Muhammad Abdul Aleem Siddiqi - Singapore

Singapore

He came to Singapore in 1930 to spread the message and beauty of Islam. He delivered numerous lectures in Singapore and attracted many people to Islam. He pioneered the establishment of the All Malaya Muslim Missionary Society, now known as Jamiyah, in 1932.

In early 1949, Abdul Aleem Siddique, together with other religious leaders, met with Malcolm MacDonald, Singapore’s then Commissioner-General, to discuss issues of solidarity amongst religions. In a similar meeting, a decision was made to set up an organisation for inter-religious understanding, later called Inter-Religious Organisation (IRO). In March 1949, IRO was formed to foster greater understanding between the faiths in Singapore and to promote the spirit and message of peace amongst the citizens of Singapore. In IRO’s inauguration ceremony, on 18 March 1949 at Victoria Memorial Hall, Abdul Aleem Siddique spoke, saying,

"As far as the common evils and accepted moral principles were concerned, no religion could have any difference, and in the spirit of tolerance and sympathy and the desire to establish peace, all of them were as one. The task of the religious leaders was to let the followers of each and every religion know the teachings of other religions, so that a spirit of fellowship could work together to spread the accepted moral principles and to fight the common evils."