H.E. the Grand Mufti of Singapore at the All Saints Anglican Cathedral: “Social cohesion is the foundation of the state’s progress”.
On Tuesday 30 July 2024, the Centre of Christian-Muslim Understanding and Partnership (CCMUP), whose affiliated to the Anglican Diocese of Egypt, organized a seminar on the subject of Diversity & Sectarian Harmony in Singapore. The event was attended by Archbishop Dr. Sami Fawzi, Archbishop of the Anglican Province of Alexandria; Bishop Dr. Mouneer Anis, Director of CCMUP, at the All Saints Anglican Cathedral in Zamalek.
Archbishop Dr. Sami Fawzi commenced the seminar stating that: “Our beloved country Egypt enjoys a rich history due to our cultural diversity. Egypt’s history reflects religious & cultural harmony because it is the cradle of religions. Despite differing beliefs, we have a shared identity as Egyptians with love for our country, which helps our society progress and remain stable.”
He continued: “Continuous dialogue between us allows every individual to express themselves freely. Education and religious openness have an impact on increasing awareness among people and achieving social peace. We see this in the pioneering experience within the Republic of Singapore, and we learn from it how to advance such peace”.
Archbishop-Emeritus Dr. Mouneer Anis emphasized how “The cohesion in Singapore’s society is a reason for its progress and has made its economy one of the strongest in the world. The Presidential Council for Interfaith Harmony in Singapore was an inspiration for the establishment of the Egyptian Family House (an official body composed of the leaders of Egypt’s main religious communities, tasked with promoting interfaith peace).
“I visited the council in 2008 and was quite impressed. In 2010, I presented a study to Al-Azhar Al-Shareef on the Presidential Council in Singapore. By the end of that year, H.E. the Grand Imam, Sheikh Dr. Ahmed El-Tayeb, decided to establish the Egyptian Family House in collaboration with His Holiness Pope Shenouda III, the then Pope of Alexandria of the Coptic Orthodox Church.
H.E. Dr. Nazirudin Nasir, Grand Mufti of the Republic of Singapore, highlighted that: “We live in turbulent times today. It is no secret to anyone that what we suffer from in this era is a moral crisis. We must respect each other, but what we see today is widespread injustice and bloodshed, leading to conflict and division among communities and nations.
He added: “Our religious heritage is full of sources that inspire peace and harmony. Singapore is one of the largest countries in the world for religious diversity, and religious values are the basis for dealing with ethnic and religious differences.”
Singapore’s Ambassador to Egypt, Dominic Goh, talked about how sectarian & cultural harmony evolved in Singapore, saying: “When Singapore gained independence in 1965, it was a poor country full of different religions and ethnicities. Each ethnic group identified itself by its religion, not by nationality. At that time, conflicts arose between different ethnicities.
Singapore’s leaders decided then that they would no longer accept ethnic or religious divisions & conflicts, and a law was enshrined in the constitution to that effect.”
The seminar aimed to shed light on Singapore’s successful experience in peaceful coexistence among various religions and ethnicities, as well as to exchange experiences in this field. Religious institutions discussed their role in promoting dialogue, cooperation, peace and understanding between different religious communities, to build peaceful, prosperous and tolerant societies.
The event was attended by Dr. Mohamed Abou Zeid Al-Amir, Coordinator of the Egyptian Family House; Dr. Ismail Abdullah, Head of the Department of Islamic Studies in German Language at Al-Azhar University; H.E. Mr. Håkan Emsgard, Swedish Ambassador to Egypt; H.E. Ambassador Raouf Saad, Advisor to the Minister of Environment and member of the CCMUP Board of Trustees; Mr. Kenny Tan, Deputy Ambassador of Singapore to Egypt; and Mr. Mohamed Mahmoud El-Genidy, Second Secretary at the Embassy of the Republic of Singapore in Cairo.
CCMUP was established in June 2022 within the Anglican Diocese of Egypt. The center aims to serve the Egyptian society by promoting peace, understanding, and cooperation among different religious communities through academic programs, community initiatives, peacebuilding and conflict resolution trainings.
