Singapore - Singapore's founder and former leader Lee Kuan Yew denied Monday that he had branded Islam a 'venomous religion' as a leaked diplomatic cable from the United States stirred a debate in the multi-racial city-state.
The US embassy cable released last week by WikiLeaks said that Lee had 'characterized Islam as a 'venomous religion'' during a meeting with visiting US Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton in July 2005.
'This is false,' Lee said Monday, adding that he had consulted notes of the meeting made by Singapore's foreign ministry.
'Nowhere does it record me describing Islam as 'venomous,' nor did I say anything which could have given that impression.'
Lee, 87, said he and Clinton had discussed Islamic terrorists and 'jihadist preachers who brainwashed them.'
'Their Islam is a perverted version, which the overwhelming majority of Muslims in Singapore do not subscribe to,' he said.
Muslims represent about 15 per cent of Singapore's population of 5 million people.
The city-state has a multi-racial society dominated by Chinese, with large Malay Muslim and Indian minorities.
Lee's reported comments and his denial sparked a heated debate in local internet forums.
One comment said that 'it would not be surprising that he did and now denies it.' Some condemned the remarks as seditious.
Another said Lee was misquoted as he was 'careful with words and will never say anything to outsiders that would not bear repeating.'
In March, the outspoken Lee withdrew some controversial remarks on Singapore's Muslims made in his latest book.
He had advised Muslims to be 'less strict on Islamic observations' for better integration. After an uproar in the Muslim community, Lee retracted those comments, calling them outdated.
Posts
0 comments:
Post a Comment