Know thy Muslim Neighbour - Kafir in Quranic Arabic means "Ungrateful to Allah", Infidel in English means "of the minority faith"

I read in the media of the recent incident of a Bangladeshi preacher seeking to sow discord amongst different faith groups in Singapore, targeting especially our Bangladeshi brethren. I am pleased to note that MHA is taking steps to preserve the harmony of Singapore residents.

I write now seeking clarification from our Minister of Law for the better understanding of all Singaporeans but especially for the Muslims.

What is the standard process / protocol of MHA when quoting Islamic and or Quranic terms perculiar to Muslims?

Was the Mufti, the MUIS fatwa committee, or Pergas engaged when the Minister chose to translate Kafir as an infidel?

I also wish to know if there are standard protocols to follow so that there may be co-ordination between MHA and MUIS when such issues crop up?

As stated in the title above, Kafir in Quranic Arabic means ungrateful to Allah and in certain instances means disbelief. When Muslims mention Kafir meaning disbelief they intend disbelief in Islam, i.e. One God (Allah) and Muhammad (peace be upon him) as the messenger of Allah. So Kafir means someone or all who are ungrateful to Allah and or are unbelievers of Islam.

Many languages have adopted this Arabic term kafir to mean the same.

As a practising Muslim I wish to know if Ministry of Home Affairs has reservations with the term "Kafir". If so why do they object to this term. This is a word used repeatedly in the Quran. "Kafir" (????) is used 6 times and the plural form "kafiroon" (??????) 154 times. In total these words and its derivatives "kufr" (disbelief), "kafara" (he disbelieved) are used in the Quran 470 times.

It is not a pejorative term. It is a word used to describe non Muslims or those ungrateful for Allah's blessings.

Infidel is an English language word used by the English to refer those who are of the minority faith. In no way should one equate the meaning of Kafir with infidel, though some writers do.

The Quran when it was revealed was never the majority religion in any land. Even today Islam is not the majority faith in any English speaking land. So it is inaccurate to translate the word kafir as an infidel. I recall a past instance where a Tamil speaking preacher was barred from Singapore and sent back, and one of the reasons cited was the use of this exact word kafir.

Language is used to convey meanings and messages. I sincerely hope and trust that I am mistaken in my understanding that my Minister is seeking to police language.

I have full faith that MHA has valid grounds to flag out this particular preacher for "extremist and segregationist teachings that were dangerous, and detrimental to Singapore’s communal harmony." It will help if the MHA media specialists share the objectionable agendas uttered giving rise to risk of sowing discord within our nation, instead of pinning the focus on the word kafir that was said to have been uttered.

On a different note, I have long lamented to my friends, who volunteer in Singapore mosques the absence of Bangla language Muslim preachers. They often cite the difficulties in obtaining permits for such preachers. I am unable to verify such excuses as I often suspect it could well be an unwillingness to spend to cater for the needs of our Bangladeshi brethrens.

The reality is, I am unaware of any mosques in Singapore where Friday prayer sermons are delivered in the Bangla language or other religious lectures to teach these workers Islamic values of peace and harmony which we in Singapore hold dear to.

I would urge MHA to work with Singaporean leaders of Bangladeshi origin to compile a list of pre-approved Bangla language Islamic preachers acceptable to MHA.

Similarly it will also help if MOM and MHA works with MUIS to cater to the spiritual needs of our Bangla language brethren in their vernacular. I believe there are more than 160,000 Bangladeshi workers in Singapore who toil under the hot sun to build our sky scrapers and to keep our land clean and green. We owe it to them to provide for their spiritual upliftment and fulfillment. We should try at least to have 1 Bangla language Friday prayer sermon once a month in mosques with large Bangladeshi congregations. Such Imams could be rotated amongst mosques so that their costs are shared.

On a final note this preacher who entered Singapore using a different named passport may have been declined entry if ICA had invested in AI image recognition tool to scan prohibited individuals photos. I trust it is a relatively inexpensive tool to use, where biometric details are absent as was in this instant incident. MHA should explore this with Gov ICT.