Today Online-Sept 19
A day after the Catholic Archbishop of Singapore spelt out his position on Section 377A of the Penal Code, Muslim scholars and religious leaders here have also expressed publicly their support for the law.
In a media statement on Wednesday (Sept 19), the Singapore Islamic Scholars and Religious Teachers Association (Pergas) said that a repeal of Section 377A could cause “several worrying implications” and “threaten the importance of the traditional family unit as the foundation of a society”.
The statement said that Pergas does not support the attempt to repeal the law. “This stand is based not only on religious grounds, but also due to our concern towards moral and social values, that can affect the family institution as well as the fabric of society,” the association said.
It added that the purpose of a family unit is “to give birth to the new generation, as well as to protect the existence of mankind”. “To achieve these objectives, Islam emphasises on the formation of a family through legal marriage between a man and a woman.”
Pergas also said that another negative implication should Section 377A be repealed is that it would “affirm and normalise the LGBTQ lifestyle”, LGBTQ referring to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender and queer.
This “conflicts” with “the Government’s policy of building strong family units to strengthen the fabric of society”, it said, and “it may also cause confusion among the younger generation regarding morality and moral values.”
Singapore’s population growth — what the association understands as “a major concern of the Government” — will be affected as well, should the law be repealed and same-sex relationships are promoted.
Despite its call for the law to stay, Pergas asked Muslims to be kind when interacting with others, including those from the LGBTQ community. “Our relationship with those from the LGBTQ community, just as how we interact with others, should be filled with mercy (rahmah) as we extend kindness to all,” it said, adding that people should not isolate, exclude or insult those who they feel are LGBTQ. “Pergas sincerely hopes that members of society, especially the Muslim community, maintain good manners and act wisely in discussing this issue. Avoid insulting others, nor belittling others, as well as their opinions.”
