SINGAPORE, Sept 26 — Singapore Home Minister K Shanmugam said police have stepped up visits to mosques and are closely monitoring the situation after several Islamic places of worship across the country received suspicious parcels containing meat.
The minister said investigations are ongoing and anyone found responsible will be dealt with firmly.
“I want to be careful about speculating. We don't know who did it, we don't know what the motives are, but so far, this series of incidents seems to be targeted only at mosques ... pieces of meat being sent.
“We will do whatever we can to ensure that our places of worship remain safe,” he told the media after visiting Al-Istiqamah Mosque in Serangoon North yesterday. The video of the doorstop interview was made available on CNA YouTube page.
He said targeting a place of worship is completely unacceptable and that Singapore has zero tolerance for such actions.
Shanmugam, who is also Coordinating Minister for National Security, said in the latest incident on Wednesday, a parcel containing a piece of meat, which appeared to be pork at first sight, was sent to Al-Istiqamah Mosque.
The incident led to the mosque being evacuated as a precaution.
A woman who came into contact with the parcel became unwell and was taken to hospital. She has since been discharged.
Police and the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) responded to the incident. Hazardous materials (HazMat) team later confirmed there were no hazardous substances.
“We are checking what kind of meat it is. Whatever the meat, it is obviously inflammatory to send it to a mosque or to other place of worship in this way. But if it is pork and it's sent to a mosque, you can see the implications are much worse,” he added.
The Islamic Religious Council of Singapore (MUIS) said that daily prayers have resumed at Al-Istiqamah Mosque.
“The safety of all who visit remains our utmost priority. The mosque will continue with its vigilance and due diligence to ensure a safe environment,” MUIS posted on Facebook yesterday.
Acting Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs Associate Professor Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim urged everyone to remain calm, stay alert, and refrain from spreading misinformation.
“This morning, I joined congregants for pre-dawn prayers at the mosque, which has resumed operations as normal. I assured congregants that MUIS and the mosque stand ready to support both staff and the congregants,” he posted on Facebook.
