The holy month of Ramadan, culminating in Hari Raya Aidilfitri celebrated last Friday, is an annual celebration of the Islamic spirit in the lives and thoughts of Muslims. So it is in Singapore. What is uplifting for both Muslims for non-Muslims here is that this special time is also an occasion for the former to reach out to the latter. This, Muslims did, by inviting friends from all races and religions to mosques and homes for meals to break fast during Ramadan. With equal graciousness, non-Muslims accepted such invitations, creating bonds with fellow Singaporeans. Muslims volunteered, too, to help the less fortunate regardless of their race or religion, and in spite of the demands of fasting and work commitments.

By citing such instances of religious harmony in his Hari Raya message, Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs Masagos Zulkifli has drawn attention to the role of faith as a cementing force in a religiously diverse society. Indeed, younger Muslims are visiting other places of worship, such as churches and temples, in a marked rejection of those who argue that entering the houses of other faiths weakens the pillars of one's own.