Inter-religious harmony is critical for Singapore’s liveability as a densely populated, multi-cultural city-state. In today’s world where there is increasing polarisation in issues of race and religion, Singapore is a good example of harmonious existence between diverse places of worship and religious practices. This has been achieved through careful planning, governance and multi-stakeholder efforts, and underpinned by principles such as having a culture of integrity and innovating systematically. Through archival research and interviews with urban pioneers and experts, Religious Harmony in Singapore: Spaces, Practices and Communities documents the planning and governance of religious harmony in Singapore from pre-independence till the present day, with a focus on places of worship and religious practices.
“Singapore must treasure the racial and religious harmony that it enjoys…We worked long and hard to arrive here, and we must work even harder to preserve this peace for future generations. - Lee Hsien Loong, Prime Minister of Singapore.”