It is unusual for MM to conclude that Muslims have not integrated based on his sporadic observations of eating practices of Muslims. Many Muslims have no qualms sharing tables with their non-Muslim friends and colleagues. Muslims are obliged to observe certain dietary restrictions, inasmuch as people subscribing to other religions (e.g. Buddhists or Hindus who do not consume certain types of foods) or others having dietary restrictions (vegetarians, vegans). It is a stretch and disingenuous to suggest that Muslims are against or less likely to integrate primarily on account of our dietary restrictions or eating habits.
On this point of Halal food and Halal certified food establishments, I would disagree with the view of the AMP.
Let me recount a personal experience that I had.
When my daughter was aged 18 months, we celebrated a family member's birthday dinner at a Swensen's restaurant. As we normally would, we packed some home cooked porridge for my daughter. It was cooked with carrots and chicken.
As we were having our dinner, the manager of the restaurant came forward and advised us not to feed our daughter the porridge as it was deemed "outside food". We explained to the manager that there was nothing on the Swensen's menu that is suitable as a meal for an 18 month old child. His reply was that there was a complaint from a Muslim family sitting at another table who had observed the consumption of "outside food" in the restaurant (the chicken porridge we were feeding our daughter) and they threatened to complain to MUIS. Swensen's was a Halal certified food establishment. The manager said that there was "nothing he could do" and requested that we feed our daughter
outside the restaurant. We thus had to comply and take our daughter out of the restaurant and feed her.
Personally I can understand the sensitivities involved. However it is not a case where we were deliberately flouting the rules to spite any religion or anyone. And there was no offensive food types in our daughter's meal.
It is one thing to have firm religious beliefs and practices, but to impose them upon others of different faiths is another matter altogether.
Since many food establishments have become "Halal certified" we have seen our choices of food types on the menu of these restaurants restricted by the Muslim community. Shouldn't it be enough that the Muslims choose on their own not to take certain food types and allow other people to do so all under the same roof? As it is, where does the definition of "roof" end? The same room? The same building? The same country?
We are not even talking about sharing the same table and utensils. Even on separate tables, just the sight of an 18 month old baby taking "outside food" can elicit unhappiness in a Muslim. To me it is going a bit too far.
It is interesting that in the AMP's statement they phrased it carefully "
Many Muslims have no qualms sharing tables with their non-Muslim friends and colleagues."
Note that it is
"many" and not "all" or even "almost all".
In a country where food and meals form an important focus for Singaporeans, I find it difficult to accept the rules that Halal certified food establishments impose on all their patrons regardless of their religion or beliefs. A bacon sandwich is a bacon sandwich. Making it into a Turkey bacon sandwich that everyone has to consume because of one religion is an example of this.
This goes beyond being distinct as a community. It also shows how the aggressively the community asserts itself.
It is clearly not a case of one community trying to integrate itself into the broader community but rather coercing (albeit subtly) the broader community to conform to the said community's practices and beliefs.
As far as I know, no other community has such practices in Singapore.
