Wednesday, December 22, 2004

Taoism in Singapore

There is limited information about Taoism in Singapore, partly because there is no unifying organisation that links the Taoist temples together. The Taoist Mission (Singapore) offers insights to the religion with details on the development of Taoism in Singapore although this is mainly in Chinese. Taoism-Singapore is a very active discussion group that keeps track of events at various temples and the significance of these festivities. These are graphically illustrated through Tan Wee Cheng's online photographs at his website Tanki and elaborated further in the section Encounters.

Monday, December 06, 2004

Islamic Education in Singapore

The Darul-Arqam has a subsidiary, the Centre of Islamic Management Studies, set up in 1999 with the which aim to "develop and provide Islam-based training on various aspects of personal and professional development." Some unique courses offered are Islamic Banking and Shari'ah for Legal Practitioners. For religious education, there is a website reflecting all six full-time Madrasahs in Singapore. In 1999, the old Kampong Siglap Mosque was used as a centre for the memorisation of the Quran, Tahfiz Al-Quran Centre of Singapore. For critical thinking and discussions on Islam, the Centre for Islamic Studies provides such a platform. In the same vein, the Centre for Research on Islamic and Malay Affairs (RIMA), was also set up by the Association of Muslim Professionals.

Friday, December 03, 2004

Muslims in Singapore

Muslim Converts Association (Darul-Arqam)provides a good introduction to Islam. In Singapore, the administration of Muslim affairs is mainly managed by the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore (MUIS or Majlis Ugama Islam Singapura). The MUIS portal provides links to services such as Hajj Services, Halal Certification including a listing of certified halal food establishments in Singapore, and various eResources such as sermons and online publications. MUIS was established in 1968 as a result of the Administration of Muslim Law Act. An amendment of the act in 1975 saw the Mosque Building Fund (MBF) being set up. " The fecundity of the MBF can only be due to the Singapore Muslim way of doing things - the self-help way. Under the scheme, working Muslims are presently asked to donate a minimum of $2 to $5 each month to the Fund according to their salary, deducted through a government agency". In Mosque.org.sg, discover where mosques are located in Singapore and how they are managed.