The National Council of Churches of Singapore has issued a lengthy statement denouncing the ideology of a 16-year-old Singaporean Protestant Christian who planned terrorist attacks on two mosques here.

The council said that "ideology driving the youth to consider such acts of violence does not originate from the Scriptures".

It added that it rejects any ideology that promotes or incites violence against another, "especially if they are of a different religious community".

The council went on to say that it believes that the teen developed his extremist ideology on his own rather than from church teachings, and assured the Muslim community that "there is no animosity between our communities, and that we remain committed to defeating hatred and violence".

Catholic Church: "Violence has no place in society"

Echoing the National Council of Churches of Singapore, the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Singapore also issued a statement affirming its solidarity with the Muslim community and its belief that Islam is a religion of peace.

It called for religious harmony and "peaceful co-existence of all religions" and urged teachers and guardians to guide youths, especially in the face of widespread "errant and violent materials" on the internet.

MUIS: Grim reminder of the threat of online radicalisation

Meanwhile, the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore (Muis) said in a statement that the incident is a "grim reminder" of the threat of online radicalisation, and condemned acts of terror and violence that has no place in any religion.

It also commended the security agencies for detecting the case early on and expressed gratitude for the close bonds of friendship and trust among communities of different faiths.

Top images via Google Maps, MHA.