Society

A. Social Cohesion (inter and intra-faith)

Religions have the potential to be an effective resource in enriching further the common space and common good in any pluralistic society. However, contemporary plural social contexts present a wide-range of dilemmas that usually arise from literal interpretation of religious texts and histories.

This research area will study Islamic texts and histories and examine the contexts of these texts and traditions to distinguish between what is immutable in the form of core principles, values and beliefs, and what are context-specific and require fresh interpretations. These include concepts, terminologies and laws that are laden with historical contexts. It seeks to identify ways that Muslims can co-exist peacefully and in constructive and mutually-beneficial ways with other communities, and barriers to such co-existence and how they can be overcome.

B. Family (marriage, divorce and Muslim law)

This research area aims to identify key demographic trends in Muslim marriage and divorce, as well as the dynamics and social make up of Malay/Muslim families in Singapore, with the aim of identifying ways of supporting and strengthening the family institution in new contexts. To this end, it will facilitate the comparative study of best practices and models of Muslim family law implementations in various contexts. It will study how the different stakeholders and agencies in Singapore can collaborate to support families through programmatic approaches, religious guidance, and reviews of laws as society evolves so that they remain resilient amidst these challenges.