NUS academic called in for questioning after police report filed on his Facebook posting in July

Kajoyan Gevork 2018
 The Online Citizen, SIngapore
Aug 28 2018
 
 
NUS academic called in for questioning after police report filed on his Facebook posting in July
 
Danisha Hakeem 2018-08-28 Investigations & Inquiries
 
Adjunct Professor at the Department of Architecture at the National University of Singapore (NUS) Mr Tay Kheng Soon was called in for questioning today (28 Aug) by the police, following a report made as a result of a Facebook discussion on a picture of the Genocide Memorial in Armenia, which he had posted on Facebook on 15 July this year.
 
It appears that the police report was made as a result of his description of the photograph:
 
I reported what I saw, and learnt of the 1,500,000 Armenian Christians who were exterminated by the Ottoman Turks in 1911. It was a case of convert or die.
 
Mr Tay said that a Facebook user by the name of Azhari Ali had accused him of "unfairly singling out Islam", in reference to the Ottoman Turks, "even though I had no such intention".
 
Mr Tay told the police that in his discussion with Mr Azhari, he posited the following:
 
[…] no sacred text of whatever religion can be taken literally. Because once such text is rendered in human language the denotations and therefore connotations of language cannot be avoided and therefore texts have to be interpreted in context and meaning.
 
To go by literal interpretation fails to recognise that times and social practices have changed and therefore readings of texts have also to take into account new conditions.
 
Mr Tay then urged the Chief of Police and the Minister of Home Affairs to "together establish guidelines to ascertain what should be appropriate responses to complaints made by the public as to their import."
 
He added that "if a complaint is substantive, meaning that the issue complained about is of such importance which might lead to violence and major social unrest, then action is called for not otherwise."

I just came from jurong police hq at their invitation to be interviewed following a report made to the police following my FB discussion with a Azhari Ali.

This was after i posted on FB a picture of the Genocide Memorial i visited in Armenia recently. I reported what i saw and learnt of the 1,500,000 Armenian Christians exterminated by the Ottoman Turks in 1911. It was a case of convert or die. Azhari objected. He felt that i unfairly singled out islam though i had no such i…ntention. I was merely reporting what i saw.

Someone made a police report on what transpired on FB and i was called up to explain my motives. I explained to the police that my role on FB is educational and i explained what i said that seemed to have upset Azhari Ali. I dont know who made the police report and i am not suggesting that Azhari did. I just dont know.

I had said in my intelocution with Azhari Ali that no sacred text of whatever religion can be taken literally. Because once such text is rendered in human language the denotations and therefore connotations of language cannot be avoided and therefore texts have to be interpreted in context and meaning.

For example marrying a 9year old girl child was ok in times past but not ok today.

To go by literal interpretation fails to recognise that times and social practices have changed and therefore readings of texts have also to take into account new conditions.

In my statement to the police i urge the Chief of Police and the Minister of Home Affairs to together establish guidelines to ascertain what should be appropriate responses to complaints made by the public as to their import. If a complaint is substantive, meaning that the issue complain ed about is of such importance which might lead to violence and major social unrest then action is called for not otherwise.

In cases which represent only some irritation felt by an individual then such reports can politely be set aside. Otherwise as in my case so much time and inconvenience is wasted for so many people just because someone is intolerant of views that dont accord with their own

Worse, the complainant has used the police as a weapon against people whose views dont agree with them. Lets not allow the law to be weaponise against academic discussants just to satisfy an individual's ruffled feelings. Modern Singapore i hope has matured enough to accept robust, sincere and polite discourse.

I should conclude that my police interlocuter acquitted herself very professionally and courteously which made the encounter with the law rather pleasant to my relief!

Mr Tay also expressed his disappointment against the complainant, who he believes "has used the police as a weapon against people whose views don't agree with them", and hoped that "modern Singapore has matured enough to accept robust, sincere and polite discourse".

 
He has also credited his police interlocutor for conducting her investigations "very professionally and courteously, which made the encounter with the law rather pleasant" to his relief.
 
Subsequently, Mr Tay had posted the following:
 
Zai Kuning made a great suggestion. The police should make it a requirement for every person who makes a police report to personally go to the police HQ to explain what and why he or she is aggrieved befor police take action if at all.