The 2023 Israel–Hamas war, ongoing since Oct 7 2023, is closely observed around the world, including in Singapore and within the Humanist Society, our community of non-religious and like-minded individuals.

While the Humanist Society has stayed focused on our home country, Singapore, daily news updates from the frontlines have been heart wrenching, with strong views expressed from various camps with entrenched views, both rational and emotional, even within the Society from members in their private capacities.

Writing about the Israel-Hamas war is very difficult, given that the conflict is a multilayered one with many overlapping grievances. Nonetheless, with recent events involving the Israeli embassy’s Facebook post and subsequent response by the Singapore government, I felt it is worth some discussion and reflection in my private capacity.

Broadly speaking, whenever the government acts against a published content that is detrimental to harmony and safety within Singapore, there will be two opposing views among vocal non-religious individuals.

The first view would be that freedom of speech must be protected, and that all ideas, including religious ones, should not be protected from criticism. Proponents of the first view would even argue that, with the widespread availability of the internet, it is impossible to shield someone from views that are critical of their beliefs.

The second view would be that harmony and safety within Singapore comes first, and while freedom of speech is important, raising tensions unnecessarily is counterproductive and ineffective in persuasion.

Whenever views are censored or taken down, there will be, inevitably, some unhappiness from people holding the first view. The big question would be what’s the right balance between freedom of speech, and staying practical about Singapore’s multi-racial, multi-religious context. After all, the Society is based in Singapore and must be effective and credible within our own country.

This is where I looked into the core values of Humanism. Indeed, while freedom of speech and critical inquiry is important, it is worth remembering Humanism carries a wider spectrum of values. Extracts from the Amsterdam Declaration indicate that:

• Personal liberty must be combined with a responsibility to society.
• We should be motivated by the benefits of helping and not harming, enabled by reason and compassion.

I do believe as Singaporeans, we have a responsibility in helping to keep Singapore safe and harmonious. This safety has benefited all Singaporeans, both religious and non-religious, and also helps generate the conditions for dialogue, including voices from the non-religious.

I also believe keeping Singapore safe and harmonious allows the flourishing of reason and compassion. When tensions are high and people are entrenched in opposing camps, reason gives way to tribalism, and compassion takes a backseat. Attempts at dialogue lead to impasse and no one benefits.

With the above, and considering all points of views, I support the swift and decisive response by the Singaporean authorities in addressing the post made by the Israeli embassy staff. The Israeli-Palestinian conflict is a prolonged one, and a sustainable productive approach ensures that reason and compassion prevails.

I believe this approach has paid off. On 30-31 August, the Humanist Society will host the International Humanist Conference, with representatives from humanist/non-religious groups around the world. For those who are unfamiliar with this conference, it is akin to the “United Nations” of humanist/non-religious groups around the world. Prior to that, the Humanist Society has already hosted two Asian Humanism Conferences in 2015/2019.

All the above would not be possible, if Singapore does not have a reputation of being a safe and reliable host for meetings, incentives, conferences, and exhibitions (MICE).

We encourage you to sign up for the conference. It will be a vibrant forum for engaging in critical discourse, exploring diverse perspectives, and discovering the region’s and Singapore’s approaches to secularism and interfaith harmony: https://humanist.org.sg/2024-ihc/ga2024-programme/

Norhaiyah Mahmood,

President of Humanist Society (Singapore)

Note : All views expressed are personal.

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