions.

:w:

[Introvert]

In my counntry, Trinidad, it's also very similar with everyone celebrating each other festivals. In divali everyone goes to the hindu friend or family's homes and to hindu relgious sites and light the dias and eat indian food. Well in Trinidad most muslims r Indian decent so our food is generally indian too. But you have to be careful eating food from Hindus, they pray over it. I never went to a hindu religious site or go to hindu friends that much. The statues are creepy and jinns r all around...creepy...lol. a lot of people celebrate xmas also, which i really do not like cause i see my muslim bros and sis putting up xmas trees and stuff...

What i really meant was the strict tidy laws that Singapore has, like no gum, no spitting etc...kinda weird..

The malaysian goverment is american puppets also? I thought they were ok muslims...

[Anzi]

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The malaysian goverment is american puppets also? I thought they were ok muslims...

Actually all Islamic governments all over the world are not quite OK. The people wants Islam, yes. But the government are either too corrupted or too scared to implement Islam the right way. If they do, they'll be facing what Iran and Syria are facing today. (IMG:http://www.gawaher.com/style_emoticons/default/sad.gif)

Concerning the celebration. Yes Malaysians celebrate all sorts of festivals. Although Malaysia is a Muslim country, we do have holiday on each event and celebrate both Eid, X-Mas, Chinese New Year, Deepavali and lot more!! The sad part is Muslims here celebrate non-Islamic festivals which is actually haram! Muslims are not even allowed to wish Happy X-Mas and stuffs let alone celebrate it. (IMG:http://www.gawaher.com/style_emoticons/default/as.gif) May God guide us all.

:w:

[Sayyid]

Iam very please to meet you!

[Zainuddin Shariff]

Salaam Alaikum!
Are you Malay?

Wa'alaikum salam brother. I'm indian muslim. My father is from India migrated to singapore.
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This post has been edited by Zainuddin Shariff: Nov 21 2004, 03:44 PM

[Zainuddin Shariff]

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Brother Zainuddin, do you care to describe more how Muslims practice Islam in Singapore? I heard that as minorities, the Malay Muslims were discriminated and 'exiled'. Because of this the bond between Muslims there are stronger and they are very supportive to each other. Is this true? Thx.

أ‚آ  (IMG:http://www.gawaher.com/style_emoticons/default/sl.gif)

Discrimination against muslim existed globaly not only in Singapore. Mojarity of the muslim here are Malays of the Shaf'ie school of thoughts. Indians are Hanafis. I personally dont follow any madzhabs but am a member of the Muhammadiyah
group where we proclaimed that we followed the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad s.a.w.

Among ourselves we mingled like brothers would and do not allowed the differences in opinions step in the way. We prayed in the same moques under one imam and overall we are a peaceful ppl. We do have madrasahs in Singapore and effort are being made to improve upon it.

Singapore is a peaceful country and we like it to remained so. U don't see peaceful protest, strikes or anything of the sort in Singapore. U'll go to jail if u do that. We do have opposition islamic parties but overall they are weak without much support. They don't have any calibre candidate and furthermore the majority of the population are non-muslims.

But there was a time where they succeeded in getting huge votes from the Malays but as yrs go by their support dwindled. We did manage to get one muslim bro from oppositon party not from the Islamic group but he did'nt last long. His party lost in the following general elections.

The muslims in Singapore are strong in their faith. We are allowed to practice our religion freely. But we are not combative compared to other countries. Combative not in a violence sense but voicing out our disagreements aloud.

The govt knew eventhough we are the quiet type we are not dead methaphorically
speaking. (IMG:http://www.gawaher.com/style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

This post has been edited by Zainuddin Shariff: Nov 21 2004, 04:16 PM

[Sharifah]

Assalamualaikum

Malaysia too, has strict laws. They generally keep tabs on Masjids by monitoring khutbahs and ceramahs (talks). It's "to check for extremists" (read: to crush Islamic opposition before it rises). It's probably worse in Singapore. You can't even wear the hijab in school.

Malaysia has strict laws in Islam? Heheheh.. Its not like that actually. Malaysia government is now trying to change Islam brought by Prophet SAW.

For them, Islam that we all wanted is Islam that allowed boy and girl dancing and singing together on a stage. Dr. Rais Yatim said, this is what we are looking for all this time.. New and modern Islam... Huh... Islam Hadhari brought by them is nothing at all!!

And one thing, islamic schools are forbidden here if it is not under government..

[Introvert]

That's really messed up, i thought Malaysia was a good muslim country. My friends who visit there say how if a non muslim man touches a muslim girl he must convert to Islam. I know he exgagerated it, but i told him boy and girl relationships is very controlled in Islam and it's quite normal to me. So I always thought that Muslims in Malaysia are very good muslims. The ones i have met are very nice.
Anyhow, isn't this about singapore? (IMG:http://www.gawaher.com/style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[gsxk]

In my opinion, in Singapore, the muslims here are wide ranging. Some are very religious, some think they are religious, some are disobeying Allah and some don't even want to obey Allah.

As an illustration, for a modern society, you could see some ladies wearing niqab. One of our member of parliament puts on a headscarf. Not an easy thing to do but these ladies have the courage and taqwa to do so. At the same time, you could also see some young muslimin wearing the muslim cap going on a date with a young muslimah wearing fanciful hijab. Then, there are those who drink alcohol openly, some quietly ... or engaged in pre-marital sex and proud of it. Some do not do prayers. During my national service days, out of a cohort of 20 muslimins, only 5 do their prayers regularly.

So, if the government here do not understand Islam, it is probably because the Muslims here are confusing them. I stand to be corrected. I hope i did not paint too bad a picture but that's how i see life here. It's a mix. Some are concern about religion, some are concern about their "own religion" and some could not be bothered.

With regards to Malaysia, i think the situation is similar to Singapore... and that's an opinion from someone who only lives in Malaysia during the weekend.

[worldpeace]

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Brother Zainuddin, do you care to describe more how Muslims practice Islam in Singapore? I heard that as minorities, the Malay Muslims were discriminated and 'exiled'. Because of this the bond between Muslims there are stronger and they are very supportive to each other. Is this true? Thx.

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Anzi where did you get this from? Malay Muslims were discriminated? NO they wouldn't ...If they had been they wouldn't have voted for the government again and again since the time when Singapore was still a part of Malaysia. Bonds among muslims are strong ...yes but bonds among chinese indians and malays are equally strong.

You seem to have heard new "truth" from someone who is actually misleading you...

[worldpeace]

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Malaysia too, has strict laws. They generally keep tabs on Masjids by monitoring khutbahs and ceramahs (talks). It's "to check for extremists" (read: to crush Islamic opposition before it rises). It's probably worse in Singapore. You can't even wear the hijab in school.  (IMG:############gawaher######/style_emoticons/default/no.gif)

I hope those can answer your questions.

:w:

Alikhlas your knowledge(forgive me if you view it as being offensive)on this is too brief.

In SIngapore do your know why one cannot wear the tudung?This is to promote more mingling among races. We wouldn't want to see our differences. As you know SIngapore is a multi racial society.We are very vulnerable to religious and racial violence. YOu seem to be very unhappy that muslims aint allowed to wear the tudung in school in singapore are you?

oh btw, in malaysia too, it is a multi racial society.and although the government try to keep out religious symbol from school, wearing of tudung/songkok/sikh turbun are allowed. extremism is a very serious issue and it is no secret that malaysia wants to be the model for all Islamic countries. with Islam hadhari, malaysia can be a truely cosmopolitan/developed with all the races muslims and non muslims alike coexiting together peacefully...i can tell you that i am a supporter of barisan nasional(BN) not parti Islam se malaysia(PAS).u?

[Alikhlas999]

Alikhlas your knowledge(forgive me if you view it as being offensive)on this is too brief.

In SIngapore do your know why one cannot wear the tudung?This is to promote more mingling among races. We wouldn't want to see our differences. As you know SIngapore is a multi racial society.We are very vulnerable to religious and racial violence. YOu seem to be very unhappy that muslims aint allowed to wear the tudung in school in singapore are you?

oh btw, in malaysia too, it is a multi racial society.and although the government try to keep out religious symbol from school, wearing of tudung/songkok/sikh turbun are allowed. extremism is a very serious issue and it is no secret that malaysia wants to be the model for all islamic countries. with Islam hadhari, malaysia can be a truely cosmopolitan/developed with all the races muslims and non muslims alike coexiting together peacefully...i can tell you that i am a supporter of barisan nasional(BN) not parti Islam se malaysia(PAS).u?

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worldpeace, this justification for denying girls the right to cover up deprives them of their fundamental freedom of worship. In any case, your government's application of this policy is inconsistent, if Sikh boys can go to school with turbans, why can Muslim girls wear the tudung. The tudung is not an expression of religious allegiance or identification like wearing a cross or a Jewish kippa, it is a religious obligation upon every Muslim female.

Rules regarding Muslim women's (and men's) attire are derived from
the Quran, Islam's revealed text, and the traditions (hadith) of the
Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). In the Quran, God states: "Say
to the believing men that they should lower their gaze and guard their
modesty...And say to the believing women that they should lower their
gaze and guard their modesty; that they should not display their beauty
and adornments except what (must ordinarily) appear thereof; that they
should draw their veils over their bosoms and not display their beauty
except to their husbands, their fathers...(a list of exceptions)"
[Chapter 24, verses 30-31] Also, "O Prophet! Tell thy wives and
daughters, and the believing women, that they should cast their outer
garments over their persons...that they should be known and not
molested." [Chapter 33, verse 59]

In one tradition, the Prophet Muhammad is quoted as saying: "...If the
woman reaches the age of puberty, no part of her body should be seen but
this --- and he pointed to his face and hands."

From these and other references, the vast majority of Muslim scholars
and jurists, past and present, have determined the minimum requirements
for Muslim women's dress: 1) Clothing must cover the entire body, with
the exception of the face and the hands. 2) The attire should not be
form fitting, sheer or so eye-catching as to attract undue attention or
reveal the shape of the body.

To deprive Muslim girls their religion will only alienate them further and only make them more "extremist" in their views. Your government is playing with fire and sooner or later, they will get burned.

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[worldpeace]

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worldpeace, this justification for denying girls the right to cover up deprives them of their fundamental freedom of worship. In any case, your government's application of this policy is inconsistent, if Sikh boys can go to school with turbans, why can Muslim girls wear the tudung. The tudung is not an expression of religious allegiance or identification like wearing a cross or a Jewish kippa, it is a religious obligation upon every Muslim female.

              Rules regarding Muslim women's (and men's) attire are derived from
              the Quran, Islam's revealed text, and the traditions (hadith) of the
              Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). In the Quran, God states: "Say       
              to the believing men that they should lower their gaze and guard their
              modesty...And say to the believing women that they should lower their
              gaze and guard their modesty; that they should not display their beauty
              and adornments except what (must ordinarily) appear thereof; that they
              should draw their veils over their bosoms and not display their beauty
              except to their husbands, their fathers...(a list of exceptions)"
              [Chapter 24, verses 30-31] Also, "O Prophet! Tell thy wives and
              daughters, and the believing women, that they should cast their outer
              garments over their persons...that they should be known and not
              molested." [Chapter 33, verse 59]

              In one tradition, the Prophet Muhammad is quoted as saying: "...If the
              woman reaches the age of puberty, no part of her body should be seen but
              this --- and he pointed to his face and hands."

              From these and other references, the vast majority of Muslim scholars
              and jurists, past and present, have determined the minimum requirements
              for Muslim women's dress: 1) Clothing must cover the entire body, with
              the exception of the face and the hands. 2) The attire should not be
              form fitting, sheer or so eye-catching as to attract undue attention or
              reveal the shape of the body.

To deprive Muslim girls their religion will only alienate them further and only make them more "extremist" in their views. Your government is playing with fire and sooner or later, they will get burned.

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SEE YOU DON'T EVEN UNDERSTAND WHAT IS GOING ON AND YOU DARE...YOU DARE TO COMMENT. i am going to be using very strong words later because i feel that you are very ignorance and you are giving baseless comments.(forgive me if this offends you)

THE GOVERNMENT DIDN'T DEPRIVE THEM OF THEIR WORSHIP.IF THEY WANTED THEY COULD GO TO MADRASAH WHERE THEY COULD WEAR THE TUDUNG FOR ALL THEY WANT .AND THEY COULD STILL ATTEND NATIONAL EDUCATION THAT ARE FUNDED BY THE GOVERNMENT!SEE...BY WHY DOES parents choose to send their child to national school?in order to allow their child to mingle with other races and this is VERY IMPT In multi racial SIngapore. and contrary to WHAT YOU KNOW!!!!the father of the girls who wanted his girls to wear a tudung was a politician.he had more political motives than religious ones.and as you pointed out, the girls haven't even reached puberty. it is very very clear that the father is creating trouble.

Firstly, the sikh were allowed to wear their turbans way back in colonial times and so this practice have continued.

THE SINGAPORE GOVERNEMTN ISN'T playing with fire and you ARE AN EXTREMISTS...building a nation isn't easy but singapore(chinese malays indians) managed to overcome different and various difficult obstacles to achieve their success...we have overcame riots between chinese and malay muslims and now everybody is living in peace. there is freedom of wordship in singapore and every one is free to choose in democratic secular singapore.PLEASE STOP THIS SAYING THAT MUSLIMS ARE BEING OPPRESSED WHEN THEY ARE CLEARLY NOT...

money has been given to build more and more Masjids in singapore.in singapore, normally when a new place of worship is being built the old one is being torned down.but the case isn't the same for most Masjids...very often temples/churches are demolished when brand new ones are built...why don't you say that the gov support Islam?PLEASE DON'T look at things from one angle and ASSUME that muslims are discriminated or whatsoever.

I am VERY THANKFUL to Allah that muslims are educated and intelligent and they know what is right and what is wrong.they know who has been causing trouble. I think you seriously need to come to singapore to understand what is happening in singapore before you give baseless comments...or visit muis...please contatct me or repy wot this if possible