Singapore PM Warns Religion Threatens Stability

http://www.nwasianweekly.com/2009/08/singapore-pm-warns-religion-threatens-stability/

This post is different from my my previous posts because it deals with an article about Singapore, rather than a left right issue. I think it is important to examine what is going on in other countries and think about how our knowledge is affected by the media. I feel that this article is very important to examine because it deals with some very important internal issues that Singapore faces. This article discusses that Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong recently discussed the potential to harm the well being of his nation. This article is very interesting and there are several important issues that can be examined from this. The Prime Ministers main warning was that so called “aggressive preaching” can affect the well being of his nation. He explains the importance of the different religions of Singapore to co exist with little conflict. The key to this harmonious society is to not allow one religion attempt to take over the country because this can create bitter, and even hostile feelings towards one another. The article seems to mainly be focusing at evangelical Christians but he makes sure to point out that this must be followed by all of Singapore’s religious groups. The reporter then gives a list of the different religions in Singapore with their percentage of the population to show the religious diversity of the nation. It is clear that Singapore is a religiously diverse country which does indeed call for much care to be taken. Lee states a very interesting case of a Christian couple that was jailed for handing out religious pamphlets where they were unwanted. He explains that forcing your religion on others can create hostility which can lead to inner turmoil. This article was very enlightening and much can be learned from it.

To me the social and political implications of this article are very obvious. Lee is smart for recognizing the potential destruction that religious differences can cause. Singapore is a very diverse nation for its size and when that many different religions are in such a close proximity to one another tremendous caution must be used to keep them peaceful. I do question whether of not this is taking things to far both politically and socially. While on paper Singapore is a democracy, it is cleat that its citizens are not as free as they should be. The two things here strike me as wrong are, the prime minister speaking out against religious groups who are not being violent, and jailing citizens for passing out pamphlets. I think that actions like this can lead to oppression, which is far more dangerous than slightly heated religious groups. To truly overcome religious differences people must learn how to live with slight discomfort sometimes and not to always act on this. It seems the Prime Minister is potentially creating the very problem he is trying to stop. This effects both the political and the social sector because it could potentially rip the country apart. While it doesn’t relate directly to the economics of Singapore, it certainly could effect the economic sector if religious persecution were to begin. While Singapore is usually good at being appealing to the west, this article raises some red flags in my mind.

In this post I have chosen to examine how the our media affects how we look at other countries. I wrote my review on this article without discussing possible bias that our media might have against eastern economic powers. I would really like to know how others feel about what I have taken from the article and how my view of the issue could be altered because of where i obtain my media. THANKS