Al-Istiqamah Mosque operating as usual after parcel event; warded worker doing well: Faishal Ibrahim
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Congregants at the mosque in Serangoon North had to be evacuated on Sept 24 as a precaution, after a suspicious parcel was delivered to it.
ST PHOTO: KUA CHEE SIONG
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SINGAPORE - Al-Istiqamah Mosque will continue operating as usual, after no hazardous substances were found in a suspicious parcel delivered to its premises on Sept 24.
Also, a mosque employee who was taken to Sengkang General Hospital after experiencing breathlessness is “doing well and in good spirits”, said Acting Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs Faishal Ibrahim in a Facebook post at about 11am on Sept 25.
He had visited the employee in hospital and encouraged her to focus on her recovery.
In an earlier update on Facebook at midnight, Associate Professor Faishal reassured Muslims in Singapore that “our mosques remain safe spaces for worship and for our community”.
Congregants at the mosque in Serangoon North were evacuated as a precaution on Sept 24
The Singapore Civil Defence Force sent a team of its hazardous materials (hazmat) specialists to investigate the parcel.
Prof Faishal added that he had joined other congregants at the mosque for pre-dawn prayers, and assured them that the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore (Muis) and the mosque are ready to support its staff and worshippers.
“I am also heartened to have received messages of concern and support not only from our Muslim community, but from Singaporeans of other faiths as well.
“This is a powerful reminder of the strong and cohesive society we are blessed with – one we must continue to cherish and protect together.”
He also thanked the mosque’s staff for their vigilance and cooperation with the authorities.
Calling for calm, Prof Faishal urged people not to spread any misinformation while investigations are taking place.
He said: “We are investigating this matter, and we are taking it very seriously. Such incidents are unacceptable.
“The police are following up on all leads, and we will do everything possible to ensure the safety of our community.”
Muis also made a similar appeal on Facebook, adding that mosques here remain safe and open for worship.
It added that congregational prayers at Al-Istiqamah Mosque will carry on as usual.
In a Facebook post on Sept 25, OnePeople.sg chairman Janil Puthucheary said places of worship must always “remain safe spaces for prayer, reflection, and community life”.
“Acts that threaten the peace and mutual respect we cherish have no place in our society. Singapore’s strength lies in its diversity. Our resilience as a nation depends on our ability to embrace differences and stand together in times of challenge,” he said.
“We stand with our Muslim community, and with all faith communities, to uphold the values of peace, mutual respect and harmony.”
OnePeople.sg is an organisation that champions racial harmony initiatives in Singapore. Its previous iteration, the Central Singapore Joint Social Service Centre, was set up in 1997 by the different self-help groups here.
The coordinating council for the Racial and Religious Harmony Circles – a platform that promotes racial and religious harmony in Singapore – echoed a similar sentiment in a statement on its Facebook page.
“This incident also reinforces the importance of standing together as one community,” it said.
“Instead of letting fear and division, let us choose solidarity – to support one another, to remain calm, and strengthen the bonds of trust that underpin our diverse society.”
