Singapore has warned a Christian pastor that his online videos
are offensive to Buddhists and Taoists, underlining the
city-state's concerns that religion is a potential fault-line for
its multicultural society.
Pastor Rony Tan, of Lighthouse Evangelism, apologised and pulled
the video clips off the internet after being visited by the
government's Internal Security Department, the pastor and the
government said on their websites.
The Ministry of Home Affairs said in a statement Tan's comments
were highly inappropriate and unacceptable, and could give rise to
tension and conflict between the Buddhist/Taoist and Christian
communities.
The clips are no longer available online, but the Straits Times
said they involved ridiculing beliefs, including Buddhist concepts
of rebirth, karma and nirvana, drawing laughter from Tan's
audience.
Singpore's move comes after rising religious tensions in
neighbouring Malaysia, where churches and mosques have been hit by
arson and vandalism in recent weeks amid a row over the use of the
word Allah by Christians.
Singapore last week arrested three youths aged between 17 and 18
for posting remarks on Facebook that have been deemed to be racist,
local media reported.
They are likely to be charged under the Sedition Act, under which
anyone found guilty of promoting feelings of ill will or hostility
against other races or religions faces fines of up to S$5,000
($5,093) as well as the possibility of being jailed for up to three
years.
Singapore, which saw deadly racial riots in the 1950s and 1960s, is
a base for many multinational companies which value its stability,
infrastructure and proximity to fast-growing Asian markets.
Buddhists and Taoists account for half of Singapore's nearly five
million population.
Muslims and Christians account for 15% each.
Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said in a speech last August that
religious and racial tensions were the country's biggest potential
social fault-lines.
