Your airplanes are sophisticated and more powerful than Indonesia’s. Your soldiers are well trained. Your country’s economy is the most advanced in the world. You have also a world-class population. But You are scared by the “mind” of a traveler, who is a Somad.
What a Singapore is?
Indonesian preacher Abdul Somad was denied entry into Singapore on Monday (May 16) because he is “known to preach extremist and segregationist teachings, which are unacceptable in Singapore’s multi-racial and multi-religious society”, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) said.
MHA’s statement yesterday came after the Somad, 44, claimed on Instagram and YouTube that he had been “deported” by the Singapore authorities.
The ministry cited some examples of his extremist and segregationist teachings, including how he had preached that suicide bombings are legitimate in the context of the Israel-Palestine conflict and are considered “martyrdom” operations.
“He has also made comments denigrating members of other faith communities, such as Christians, by describing the Christian crucifix as the dwelling place of an ‘infidel jinn (spirit or demon)’.
Let’s have a look at the reasons why the well know Indonesia preacher Abdul Somad Batubara who recently traveled to Singapore was denied by the Singaporean authority and placed it back to Indonesia on the same day.
Ministry of Home Affairs released the reason as:
Somad has been known to preach extremist and segregationist teachings, which are unacceptable in Singapore’s multi-racial and multi-religious society. For example, Somad has preached that suicide bombings are legitimate in the context of the Israel-Palestine conflict, and are considered “martyrdom” operations. He has also made comments denigrating members of other faith communities, such as Christians, by describing the Christian crucifix as the dwelling place of an “infidel jinn (spirit/demon)”. In addition, Somad has publicly referred to non-Muslims as “kafirs” (infidels).
Some of our analysts commented that this was too much and beyond of diplomatic manner.
This phare “to preach extremist and segregationist teachings” is a subjective judgment that there is no evidence and does not make sense at all. Somad lives in a country which is more people, more beliefs, and more ethnicities than Singapore.
He preaches every day from stage to stage, city to city throughout Indonesia. Somad is loved by many worshipers, as he is good at delivering speeches and indeed he is very well versed in various Islamic laws and values. The point of his da’wah, as practiced by Islamic scholars around the world, is not more than to invite the audience to increase obediences, expand good deeds, and stay away from prohibitions and others. And the message of every preacher is to fight injustice, this is what might be labeled an extremist.
Rocky Gerung who is a prominent Indonesian analyst said that the Singapore government’s judgment is to humiliate Indonesia. Singapore may refuse anyone who will enter the country, without any reason but accusing extremists and segregationists, which is outside the context of diplomacy, which will lead to a diplomatic dispute between the two countries.
Meanwhile, foreign observers, Hikmahanto, explained in a tv interview that He understood refusing someone to enter their country, as the interpretation of officials who is in charge when someone enters the territory of a country, is very subjective. But the detailed explanation from the Singapore Ministry of Home Affairs was beyond diplomatic manner.
“Sorry Mr. Somad, Singapore can’t accept you and your families for the next 7 generations”, until there, everyone will not have a problem with it. It’s Singapore’s own right to accept foreigners entering the country. The problem was Singapore officially accused him, as stated in the release of the Ministry of Home Affairs, of what was considered unusual, beyond the diplomatic manner, and even is humiliating Indonesia.
On the contrary, Singapore actually protects people with criminal problems from Indonesia. Many Indonesian corruptors, actually fled and hid in Singapore safely. For various reasons, Singapore cannot extradite the criminal, because it does not have a bilateral agreement for it. We understand the reason behind this because by doing so, the proceeds of the crime are deposited in Singaporean banks.
Let’s see what the next step is how the government will react to the issue released by the Singapore Ministry of Home Affairs, and how Foreign Minister Retno will solve this diplomatic dispute
