Bangladeshi preacher Amir Hamza under investigation in Singapore for ‘illegal’ sermon
The country will take strong action if Hamza is found to have breached Singapore’s laws or posed a security concern
Singapore has launched an investigation against Bangladeshi speaker Amir Hamza for giving sermon to migrant workers in the country without a permit on 9 August, reports Straits Times.
According to the report, the country will take strong action if Hamza is found to have breached Singapore's laws or posed a security concern.
The Singapore home ministry stated that potential actions against Amir Hamza include deportation, prosecution, or detention under the Internal Security Act.
"Amir Hamza's sermon promoted extremist and segregationist teachings that pose a serious threat to Singapore's communal harmony," the ministry said in a statement.
Minister for Home Affairs and Law K Shanmugam said Amir Hamza had previously delivered sermons that undermined secular values, promoted religious intolerance, and disparaged non-Muslims.
In his sermon at the dormitory on 9 August, Amir Hamza referred to non-Muslims as kafirs (infidels) and praised extremists as models of religious devotion, the minister added.
Amir Hamza reportedly entered Singapore on 9 August using a passport with a different name than the one in ISD's databases.
He was previously arrested by the Bangladesh government for alleged terror links.