SINGAPORE — The Mufti of Singapore, who oversees religious rulings for Muslims in the country, has for the first time set out publicly detailed views on lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) issues.
he Mufti of Singapore, who oversees religious rulings for Muslims in the country, has for the first time set out publicly detailed views on lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender issues.
Here is the full interview conducted by Dr Janil Puthucheary, chairman of OnePeople.sg, the national body promoting harmony:When you had to tackle LGBT issues as Mufti, had you been Mufti for very long at that time?I became the Mufti in 2020, we had the global pandemic to deal with, a whole host of unprecedented issues, questions and challenges. Thereafter, we had the issue of the Fatwa Tudung for nurses. And then we had LGBT.
No one forces us to adopt it, no one stops you from adopting a particular lifestyle, either. But these are the very freedoms that have allowed us to pursue our religious life, to uphold our own religious values and teachings. So I think a lot of people fear the freedom because you're free to choose. And to some people, this freedom can destroy, but it is the very freedom that also allows us to, you know, to practice our religious lives.
It's not a case where as the Mufti or as a Muslim, you embrace change unquestioningly, or, without kind of a critical thinking as to what, what happens now and in the future. Rather you should contribute to the process by putting forth your values, your principles, and how you think a society can become better in the future. And I think that's also where the statement is coming from.I do, of course.
Today, we look at the implications, for example of massive industrialisation and the impact on the climate. So we are beginning to ask ourselves very fundamental questions of our duties and responsibilities to the world, to the climate to the environment. And so there is always a kind of a rethink as to what would have been the better approaches in dealing with progress in that sense.
So one of the sources of friction is really about understanding the religious position and attitude towards such individuals or segments within the community. And this is something we are working on as well.
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