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All 71 Singapore mosques will support anti-drug fight by CNB and Muis

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2 minutes

SINGAPORE - All 71 mosques here will be backing an anti-drug campaign this year, with a specially crafted sermon encouraging the community to play an active role. The Dadah Itu Haram initiative was unveiled by Minister for Home Affairs and Law K. Shanmugam and Minister of State for Home Affairs and National Development Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim at the Al-Ansar Mosque in Bedok on Friday (June 25). They were joined by Mr Esa Masood, chief executive of the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore (Muis), and Ustaz Dr Mohammad Hannan Hassan, the deputy Mufti. The annual anti-drug campaign is in conjunction with the International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking on June 26, and is a collaboration between the Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) and Muis. The effort, which was launched in 2017, was supported by 15 mosques last year, but is backed by all 71 mosques this year. During Friday prayers, a specially crafted sermon by the Office of the Mufti emphasised the importance of community involvement in the fight against drug abuse. "As one community, we play an important role together in helping and providing the required support, to those who have fallen into the trap of drug abus...

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Registration for modified korban ritual opens at 51 Singapore mosques

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3 minutes

SINGAPORE - Registration for the annual Hari Raya Haji ritual of korban opened on Tuesday (June 8), with distribution extended until mid-August. The ritual involves the slaughter of livestock and distributing meat to worshippers and the needy. For the second year running, mosques will arrange for sheep to be sacrificed in Australia and their meat to be transported here due to ongoing community transmission of Covid-19. A total of 51 mosques - up from 42 last year - will offer their services to facilitate the modified ritual, said the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore (Muis) in a statement on Tuesday . Each mosque will provide up to 120 sheep, which are priced between $320 and $370 each. This is up from 100 sheep last year. Registration closes on July 13. Slots for participants are subject to availability and will be given on a first-come first-served basis. Those who wish to perform korban may register at the websites of participating mosques and make payment directly. To comply with safe management measures, walk-in registrations are only available by appointment. In the three days after Hari Raya Haji, successful applicants will receive their chilled and pre-packed meat from...

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Enhanced training for religious teachers among new initiatives by Muis; plans to build new mosques deferred

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3 minutes

SINGAPORE - Plans to build new mosques, including one in Tampines North, will be deferred in light of the Covid-19 pandemic. The Islamic Religious Council of Singapore (Muis) will instead prioritise the upgrading of existing mosques, said Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs Masagos Zulkifli on Saturday (May 8). This decision comes after Muis carried out a review of its Mosque Upgrading Programme to ensure greater prudence in spending community funds, said the minister, who was speaking at Muis' annual workplan seminar that was held virtually this year. Over the past five years, $60 million from the Mosque Building and Mendaki Fund - a community fund contributed to by Muslim workers - has been used to build two new mosques and upgrade 11 existing ones. But Mr Masagos noted that the livelihood of many workers has been affected by the pandemic. "We expect the recovery from the crisis to take some time, and the coming years will continue to be challenging for the community," he said. The minister said plans to build new mosques will be reviewed when the economy recovers. Meanwhile, ongoing works to upgrade the Bencoolen, Malabar and Khalid Mosques are expected to be completed by the e...

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Ramadan congregational prayers to resume at S’pore mosques with Covid-19 measures in place

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3 minutes

SINGAPORE - During the fasting month of Ramadan last year, there were no night prayers in mosques that had to stay closed due to the circuit breaker. This year, Muslims can look forward to the resumption of some Ramadan activities. The Islamic Religious Council of Singapore (Muis) announced that mosques will be conducting terawih and qiyamullail in adherence to the prevailing safe management measures. Ramadan this year is from April 13 to May 12, and Hari Raya Puasa will be celebrated on May 13 after the fasting month ends. Terawih prayers are held every night at mosques during Ramadan, while qiyamullail prayers are held during the last 10 days of the holy month. Mufti Nazirudin Mohd Nasir, the highest Islamic authority here, said: "I am certain many of us (Muslims) are looking forward to spending some time at the mosque. But in view of the current situation (pandemic), we are not completely out of the woods. It is very important we conduct these activities in a very safe and responsible way." Prayer slots at the mosques must be booked online. There will be three booking windows throughout Ramadan for terawih prayers, with about 84,000 prayer spaces in each window across all mosque...

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Three mosques visited by Covid-19 patients closed for cleaning on Wednesday

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2 minutes

SINGAPORE - Three mosques that were visited by Covid-19 positive patients will be closed for cleaning and disinfection on Wednesday (Dec 2). They are: Ahmad Mosque in Pasir Panjang, Temenggong Daeng Ibrahim Mosque in Harbourfront and En-Naeem Mosque in Hougang. Bookings for congregational prayer at the mosques will be voided, said the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore (Muis) in a statement on Facebook. "The affected mosques are undergoing thorough cleaning and disinfection, with tentative reopening on Thursday, Dec 3, pending inspection and confirmation from the relevant agencies," added Muis. The religious council added that the Ministry of Health is actively conducting contact tracing, and all congregants who have been identified as close contacts of the individuals who tested positive will be contacted for "necessary follow-up action". "This is also a timely reminder of the importance of using TraceTogether when visiting the mosques, so that anyone who has had possible exposure to an infected person can be identified and reached quickly," said Muis. More on this topic Related Story Additional spaces for Friday prayers at 10 Singapore mosques as Muis begins pilot project Rel...