Singapore's PM Lee Hsien Loong spammed on Facebook by banned Indonesian cleric's fans
Singapore's decision this week to deny entry to a popular Indonesian Muslim cleric on account of his "extremist and segregationist" teachings has triggered an uproar, with the city state's leaders facing a barrage of online spam and Jakarta requesting a formal explanation over the matter.
In Indonesia, some quarters described Singapore's decision on Monday to bar entry to Abdul Somad as "Islamophobic". But officials and interfaith activists in Singapore said it was not the 45-year-old's religion, but rather his highly-charged rhetoric that was out of place in the multiracial nation.
The city state - known for its no-nonsense style of maintaining social peace - has previously banned the noted American pastor Lou Engle for negative remarks about Islam.
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Somad was denied entry into Singapore when he and six travel companions arrived on Monday at the Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal from the Indonesian resort island of Batam, Singapore's Ministry of Home Affairs said.
Somad later wrote on his widely followed Instagram page that he was placed in a "1 by 2 metre room, like an immigration jail" for two hours before he was deported.
"Somad has been known to preach extremist and segregationist teachings, which are unacceptable in Singapore's multiracial and multi-religious society," the ministry said in its statement on Tuesday.
"For example, Somad has preached that suicide bombings are legitimate in the context of the Israel-Palestine conflict, and are considered 'martyrdom' operations," it said.
"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]."
It added that a visitor's entry into Singapore was "neither automatic nor a right".
"While Somad had attempted to enter Singapore ostensibly for a social visit, the Singapore government takes a serious view of any persons who advocate violence and/or espouse extremist and segregationist teachings," it said.
Late on Wednesday, Singapore's Straits Times reported that the social media accounts of Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and President Halimah Yaacob were spammed with comments from Somad's supporters.
Most of these comments bore the hashtags #SaveUAS and #SaveUstadzAbdulSomad. Apart from Lee and Halimah, the accounts of Senior Minister Teo Chee Hean, Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan, and several government agencies were also spammed.
With a combined following of more than 9.3 million on Instagram and YouTube, Somad has emerged in recent years as a household name in Indonesia, the world's most populous Muslim country where many Islamic clerics compete for social media attention and the material benefits that come with such outsize influence. His wide reach earned him the moniker Da'i Sejuta View, or A Million Views Preacher.
His popularity has reportedly given him access to Jakarta's top political figures, including former general Prabowo Subianto, who was an election rival to President Joko Widodo twice and is now defence minister.
He is also among the clerics who have spearheaded the relatively new 'hijrah movement' in the country, in which Indonesian millennials become born-again Muslims and forgo sinful actions such as dating and listening to Western-made music.
However, social-media savvy Somad is not without controversy as his lectures have often been deemed as promoting religious fundamentalism, at a time when identity politics are still being used by Indonesian politicians to garner votes.
He once said that Muslims who bought products from Starbucks were supporting the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and trans (LGBT) lifestyle, and that watching Korean dramas would make a Muslim an infidel.
In a video posted on his YouTube channel on Tuesday, Somad, who had hoped to visit the city state for a holiday, demanded an explanation for his deportation from Singapore's ambassador for Indonesia, Anil Kumar Nayar.
"You have to explain to our community, why did your country, why did your government reject us? Why did your government deport us? Is it because of [a fear of] terrorism? Is it because [you think I am related to] Islamic State? Did I bring drugs [into the country]?" he said.
The Indonesian embassy in Singapore has sent a diplomatic note to Singapore's foreign ministry to further inquire about the reasons behind the denial, the Indonesian foreign ministry said on Tuesday.
Singapore's decision to not let Somad land has sparked mixed reactions in both countries, with Mohamed Imran Mohamed Taib, an interfaith and multiculturalism expert in Singapore, lauding the move, saying it was "not a surprise."
"I was concerned particularly with his widely circulated video clip a few years ago where he denigrated the Christian religious symbol," he wrote on Facebook. "If others were to make a mockery of Muslim religious symbols in the same manner, many Muslims would be upset too. Hence, his teachings have no place in a multi-religious context like Singapore."
He added: "I hope we'll find better preachers to follow: those who genuinely cultivate the ethics and values expected of a Muslim living in this current pluralistic world."
Singapore has in the past similarly denied entry to Islamic clerics whom the government deems propagators of extreme views that would jeopardise the republic's social harmony.
These preachers, including the Malaysia-based Indian national Zakir Naik, Malaysian Haslin Baharim and the Zimbabwean Islamic scholar Ismail Menk, wield significant influence among Southeast Asia's Muslims.
In Indonesia, several prominent voices suggested Singapore's entry denial to Somad was excessive.
Muhammadiyah, the country's second-largest moderate Muslim group, said it was necessary for Singapore officials to explain in clear terms why Somad was denied entry.
Former law and human rights affairs minister Yusril Ihza Mahendra claimed that Somad was a "straightforward Islamic ulema" who has nothing to do with foreign policy or political decision-making in Jakarta.
The former official suggested Singapore's actions were harmful to the convivial ties among member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations "particularly with regards to people to people relationships".
Meanwhile, Jazuli Juwaini, head of Islamic party The Prosperous Justice Party, at the House of Representatives, also demanded further explanation of Somad's treatment by Singapore, calling Somad "a respected ulema and intellectual in Indonesia."
Another politician, Yandri Susanto of the National Mandate Party, also an Islamic party, called Singapore's decision 'unreasonable.'
"Does Singapore view Indonesian Muslims as their enemy?" he said in a statement.
On Twitter, Fahri Hamzah, speaker of the House during Widodo's first term, told his 1.5 million followers that Somad's entry denial by Singapore underlines that "Islamophobia is growing, not only in neighbouring countries, but also domestically."
Somad has been denied access to multiple jurisdictions, with Hong Kong authorities blocking his entry in 2017 without giving reasons. He had planned to deliver a sermon to Indonesian domestic workers in the city.
In 2018, he was stopped from entering Timor Leste due to - in his words - "misinformation that he is a terrorist". In October 2019, he was refused entry to Switzerland and Germany, as well as to the Netherlands and Britain in February 2020.
Brigadier General Ahmad Nurwakhid, the head of Indonesia's National Counterterrorism Agency, told CNN Indonesia on Wednesday that Somad's entry ban was an "important lesson" for Indonesia on taking precautions to prevent radical views, ideology and doctrines from taking root, and subsequently leading to terrorism and violence.
The Indonesian anti-terror chief said Singapore's actions showed it had a "pre-emptive strike" policy when it came to combating militancy, and said his agency appreciated the action taken against Somad.
This article originally appeared on the South China Morning Post (SCMP).
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