| Publication |
2007.
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| Summary/Abstract |
The maintenance of a "moderate mainstream" Muslim community as a bulwark against the fraying of harmonious ethnic relations has become a key governance concern post-September 11. In light of the global concern - and often paranoia - with diasporic Islam, Islamic religious institutions and civil society have been portrayed in the popular media as hotbeds of radicalism, promoters of hatred, and recruiters for a "conflict of civilization" between the Muslim world and the modern world. Having declared itself a terrorist's "iconic target," Singapore has taken a broad-based community approach in advancing inter-religious tolerance, including a subtle initiative to include the "Muslim civil society" in advancing the understanding and the promotion of a moderate brand of Islam in Singapore. This tacit process of regulation (top-down, intra-community and inter-community), while effective, is constrained by the unique governance context in Singapore
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