Hate speech by barred preacher could cause divisions here, says expert
Authorities look at such preachers' current, past comments to decide on denying entry
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The use of online hate speech by Indonesian preacher Abdul Somad Batubara, who was barred from entering Singapore, could cause serious polarisation between Muslims and non-Muslims here, an observer said yesterday.
Associate Professor Kumar Ramakrishna, who heads the International Centre for Political Violence and Terrorism Research at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies, said that, based on his observations, the authorities look at the current and past comments from preachers like Mr Somad in deciding whether to bar their entry.