The US has the right to accept people who engage in hate speech into their country, but its approach will certainly gain the attention of people with similar tendencies, who will also apply for asylum there.

This was basically the message that the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) put out on Mar. 25, when commenting on the successful asylum application of teenage blogger Amos Yee in the US.

In a 13 paragraph hard-hitting press release, citing the details and background of two-time convicted hate speech propagator Amos Yee's brush with the law in Singapore, in particular his attack on Muslim and Christians, MHA noted the difference betweem the US and Singapore:

Yee had engaged in hate speech against Christians and Muslims.

The US adopts a different standard, and allows some such hate speech under the rubric of freedom of speech.

The US for example, in the name of freedom of speech, allows the burning of the Quran .

Singapore takes a very different approach. Anyone who engages in hate speech or attempts to burn the Quran, Bible, or any religious text in Singapore, will be arrested and charged.

The US Department of Homeland Security had opposed Yee’s asylum application, on the basis that Yee had been legitimately prosecuted.

It is the prerogative of the US to take in such people who engage in hate speech. There are many more such people, around the world, who deliberately engage in hate speech, and who may be prosecuted. Some of them, will no doubt take note of the US approach, and consider applying for asylum in the US.

18 year old Amos Yee was granted asylum by a US immigration judge in Chicago on Mar. 24, who ruled Yee’s prosecution, detention and maltreatment at the hands of the Singapore authorities “constitute(s) persecution on account of Yee’s political opinions”, thereby qualifying him as a political refugee.

He has been held in US immigration detention since December 16, 2016 after he landed at O’Hare Airport in Chicago.

Related articles:

Amos Yee gets his wish to stay in US after successful asylum bid

Amos Yee said he is scared of returning to S’pore if US asylum bid fails

Amos Yee will know his fate in 2 weeks’ time if political asylum bid successful

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