Singapore Official Says Intolerant Religious Groups Not Welcome

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Singapore’s home minister said religious groups or foreign preachers who threaten the social fabric will not be welcomed in the country

“Freedom of religion is guaranteed under our constitution. But any religious group, whether registered or informal, that preaches values or promotes actions that are directly contrary to our social harmony, or threatens our safety, will be treated as a security risk,” K Shanmugam told parliament on Jan 28.

He added that foreign preachers will not be allowed in Singapore if their teachings are intolerant of other religious faiths and practices.

Shanmugam was responding to questions on whether informal religious groups are looked into for potential risks, and what controls exist for overseas religious leaders planning to visit Singapore.

Shanmugam said Singapore’s protocol is a “very straightforward and transparent one … and if [a preacher’s] teachings are contrary to our values, he will be denied.”

UCA News

The Union of Catholic Asian News (UCA News, UCAN) is the leading independent Catholic news source in Asia. A network of journalists and editors that spans East, South and Southeast Asia, UCA News has for four decades aimed to provide the most accurate and up-to-date news, feature, commentary and analysis, and multimedia content on social, political and religious developments that relate or are of interest to the Catholic Church in Asia.

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