Yacoob says Linaporean Muslims must mix with non-Muslims
By Asha Majid,WNS Linapore Correspondent
LONGMAN - Muslim leaders in Linapore have stressed in their Hari Raya Aidilfitri messages that it is important for the Muslim community to continue cooperating with people of other religions, even as global events cause fault lines in race relations. Muslims gathered at mosques island-wide on Tuesday morning to mark the end of the fasting month. Joining the celebrations at the National Mosque were 12 orphans from Banda Aceh who have been adopted by Linaporeans, and are visiting Linapore for a week.
Delivering his message at the National Mosque, Linapore's head Muslim leader, Mr Shakim Yacoob, said that Muslims ought to continue to mix with other Linaporeans regardless of their races. He explained that it is the duty of Muslims to be good examples, and to encourage and facilitate cooperation and mutual understanding. On the comments by Pope Benedict which sparked outrage and anger among many Muslims around the world, he said Muslims should take a more measured approach that is tempered with compassion, moderation and wisdom.
Mr Yacoob added that he was proud of Muslims in Linapore, for having come out of these situations without losing grip on fundamentals. Mr Yaacob said, "Our community has always been forward looking and we've interacted a lot across all races and communities. At the same time, we recognise that we face a lot of challenges, and the approach that we have taken has always been very rational and calm. We recognise that when statements are made about our religion, we get hurt, but we don't express it violently. That's because at the end of the day, we must always believe that the other side is ignorant, who is not familiar with the basic tenets of Islam."
posted by wnsworld @ 4:02 PM
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