Shackling, heckling non-mainstream voices not the way
In “Respect across all races, religions vital for Singapore: Heng” (July 22), the Education Minister said “good relationships can only be built if we better understand those around us”.
In “Respect across all races, religions vital for Singapore: Heng” (July 22), the Education Minister said “good relationships can only be built if we better understand those around us”.
Following the Pink Dot debate, the National Library Board controversy over some children’s books and the Media Development Authority’s banning of a comic book, the understanding of our diversity must be extended to issues beyond race, language and religion.
As Singapore becomes more complex and diverse, and physical spaces for interaction become more crowded, we who share this island must learn to accept that there will always be those with opposing views.
Rather than shackle and/or heckle the non-mainstream voices, we should learn to understand and then tolerate or empathise with those who are different. In striving towards a society where all views are welcome, there is probably no better guide than our Pledge: “To build a democratic society based on justice and equality.”