Singapore talks to Muslim community on Syrian crisis

Singapore leaders have held talks with local Malay-Muslim community on the impact of the Syrian crisis amid reports that some Singaporeans, including an Indian origin man, are taking part in the conflict.
Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean and Minister-in-Charge for Muslim Affairs Yaacob Ibrahim held a closed-door dialogue with 60 community and religious leaders related to Syrian crisis, The Straits Times reported today.
Teo had said in the parliament this week that a handful of Muslims from Singapore were involved in the Syrian conflict.
They included Haja Fakkurudeen Usman Ali, a Singaporean citizen from India, who took his wife and three children to Syria.

Teo has reiterated concerns about the conflict's impact on security and social cohesion in Singapore.
He said the conflict has the potential to be worse than the Jemaah Islamiah threat of 2001 when members of the terror group were arrested on discovering their plans to attack targets in Singapore.

He also pointed out that radical ideology today can spread more quickly than in 2001 because of the Internet and social media.
Teo stressed that actions of a small group should not be seen as representative of the Malay-Muslim community.
"We need to understand that in Singapore all our communities believe in peace and harmony," he said.

Religious Rehabilitation Group co-chair Ustaz Hasbi Hassan pointed out the rebel's call for jihad "do not fulfill the teaching of Islam.
"This can lead to misunderstanding among Singaporean Muslims and also with non-Muslims. It can threaten the safety and harmony of our multi-racial and multi-religious society," Ustaz Hasbi said.
The Islamic Religious Council of Singapore has also roped in mosques, religious teachers and madrasas to explain the conflict to Muslims here and put things in perspective, according to the daily.