SPEECH BY DR YAACOB IBRAHIM, MINISTER FOR COMMUNICATIONS AND INFORMATION AND MINISTER IN-CHARGE OF MUSLIM AFFAIRS AT THE SINGAPORE AL-AZHAR STUDENTS GRADUATION CEREMONY ON 3 NOVEMBER 2014, CAIRO, EGYPT

Assalamualaikum wr wb

His Excellency Prof Dr Abdel Hayy ‘Azb, President of Al-Azhar University; His Excellency Ambassador Mr S Premjith, Singapore Ambassador to Egypt; Hj Abdul Razak Maricar, Chief Executive, the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore; Senior Officials and Deans from the Al-Azhar University, graduands; parents; students; ladies and gentlemen.

Let me first extend my heartiest congratulations to all the graduands here today.

Today, we celebrate the successful completion of your studies at the prestigious Al-Azhar University as well as Cairo University.

I am pleased to see that your parents have made the effort to fly all the way to Egypt to join you in the celebrations here today.

Resilience in the pursuit of success

2.           Education will continue to be the pillar of our progress.

Through the efforts of our institutions such as MUIS and the madrasahs, our community, and your own personal desire, you are all well-placed and well equipped to navigate your way through tertiary religious education in reputable institutions overseas, including the prestigious Al-Azhar University and Cairo University.

It is therefore heartening to see many of you come this far to achieve outstanding results.

This year, four (4) of you are graduating with a Distinction or Mumtaz, and eleven (11) with 2^nd Upper Honours or Jayyid Jiddan.

This, I understand, is the best achievement thus far for a cohort of Singapore students in Cairo, including our first student in Cairo University graduating with a Distinction.

3.           Today’s celebration is even more meaningful because it is a testament to your endurance and resilience.

It is difficult studying in an unfamiliar environment, and even more so amidst the recent socio-political developments and uncertainties in the Middle East and North Africa region.

In fact, last year’s graduation ceremony for your seniors had to be held in Singapore, because we could not hold it here.

4.           Some of you had to endure personal hardships in addition to these unrests.

In 2012, Nurushshahidah binte Sabran had to defer her third year studies to attend to her ailing parents.

Nurushshahidah lost her father to an illness in 2012. Her mother was hospitalized several times and was in state of coma for eight days.

These trials and challenges did not deter Nurushshahidah’s spirit to succeed. She was more resolute and determined to fulfill her father’s wish and her mother’s sacrifices.

And today, Alhamdulillah, she is among you celebrating this success. Please join me in congratulating Nurushshahidah and her family.

You are indeed an inspiration to your peers and to the community.

 5.           For those who have set their hearts and minds to becoming religious leaders and educators to guide our community, I look forward to your contributions.

You have received your education here in the Middle East, drawing from the rich Islamic traditions and unchanging principles; and deepening your knowledge of the texts.

However, you must remember to contextualize your knowledge and life experiences to Singapore, and our multi-cultural, multi-religious society.

MUIS engages our students before they depart overseas and when they are overseas, to apprise them of the developments back home and discuss current affairs to put views and experiences in perspective.

6.           Singapore is becoming increasingly diverse.

The principles of meritocracy and multiracialism have worked for us; and must be upheld in order to ensure harmony and cohesion in a more diverse Singapore.

We are also living in a more inter-connected world where hierarchies are less relevant and information flow is instantaneous and pervasive.

How we navigate diversity, coupled with the prevalent use of social media and advancement of technology, while remaining true to what we believe in, will be challenging.

 7.            I shared in my Hari Raya speech earlier this year that we must emulate our pioneer generation’s ability to deal with differences within the community in a calm, rational and dignified manner.

For example, issues such as organ donation and phasing out of old mosques had drawn strong comments from the community.

But our leaders patiently engaged the people on these issues, and because of their reasonable and inclusive approach, we forged our own space within the larger multicultural Singapore over time.

For instance, there was the late Haji Ridzwan Dzafir, or Pak Wan as we fondly knew him, who was always looking for common ground among heated, contending views.

We also have Mdm Khatijun Nissa Siraj, one of the founding members of the Singapore Muslim Women’s Association (PPIS), who was active in shaping a more progressive outlook on issues such as marriage, divorce, and social welfare, through regular dialogue and debate.

8.           Such composure, patience and leadership continue to be relevant to us today, as we are confronted with a plurality of ideas and opinions on a range of matters.

The young generation today is more articulate and expressive, especially on social media. And this is a good thing, because for years we’ve been trying to get our youths to be more confident in voicing their views and speaking up for the community.

At the same time, we also need to help guard against any intolerance of differences, which can easily lead to extreme behaviour, and in turn affect our cohesion as a community and as a nation.

We have a role to play in preserving an atmosphere of mutual respect and understanding, and maintaining our tradition of acceptance of diversity.

Asatizah Development

9.           Graduation is not the end of learning. I encourage our graduands here today to embrace continuous learning because it makes us better, and more relevant.

MUIS is committed to provide training and development programmes to help our students, recent graduates and asatizah realise their full potential.

In 2013, MUIS expended a sum of about $1.2 million for asatizah development, an increase in allocation of 80% compared to the sum of $665,000 set aside in 2009.

10.       There is a wide range of training courses and workshops for you to benefit from.

The Asatizah Recognition Scheme (ARS) offers a range of Continuous Professional Education (CPE) courses with a multi-disciplinary approach to learning.

MUIS Academy organizes advanced level courses including the Asatizah Masterclass, Seminars, Workshops, and Conferences.

MUIS also facilitates internships in organisations and companies beyond the religious sector to enrich work experience and harness competencies.

11.       MUIS’ Post Graduate Scholarship Fund is meant for deserving candidates to deepen their knowledge in areas such as Islamic Law and Society, Islamic Education and Curriculum, and Islamic History and Civilization.

The yearly application is open to all, and the selection board is headed by Mufti.

I am happy to share that an Al-Azhar alumnus, Ustaz Afif Pasuni, was recently awarded a MUIS Postgraduate Scholarship to do his PhD program in Warwick University in the United Kingdom.

He combines his Shari‘ah background, and research in political science and sociology to focus on fatwa formulation in a modern nation state.

Other organizations, such as LBKM and Pergas too offer scholarships and bursaries to asatizah. In other words, with the right attitude and determination, you should be able to scale higher to achieve excellence in your field.

Exploring other fields

12.       For those of you who are still unsure of where to go or what to do, I assure you that there are many opportunities back home for you to explore.

Many asatizah have developed their careers within institutions in the religious sector, and a growing number of graduates have created their own companies to offer niche services as well as customised religious classes for the busy professional.

Find your passion and take that bold step towards doing something that you have always wanted to do, even if it is not within your comfort zone.

Do consider employment or opportunities beyond the religious sector, such as social work, in research institutes, and even business companies.

Once you find your path, work hard and gain the necessary skills and competencies to excel.

Conclusion

13.       Let me end with a call; the same call I made to your seniors at the last graduation ceremony.

Continue to explore and discover, but remain connected to our community and our nation. Understand the complexity of the society.

Appreciate this diversity as colours of life, instead of contradictions in life. More importantly, be humble because it is the quality of true scholars.

Use your knowledge to benefit the individual, family, community and nation.  

14.       I wish to congratulate all of you once again for having completed a significant milestone in your life. You have done yourselves, your families, and your community proud.

15.       I hope that each and every one of you grow to be the confident voice of our progressive community; to guide our community to remain steadfast in our religion and to contribute in building a harmonious nation.  

Thank you. Wassalam.

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