Abdul Somad

2022 - 5 - 23

Post cover — Image courtesy of "Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA)"

Singapore's Refusal of Entry of Indonesian Preacher Abdul Somad ... (Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA))

You think this is acceptable in Singapore? 3. And how would Muslims feel, for example, if we allowed a Christian Preacher to come in to say things about the ...

We back up the words, we back up our philosophy, with laws, and not just laws – we enforce those laws equally. And I’ve told the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) some time ago to work on a new piece of legislation – Maintenance of Racial Harmony Act, which will encourage moderation and tolerance between different racial groups, and signal the importance of racial harmony in Singapore. Or is it only that Singapore gets special mention and they are brave enough to threaten Singapore, but not the others? Somad was not singled out for his religion, but his views which are unacceptable in the Singapore context. You know, some of the people that ISD have investigated in Singapore for radicalisation, one of the things we picked up was that they were watching videos of Somad, and following his preachings. And a lot of countries in the world, in theory, then should be apologising. And it is not directed at any specific individual, or any specific religion, or any specific nationality. “If you ignore our warning, then we will not hesitate to expel the ambassador of your country. So he is making maximum use of the publicity and he is now, in my view, engaging in more publicity stunts. He says Singapore is a, I quote, “Melayu land” – Tanah Melayu, claims that people in Riau see Singapore as part of their land, because of Singapore’s history as part of the Temasek Malay Kingdom. So this is all part of Indonesia, a larger Tanah Melayu. And therefore, our sovereignty is irrelevant. 11. I think it is very important for Singaporeans to look at the reasons he has given to try to enter Singapore again. You know, if someone said this in Singapore, Internal Security Department (ISD) will be visiting him or her, and they will be behind bars.

Commentary: Not Islamophobic to deny Indonesia preacher entry ... (CNA)

Some followers of Indonesian preacher Abdul Somad Batubara claim he was denied entry due to Islamophobia, but Singapore has acted consistently against ...

The imam, who originated from India and had served a local mosque for seven years, was slapped with a fine of S$4,000. In 2017, a Muslim preacher, Imam Nalla Mohamed Abdul Jameel, was deported from Singapore after making offensive remarks about Christians and Jews in one of his sermons. The Muslim community is thriving in Singapore and is free to practice its religion, while Singapore’s Government respects the community’s key institutions including mosques and a Syariah court system. In the 1970s, when the region saw an Islamic resurgence, the dominant religious orientation among Muslim elites was traditionalism, where certain religious ideas were considered to be unquestionable and fixed, regardless of historical context. Somad immediately took to social media to share his “plight” and complain about the way he was treated, including being asked to wait in a 1m by 2m room. This garnered sympathy among his followers, who later spammed the Facebook pages of Singapore politicians and agencies with negative comments.

Supporters of Indonesian preacher made threats linking 9/11 attacks ... (Mothership.sg)

Shanmugam said that his lectures were watched by radicalised people in Singapore.

Or is it only that Singapore gets special mention and they are brave enough to threaten Singapore, but not the others?" "I wonder if Somad’s supporters also threatened China, because he was refused entry into Hong Kong, and threatened the other European countries? Shanmugam said that according to Somad, Singapore's sovereignty was "irrelevant" and it was "not a separate country". Shanmugam reiterated that Singapore takes a "zero-tolerance approach and even-handed approach towards any form of hate speech and divisive ideologies" and it is not directed "at any specific individual, or any specific religion, or any specific nationality". In that same video, he claimed that Singapore was "Malay land" as it was part of the Temasek Malay Kingdom, making Singapore "similar" to Riau, where he is from. The minister said Somad's public teachings were "extremist", "divisive" and "completely unacceptable in Singapore".

17-year-old detained under ISA among S'poreans following ... (TODAY)

Mr Shanmugam said that the boy had watched many YouTube lectures on suicide bombing, a topic MHA said Mr Somad has endorsed in the context of the Israel- ...

"I have said this on many occasions — we take a zero-tolerance approach and even-handed approach towards any form of hate speech and divisive ideologies," Mr Shanmugam said. My grandmother has brothers, children and grandchildren who live in Singapore,” Mr Somad said, according to a translation by CNA. “Or is it only that Singapore gets special mention and they are brave enough to threaten Singapore but not the others?” So he is making maximum use of the publicity and he is now, in my view, engaging in more publicity stunts. Singaporeans need to be aware.” And just last week, former Ngee Ann Polyechnic lecturer Tan Boon Lee was charged with making racist remarks against an inter-racial couple. “If you ignore our warning, then we will not hesitate to expel the ambassador of your country. Later in the video, he said: "During the times of the Companions, of Prophet Muhammad, swords were used. Another comment called for Singapore to be bombed, Mr Shanmugam noted. Mr Shanmugam said that the response of the Indonesian government to Singapore’s decision to deny Mr Somad entry has been “very proper” and “correct”. "To say that I'm tired of going to Singapore is the same as saying I'm tired of going to Minangkabau. This is because Singapore is a Malay land. So you can see Somad's preachings have real-world consequences.”

Indonesian preacher denied entry had radicalised people in ... (The Straits Times)

SINGAPORE - Indonesian preacher Abdul Somad Batubara had been on Singapore authorities' radar for some time, when it emerged that some individuals ...

And it is not directed at any specific individual, or any specific religion, or any specific nationality. They know that in Singapore, all religions are treated equally, on the same basis. Or is it only that Singapore gets special mention and they are brave enough to threaten Singapore, but not the others? He has said that he will try to enter Singapore again." "They can tell us what to do. They say Singapore is being 'disrespectful' towards Muslims and Islamic religious scholars." Explaining the decision, MHA said last week - a point Mr Shanmugam reiterated on Monday - that Somad has claimed suicide bombings are legitimate martyrdom operations. "Racial, religious harmony, we consider (these) fundamental to our society and most Singaporeans accept that. "Majority of Singaporeans, all races and religions, support the decision to refuse Somad entry into the country. His supporters have made comments calling for the Republic to be bombed and destroyed, with one - since removed by Facebook parent company Meta - threatening to "send Islamic defender troops... "Therefore, our sovereignty is irrelevant. Among them was a 17-year-old detained under the Internal Security Act in January 2020.

Indonesian preacher denied entry had radicalised people in ... (AsiaOne)

SINGAPORE - Indonesian preacher Abdul Somad Batubara had been on Singapore authorities' radar for some time, for having influenced and radicalised some ...

And it's not directed at any specific individual, or a specific religion, or any specific nationality. Basic aspect of sovereignty," he said. They say Singapore is being 'disrespectful towards Muslims and Islamic religious scholars'." "Racial, religious harmony - we consider (these) fundamental to our society and most Singaporeans accept that. to attack your country like 9/11 in New York 2001. He had previously been denied entry to Hong Kong, Timor Leste, the Netherlands, Germany and Britain.