Al-Istiqamah Mosque to operate as usual, Faishal Ibrahim urges 'calm' after suspicious parcel incident

The Al-Istiqamah Mosque in Serangoon North will resume its normal operations, said the Acting Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs Faishal Ibrahim in a Facebook post on Sep. 25.

Congregants had been evacuated from the mosque as a precaution on Sep. 24 after an unknown parcel had been found on the premises.

Faishal Ibrahim urges calm

He reaffirmed his relief that no hazardous substances were found by SCDF HazMat Specialists in the suspicious parcel that had been delivered to the mosque on Sep. 24.

Faishal urged everyone to “remain calm, stay alert, and not spread misinformation”.

He had also visited the staff who had been hospitalised in Sengkang General Hospital for breathlessness following the parcel incident.

She was reported to be in good condition and Faishal had encouraged her to concentrate on her recovery.

He added that he had joined congregants for pre-dawn prayers at Al-Istiqamah and assured them that MUIS and the mosque remained committed to supporting both its staff and worshippers.

Commitment to safety

In an earlier Facebook post made around 12:00am, after he had conducted a doorstop outside Al-Istiqamah mosque, he stated that such incidents were “unacceptable” and reiterated that mosques in Singapore will “remain safe spaces for worship and for our community”.

MUIS has also echoed Faishal’s statement in their own Facebook post, noting that safety remained their utmost priority and that the Masjid Al-Istiqamah mosque “will continue with its vigilance and due diligence to ensure a safe environment”.

As of now, police investigations are still ongoing.

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Top images via muhammad.faishal.ibrahim1/Facebook, Google Maps