Race and religion – A rude reminder

Do not take racial and religious harmony for granted. Hsien Loong spoke about it again yesterday. Race and religion will always be divisive and will always be sensitive fault lines in our country. We have walked pass the days of racial riots in the 60s but the troubling consequences of those days would never be forgotten and would never go away. Our superficial racial and religious harmony will crack at the slightest provocation, even if unintentionally misquoting or commenting on an event. These problems will plague us for the next 100 years or forever. No, they will never go away. There are deep emotions and sensitivities involved. Do not believe in the superficiality of cordiality and smiling faces. These are the real hard truths we have to live with in a multi racial and multi religious society where bigots are bound to exist.

The govt knows and understands these problems, or at least the senior members who lived through it. Not sure whether the bright eye little ones can feel the same way. Look at the number of foreigners of all stripes and colours being brought in in great numbers and over a short time told of a different story. For economic numbers, they are willing to play with fire. They are prepared to look elsewhere and thinking or hoping that they have brought in angels to live with us. Or they are simply ignorant, perhaps pure stupidity.

The Syrian and Middle Eastern refugees surging across the borders in Europe are heart wrenching sights. Many Europeans could not bear to see the sufferings and are opening their hearts to them, to invite them into their countries and into their lives. In the name of humankind and human kindness, they are welcoming and embracing the refugees even knowing that they are very different in race and religion and culture. May God bless them for their kindness to the refugees and that the refugees will reciprocate their kindness in the future.

We are also very kind to the foreigners we brought in and are still crazily bringing in knowing the fault lines of race and religion that would never go away. I am not sure our decisions are based on economic reasons or wisdom. There is no point to be emotional and to choke up when reflecting on the painful past. We will have to live with the decisions we made and are making today, to bring in more and more foreigners, of all races and religions. It is a conscious choice, unlike Europe when a bad situation came knocking at their doors. May God also bless us for our kindness and the generosity to the foreigners we invited to live with us. One thing for sure, no one will be kind and forgiving to stupidity when we will have to pay for them one day. We know it is dangerous and difficult, but with eyes wide shut, we went into it like there is no other choice.

We decisively, intentionally and purposefully asked for it.