Alhamdulillah, sedang saya drive, ternampak sekumpulan masyarakat sedang ber”exercise” dgn menggunakan semacam pedang. Semoga mereka bergembira dgn riadhah yg mereka sdg lakukan.
Cuma, saya terfikir sejenak, kalaulah yg sdg exercise itu para pemuda Islam dan menggunakan pedang yg sama, apakah agak2 penerimaan masyarakat.
Demikianlah keadaan sekarang ini…
Source: Azmi Abdul Samad
JERUSALEM — Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong on Monday (April 18) urged Israel and the Palestinian Territories to resume direct negotiations towards a “just and lasting two-state solution”, and expressed gratitude to Israel in helping Singapore build up its defence capabilities.
Noting that the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is a complex one, he said: “Progress will require enormous imagination, determination and political leadership on both sides, as well as getting the stars aligned in the right places in the firmament, with the great powers supporting you.”
Mr Lee, speaking at Hebrew University in Jerusalem where he was conferred an honorary doctorate, is on the second leg of a week-long trip to the Middle East.
He is visiting both Israel and the Palestinian National Authority in Ramallah to signal Singapore’s friendship with both sides and better understand developments in the region, he said.
He expressed hope that “both sides will take steps to resume direct negotiations and to work towards a just and lasting two-state solution.”
The Prime Minister is on his first official visit to Jordan, Israel and the Palestinian Territories. He met Jordan’s Chief Advisor for Religious and Cultural Affairs Prince Ghazi Bin Muhammad Bin Talal before crossing the border to Jerusalem on Monday.
In his speech, Mr Lee noted that Singapore and Israel share a “longstanding friendship” with the earliest Jews – mostly from Iraq – migrating to Singapore in the 19th century.
Singapore is now home to a small Jewish community, numbering a few hundred, but “has contributed to our society out of proportion to its numbers”, he said, adding that the Republic’s first Chief Minister, David Marshall, was a Baghdadi Jew.
He also shared an anecdote on how Dr Albert Einstein had visited Singapore in 1922 to urge the Jewish community to donate towards the setting up of Hebrew University. The community raised about £750 (worth about US$300,000 today). A week after his visit to Singapore, Dr Einstein was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics.
Through the years, more Jewish expatriates including Israelis came to work and live Singapore. There are now 2,500 of them – enough to sustain a successful kosher restaurant, he shared.
Israel was also the only nation that responded to the Republic’s call for help to set up a military when it became independent in 1965. The Israeli Defence Force (IDF) sent advisors who were nicknamed “Mexicans” for operational security, said Mr Lee.
“By July 1967, guided by the IDF team, the SAF (Singapore Armed Forces) commissioned our first batch of officer cadets from the Officer Cadet Course. This was a decisive step in building up a credible and professional defence force for Singapore,” said Mr Lee.
“Without the IDF, the SAF could not have grown its capabilities, deterred threats, defended our island, and reassured Singaporeans and investors that Singapore was secure and had a future… We will always be grateful that Israel helped us and stood by us at our time of great need.”
Singapore, he added, learnt two things from Israel at that time — which Mr Lee’s father, the late Mr Lee Kuan Yew who was then the Prime Minister — told one “Mexican general”: “How to be strong and how not to use our strength”.
Over the years, ties between both nations have expanded beyond defence and security, with companies from both sides very active in exploring opportunities in technology research and development.
In fact, the Singapore-Israel Industrial Research & Development Foundation (SIIRD) has provided US$170 million (S$) in funding for about 150 projects since 1997, said Mr Lee who witnessed on Monday the signing of three agreements between the Hebrew University and the National Research Foundation, National University of Singapore and Nanyang Technological University respectively to manage the Hebrew’s University’s research in Singapore.
Mr Lee was also optimistic about the future, referring to a recent interview by former Israeli President Shimon Peres who painted a vision of Israel in 2048 – 100 years after its founding – that will be much better for the nation and Middle East. Mr Peres envisioned that borders will become less relevant, while science and technology will force people to become more open-minded to the world.
“Today, such a Middle East looks a long way off – perhaps more distant even than 2048. But I sincerely hope that one day, Mr Peres’ vision will be realised. Swords will be turned to ploughshares. Israel and your neighbours will live side-by-side, in peace and prosperity,” he said. “And your friends in Singapore and around the world will rejoice with you too.”
Multiple efforts have been made to broker an agreement on a “two-state solution” in which Israel would exist peacefully alongside a new Palestinian state created in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, lands seized by Israel in the 1967 war.
However, such a solution appears remote because of ongoing Jewish settlement building; a split between the Palestinian Fatah and Hamas factions; preoccupation within the Palestinian National Authority about who may succeed aging President Mahmoud Abbas; and a wave of Palestinian stabbings, shootings and car rammings of Israelis.
Efforts led by the United States to broker peace between Israel and Palestine collapsed in April 2014, although France is making another push by convening an international peace summit to work towards a two-state solution.
Senior Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Dr Maliki Osman recently told parliament that Singapore welcomes the latest French initiative.
“The Israeli-Palestinian conflict is longstanding and resonates with many in Southeast Asia including Singapore and Singaporeans … Singapore’s position on this has been consistent. We support the rights of the Palestinian people to a homeland. We have also voted for several Palestinian-related resolutions at the United Nations National Assembly,” Dr Maliki said during the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ Committee of Supply debate two weeks ago.
Mr Lee will meet Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as well as other Israeli high-tech industry leaders on Tuesday, and Prime Minister of the Palestinian National Authority Rami Hamdallah on Wednesday.
Source: www.todayonline.com
The gates of a school in Malaysia’s state of Kelantan, where students have been plauged by “mass hysteria”, were closed to reporters on Sunday (April 17) – the day the school was set to reopen – but screams were heard coming from the classrooms.
SMK Pengkalan Chepa 2 was shut down for three days last Thursday to allow bomohs, ustaz and Islamic traditional practitioners to rid the place of bad spirits.
It does not seem to be working.
Pressmen and photographers, who were stationed in front of the school, were shocked to hear the screaming and shouts emanating from the school compounds.
The school administration has conducted a two-hour recital of Quranic verses and held prayers together with the students.It is learnt that a Chinese bomoh from Perak and his team entered the school compounds to assist in the situation.
At about 11.30am, more screams and shouts were heard, and attempts by the media to enter the school were unsuccessful.
Last Monday to Wednesday, more than 100 female and male students and teachers were allegedly struck by mass hysteria to the extent that the school was forced to shut down on Thursday to avoid more students from being possessed.
School principal Siti Hawa Mat and district education officials could not be reached for comment on Sunday.
At a press conference in Kelantan state capital Kota Baru on Thursday, Ms Siti said the closure of the school in Pengkalan Chepa was necessary to enable the bomoh and ustaz to perform prayers before the school was set to reopen on Sunday.
She said the studies of students of SMK Pengkalan Chepa 2 were disrupted, and her administration was at their wits’ end to find a way to rid the school of “bad spirits”.
Students and teachers have claimed to have seen paranormal beings like black spectres, pontianak and pochong.
Source: Straits Times
Singaporean students who are studying in Middle Eastern universities have an important role to play after they graduate, as the Republic is in need of strong religious leaders who can contextualise Islam in line with the country’s multiracial circumstances, said Minister for the Environment and Water Resources Masagos Zulkifli on Saturday (April 16) night.
Mr Masagos, who was speaking to reporters after a dialogue session with around 100 Singaporean students studying in Jordanian universities, said that Singapore has benefited from a strong group of home-grown religious scholars, because many of them understand how religion should be taught, particularly in the context of how it features in a multicultural society. But more religious leaders are needed in the future, he said.
“By coming to the Middle East, Jordan, Egypt and in the past even Syria, they (the students) are able to deepen their technical understanding of the region. Therefore, (they) also build the credibility that is needed when they are expounding the religion,” said Mr Masagos, who is part of the Singapore delegation accompanying Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong on a week-long trip to the Middle East.
“When they come back (to Singapore), they know how to contextualise the teachings and at the same time inoculate the masses against the persuasions from the outside to become more radicalised,” said the Minister.
He noted that many of these students had gone through the Madrasah educational system in Singapore, where they learnt how to practise the religion in the context of Singapore’s multiracial society. With their deepened understanding, these graduates would be able to promote respect for different groups in society.
He added that students who graduate from the Middle East have a lot more to offer in addition to their religious knowledge.
“For example, their mastery of Arabic as well as having lived here (in the Middle East) for a long time, can contribute to our own companies’ foray in this area,” he said, adding that he has spoken to Singaporean companies with investments in the region including Keppel FELS, Hyflux and Sembcorp about tapping on the expertise of these students.
Reflecting on the dialogue with Mr Masagos, Mr Abdul Fattah, 23, a freshman studying jurisprudence told TODAY that “what we learn here in Jordan, we would like to first benefit our families, close friends and the people around us.”
“In the future, I hope to be able to work with youths and instill in them the knowledge of love and respect for this religion (Islam),” he said, adding that he aspires to reach out to non-Muslim youths as well.
Commenting on concerns about Islamophobia in Singapore, Mr Masagos said that “through our dialogue, my point to them (students) is clear: it is in our hands to ensure that we interact with the wider society well, meaningfully, deeply, so that interaction between all races, even at the individual level is contributing and positive.”
“They (should) understand that while Islamophobia is something that could happen because of the information that others may have about Muslims around the world, we can change that, we can prevent that from happening in Singapore,” he said.
Mr Masagos noted that The Islamic Religious Council of Singapore (MUIS) has been active in engaging Singaporean students in the Middle East, with MUIS officers stationed in Cairo and Jeddah so that they can be in close touch with the students not only to ensure that their welfare is taken care of, but also to render any assistance in the event of an emergency.
Additionally, MUIS updates the students on latest developments in Singapore so that “they do not merely read about Singapore on the Internet and interpret them in any way that the internet is persuading them to,” said Mr Masagos.
Prime Minister Lee, when hosting a reception for the same group of students on Saturday evening, also encouraged them to keep pace with developments back home, inviting them to follow him on social media to get a better sense of what is happening in Singapore.
Mr Lee is making his first official visit to Jordan, Israel and the Palestinian Territories. The last high-level visit by a Singaporean leader to Jordan was by then President S R Nathan in 2006. Mr Lee on Saturday kick-started his trip with a cultural programme at the ancient city of Petra in Jordan. On Sunday, Mr Lee will be hosted to lunch by Jordan’s King Abdullah II. He will also meet Prime Minister and Defence Minister Abdullah Ensour, who will host dinner for him.
Mr Lee will meet Chief Advisor for Religious and Cultural Affairs Prince Ghazi Bin Muhammad Bin Talal on Monday, before proceeding to Israel and the Palestinian Territories.
Source: TODAY Online
AMMAN, JORDAN – Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong begins his official visit to Jordan on Saturday (April 16).
He will then travel to Israel on Monday, and to the Palestinian Territories on Wednesday.
This is Mr Lee’s first official visit to Jordan, Israel and the Palestinian Territories, the Prime Minister’s Office said in a statement on Friday.
“The visit will affirm Singapore’s good relations with Jordan, Israel and the Palestinian National Authority, and underscore Singapore’s commitment to support the capacity building efforts of the Palestinian people,” the statement added.
While in Jordan, Mr Lee will be hosted to lunch by King Abdullah II. He will meet Prime Minister and Defence Minister Abdullah Ensour, who will also host him to dinner.
Mr Lee will also meet Chief Advisor for Religious and Cultural Affairs Prince Ghazi Bin Muhammad Bin Talal. He will also meet Singapore students studying in Jordan.
In Israel, Mr Lee will call on President Reuven Rivlin and meet Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
He will also meet Leader of the Opposition Isaac Herzog and former President and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Shimon Peres.
In addition, Mr Lee will meet leaders of major Israeli technology companies and visit the Hebrew University, where he will receive an honorary doctorate.
He will also witness the signing of an agreement between Hebrew University and Singapore’s National Research Foundation to facilitate research collaboration in Singapore.
In the Palestinian Territories, Mr Lee will meet Prime Minister of the Palestinian National Authority Rami Hamdallah, who will host him to lunch.
Mr Lee will also lay a wreath at the mausoleum of the first President of the Palestinian National Authority, Yasser Arafat.
PM Lee will be accompanied by Mrs Lee, Foreign Affairs Minister Vivian Balakrishnan, Environment and Water Resources Minister Masagos Zulkifli, Minister of State for Communications and Information and Education Janil Puthucheary, and MPs Liang Eng Hwa and Intan Azura Mokhtar.
During Mr Lee’s absence, Deputy Prime Minister and Coordinating Minister for National Security Teo Chee Hean will be the Acting Prime Minister.
Source: www.straitstimes.com