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The Singapore Struggle, after AWARE
Hello Talk2Action, I am from Singapore and am going to start writing here as regularly as I can. It's a tiny country that is densely populated and highly connected, and things here move REAL fast. Meaning my entries are not so much articles and more like an ongoing log/feed. Thought it would be of some small interest to those from the USA who would be interested in watching similar issues play out at breakneck pace, and in a microcosm. Dogemperor's first report on the steeplejacking of AWARE (a womens' rights NGO) attracted a fair amount of attention and was linked to by several sources in Singapore. With only a few exceptions, no-one, including myself, really knew about the wider dominionist push and most of the blame was heaped upon a single rogue church (Church of Our Saviour), from which most of the invaders came from. However the conduct of the steeplejackers, the media-savvy and transparency of the long-time members of AWARE, and a galvanised horde of liberal-minded Singaporeans ousted them from power at an Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) on May 2. But descriptions of that church sounded a lot like my old one which had abused me, and if what I knew of the behavior of its members, and the information in dogemperor's article was to be believed (and I believed it), then they would certainly try to attack AWARE and other secular groups in Singapore afterward. So I am going to keep monitoring and reporting events; and not let those who support secularism and liberty let their guard down in this struggle. As of now the following has occurred:
1. Dominionists in Singapore succeeded in lobbying the Ministry of Education to suspend AWARE's Comprehensive Sexuality Program (CSE ) from schools on the basis of pro-homosexuality. The MoE suspended all external vendors from providing CSE in schools pending a vetting process and promotes its own which discourages homosexuality but at least teaches contraception in addition to abstinence.
2. Nominated Member of Parliament (NMP) Siew Kum Hong, who gave pro bono legal advice to the original leaders of AWARE at the EGM, is currently experiencing an astroturfing campaign to prevent his re-election.
There was a false rumor spread around that he had accepted money from foreigners, so he made a police report.
3. NMPs Thio Li-Ann, of the group that steeplejacked AWARE, and MP Sin Boon Ann (no family relation) launch simultaneous attacks against secularism in the press. 4. There is a lot more astroturfing and lobbying still going on. For a while I wondered if it was even appropriate to suggest dogemperor start posting on Singapore sites. In a way, it's like we are relying on an American to help solve our problems. But since Ed Silvoso could run a Transformation 2009 conference here, http://www.fcbc.org.sg/service_news.asp?newsID=621, and we are faced with a naïve population which is only just starting to realize the notion of a NARasitic attempt to take over secular space...it's time to equalize this struggle. There was also the slight worry that as Singaporeans, I and other activists would unwittingly find themselves targeted by anti-sedition laws if we were the first to openly highlight the activities of the extremist Christian right, given that they have already infiltrated parliamentary, law and medical spheres. We do not enjoy the same freedom of speech, but in the long run, I dare to hope that my postings will help create a clear conduit...for Singaporeans to learn about NAR from Americans, and for Americans to test their hypotheses on countering NAR in a country that responds at a lightning speed.
I will try to post timely updates on Talk2Action while responding to comments made to dogemperor's and my articles on online news sites. In my next post I will highlight why the victory at the EGM was really a very fortunate one. Unlike in the USA, those pushing for equality for homosexuals, pro-choice stance for abortions etc face uniquely difficult circumstances and these should be elaborated upon.
The Singapore Struggle, after AWARE | 5 comments (5 topical, 0 hidden)
The Singapore Struggle, after AWARE | 5 comments (5 topical, 0 hidden)
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