Rafe Fletcher: Civic nationalism needs civic pragmatism
Rafe Fletcher discusses the importance of civic pragmatism in managing multi-religious and multi-racial societies, using Singapore as a case study. He contrasts Singapore's approach to integration and social cohesion with Britain's more fragmented identity politics. The article highlights how Singapore's Ethnic Integration Policy aims to prevent political fragmentation and maintain social harmony.
- ▪Maria Hertogh's case in Singapore sparked riots and highlighted the challenges of managing a multi-religious society.
- ▪Lee Kuan Yew's pragmatic approach to social cohesion was influenced by his experiences during the riots.
- ▪Singapore's Ethnic Integration Policy ensures neighborhoods reflect national demographics to prevent identity politics.
Opening excerpt (first ~120 words) tap to expand
Rafe Fletcher is the founder of CWG. Maria Hertogh was born in the Dutch East Indies in 1937 to a Dutch father and Eurasian mother. Her parents were interned by invading Japanese forces in the 1940s. Maria was entrusted to a local woman who raised Maria – a baptised Roman Catholic – as a Muslim. Freed after the war, Maria’s biological parents tracked her down in British Malaya. But she did not share their joy at the reunion. A bitter legal battle followed in Singapore and the court eventually ordered Maria’s return to her birth family. It also annulled her Islamic marriage at age 13 to an older man. The ruling sparked riots across Singapore. Muslims attacked Europeans and vandalised their property. Order was only restored through military intervention and a two-week curfew.
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Excerpt limited to ~120 words for fair-use compliance. The full article is at ConservativeHome.
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