MFA Press Statement: 6th Session of the Istanbul Process, A Cross-Regional Perspective on Best Practices and Policies for Promoting Religious Tolerance and Strengthening Resilience, 20-21 July 2016

                Singapore hosted a workshop for more than 100 practitioners, civil society and academics from over 20 countries to exchange best practices and policies for promoting religious tolerance and strengthening resilience from 20 to 21 July 2016.  Co-organised by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS), this workshop was the sixth session of the Istanbul Process to support the implementation of Human Rights Council (HRC) Resolution A/HRC/RES/16/18 on combatting intolerance, negative stereotyping and stigmatisation, discrimination, incitement to violence, and violence against persons based on religion or belief.  This was the first time the session has been held in Southeast Asia.  The previous five sessions were held in Washington, London, Geneva, Doha, and Jeddah.

                In his opening address, Guest of Honour Senior Minister of State for Defence and Foreign Affairs Dr Mohamad Maliki Bin Osman reaffirmed the need to strengthen trust and resilience within communities amidst various global challenges such as rising nationalism, terrorism, inequality, armed conflict and unprecedented migratory flows.  The full text of the opening address is appended.

                Participants visited the Harmony Centre @ An-Nahdhah Mosque.  They also had a community walkabout in Ang Mo Kio Town, where they were briefed on policy initiatives and community-level efforts that promote integration and build common space among diverse communities. 

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MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS

SINGAPORE

21 JULY 2016

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 OPENING REMARKS BY

SENIOR MINISTER OF STATE FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS

AND DEFENCE
DR MOHAMED MALIKI BIN OSMAN

AT THE 6^TH SESSION OF THE ISTANBUL PROCESS

20 JULY 2016

 
President of the Human Rights Council, Ambassador Choi Kyong-lim

Excellencies

Distinguished Guests

A very good morning to all, and a very warm welcome to Singapore. 

I also want to recognise the presence of former Indonesian Foreign Minister Bapak Hassan Wirajuda. 

I am delighted to officiate the opening of the 6^th Session of the Istanbul Process.

As many of you would be aware, the Istanbul Process was initiated to support the effective implementation of the landmark Human Rights Council resolution 16/18.  One of the strengths of the resolution is its emphasis on a pragmatic approach to combating intolerance, negative stereotyping, stigmatisation, discrimination, and violence against persons based on religion or belief.

Six years since the first Istanbul Process meeting in Washington DC, the imperative to strengthen trust and resilience within communities, and to combat and stem intolerance, has become stronger than ever.

The challenges that resolution 16/18 seeks to address have been magnified by global challenges such as rising nationalism, terrorism, rising inequality, armed conflict, and unprecedented migratory flows.

We are increasingly seeing how identity politics is being used to play on the anxieties of citizens in different countries.  All too easily, inflammatory rhetoric for political expediency has given rise to xenophobia, bigotry and intolerance based on religion and ethnicity.

We have witnessed more instances of indiscriminate and wanton terrorist attacks around the world, including those in Dhaka, Medina, Solo, Kuala Lumpur, Baghdad and Turkey during Ramadan last month.  And only last week, we witnessed a horrific attack in Nice.  We must be vigilant and not allow these terrorists to paralyse our people with fear, or succeed in dividing our societies, by strengthening our social cohesion and resilience.

There are also increasing instances of hate crime, hate speech, and intimidation targeted at specific groups, religions and communities.  Social media and new communication technologies exacerbate these challenges.  It only takes one insensitive comment online to stoke ill feelings and provoke backlash at viral speeds.  This serves the interests of those who seek to exploit religion to drive a sharp divide between “us” and “them”.  Even non-state actors have developed sophisticated methods and audio-visual materials to capture attention and mobilise. 

“Self-radicalisation” remains a real concern.  Young people are particularly vulnerable, as they access materials with radical ideas on the Internet.  Those among us who are in a position to guide young people away from wrong religious teachings, or to promote interfaith understanding, have a responsibility to do so.  Parents, family members, community leaders and teachers also need to be sensitive to notice if those under their care are being led astray and seek help when the need arises.

Ladies and gentlemen,

Singapore is pleased to be hosting the first-ever Istanbul Process meeting in Southeast Asia.

When we were approached to host the 6^th session of the Istanbul Process, we agreed to do so because maintaining religious and racial harmony has been a national imperative since Singapore’s independence in 1965.

Singapore is one of the world’s most religiously diverse nations, and we had a history of racial and religious riots in the 1950s and 1960s.

Our social harmony and the racially-integrated country we are today did not happen by chance, but by deliberate choices, government policies and the collective will of our people.

Each community did not insist on the primacy of its race, religion, language or culture, but was prepared to live together and accommodate others in the context of a multi-racial and multi-religious society.  This helped preserve the common space for all Singaporeans.

We have also designed housing and urban planning policies to ensure that different ethnic groups share common spaces in our public housing estates, where the majority of Singaporeans live in.  Government schools in the neighbourhoods also provide an environment for children of all races and religions to study and grow up together.  In doing so, we continue to provide opportunities for Singaporeans to grow up together, live together, play together, and work together.

We take a firm stance against racial and religious chauvinists and extremists.  We do not allow anyone to exploit freedom of expression to denigrate other religious or ethnic groups, online or offline.  We do not tolerate statements that incite religious or racial hatred.  At the same time, we make it clear that our fight is against intolerance and violence, and not against any particular religion. 

We proactively foster understanding between different communities.  At the national level, the Government actively engages ethnic and religious leaders and forms community organisations like the Inter Racial and Religious Confidence Circles, or IRCCs, to facilitate deeper understanding and appreciation across communities.

Our community and religious leaders have also stepped forward to counter the spread of extremist ideologies – ideologies that breed hate and violence.

Our Islamic Religious Council, MUIS, is doing its part to correct inaccurate and false beliefs, propagated by groups like ISIS. 

The Religious Rehabilitation Group, or RRG, a volunteer initiative undertaken by respected Muslim scholars and teachers, was established to counter false ideologies and beliefs of terrorist groups and radicalised individuals. 

The Inter Religious Organisation (IRO) organises regular inter-faith dialogues to bring religious communities closer together – appreciating similarities and respecting differences.

Indeed, it is the responsibility of community and religious leaders to take the lead to invest in relationships, going beyond just tolerance, to build proper understanding and trust among the different races and religions. It is also important for religious leaders to provide the moral compass and guidance for their followers in practising religion within the context of multi-religious Singapore.

For instance, be ready to condemn acts of violence perpetrated in the name of any religion, and to reject ideologies that incite hatred.  Our religious leaders of different faiths have been speaking out in unison against acts of terrorism perpetrated in the name of any religion, and to reject ideologies that incite hatred.  They have condemned terrorist attacks by agents of the Islamic State, while assuring our public that these acts are contrary to the fundamental teachings of Islam and that our Muslim community is progressive and moderate.  When we arrested 27 Bangladeshi nationals in Singapore last year for plotting terrorist acts abroad, our religious leaders called on the Muslim community to remain vigilant and uphold resilience against radicalism to prevent extremist teachings from taking root.  These steps help promote trust between different religious communities.

We will be sharing some of our experience during this workshop.  I understand that you will have a chance to visit the Harmony Centre and our heartlands to get a feel of how our communities live together too. 

We are also happy to host this workshop as part of Singapore’s ongoing efforts to strengthen international cooperation to counter religious intolerance and radical narratives. It complements the East Asia Summit Symposium on Religious Rehabilitation and Social Reintegration that we hosted last year.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Our founding fathers worked hard to lay solid foundations of mutual respect and trust between the diverse local communities here in Singapore. 

Today, we continue to build upon those foundations to ensure that mutual respect, acceptance and multiracial understanding remain a way of life for generations to come. 

When everyone plays their part, this leads to strong social and psychological defence, and a strong Singapore community.  Together, we need to urge Singaporeans to build an inclusive society and strengthen our common identity so that we can and will band together for Singapore’s future.  To secure this future, we will continue to remain open to opportunities and people from all over Asia and the world.  We believe that multiracialism, multiculturalism and our diversity can be turned into strategic advantages for Singapore.

We know that keeping a multi-racial and multi-religious society united is a never-ending quest.  This is no easy task for any Government or society. 

Every nation will have to chart its own way forward, and advance human rights its own way, taking into account its unique and evolving social and cultural context.

But we strongly believe in the value and wisdom of learning from one another.  We believe in having conversations and exchanging insight on what works best on the ground and in communities, and how to overcome real-life challenges and political dilemmas to attain sustainable solutions that protect the rights of our citizens.

It is for this reason that we have decided to make this 6^th Istanbul Process session a practitioner-centric workshop, and one that seeks to provide as wide a cross-regional perspective on the important issue of religious tolerance as possible.

We are therefore very honoured to have with us an august group of government officials, religious leaders, academics, human rights NGOs, and civil society from Africa, Latin America, Europe, North America, and Asia.

The broad, cross-regional representation also reflects the continuing relevance of the Istanbul Process to UN Member States and the international community.

We hope that the practitioner-centric focus of this workshop can provide new insight and fresh impetus to the Istanbul Process and the implementation of resolution 16/18.  

I am confident that your discussions will help shine a light on how different countries seek to build collaborative networks to strengthen religious harmony and counter religious intolerance, as well as highlight emerging trends or possible future challenges on this important subject.

I also urge all participants to continue your conversations with each other even after you have left Singapore, perhaps even forming a “Community of Practice” on this important subject to capitalise on the rich experience and diversity of the participants of this workshop. 

I wish everyone a most productive workshop and a pleasant stay in Singapore. 

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