SINGAPORE, May 26 (UPI) -- The grand imam of Egypt's prestigious Al-Azhar University says Singapore is a classic example of how Muslims can be at ease in a secular state.
In his appeal for cooperation and not a clash among civilizations, Muhammad Sayyid Tantawi, who is visiting the island city-state, said Singapore's multi-faith society in which the majority is non-Muslim, lives in harmony with the minority Muslims, reports the Channel News Asia.
He said the country allows Muslims to co-exist peacefully without compromising their Islamic values. Tantawi, who heads the Cairo-based university, is a leading figure in the Islamic world.
"Living in a country with a non-Muslim majority, you have to respect the rules of the state as the state respects your beliefs and your Islamic obligations," he said.
"All citizens of Singapore, regardless of race or religion, work together to promote peace and prosperity, to respect other creeds and cooperate, with respect for each other's religion and the law of the land."
He said majority and minority groups must "fight together against anyone who dares an act of aggression against the state."
