RELIGION AND RIOTS – THE MARIA HERTOGH CASE



The Straits Times on 12 December, 1950

VIDEO  LINK: The Maria Hertogh Riots (Diary of A Nation)

The Maria Hertogh riots happened on 11 December 1950. It sparked off as a result of the custody battle between Maria Hertogh’s adoptive Malay family and her European parents. Maria Hertogh (a girl of Dutch heritage), was separated from her natural parents during the Japanese Occupation of Singapore in WWII. She was adopted by a Malay family who sheltered and raised her as a Muslim girl. After the war, her natural parents launched a legal battle for the custody of their child after they received news of her whereabouts in Malaya.

 The custody battle soon gained intense media attention worldwide. Maria Hertogh was taken into protective custody by the Social Welfare Department and during that time, the media took photographs and published them on the papers about a Muslim girl in a Catholic convent. It was even reported that she had bowed down to the Virgin Mary! These affected the religious sensitivities and began to stir up strong emotions among the Muslim community in the country.

Maria’s foster mother, Che Aminah appealed to the courts and was given temporary custody of the child. During the period of custody, the Muslim family arranged to have her married to a 22 year old teacher in order to gain control over the situation. As Maria was underage at that time, the marriage was declared null and void. On 11 December 1950, the judge rejected Aminah’s appeal and ordered Maria to be returned to her biological parents. Upon hearing the judgment, huge crowds began to riot outside the court to express their displeasure over the outcome. It soon spread to other parts of the country, as the Muslims are convinced that the laws, courts and legal system were prejudiced against them at that time. In the three days of rioting, 18 people were killed and 173 people were injured. There was also widespread destruction to personal property.

As a result of the Maria Hertogh riots, the Government of Singapore instituted legislation against racial and religious discrimination in 1965. The constitution provides for freedom of religion; however, other laws and policies restricted this right in some circumstances. Publications and public discussions of religious issues are generally considered out of bounds, and negative or inflammatory portrayals of religion are subjected to censorship. The Government does not tolerate speech or actions that it deems could adversely affect racial or religious harmony. It became an offence to incite racial and religious hatred in Singapore. The local media also exercised greater discipline in their coverage of sensitive issues.

REFERENCES CITED:
Maria Hertogh Riots (Wikipedia) -
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maria_Hertogh_riots
Religion in Singapore (Wikipedia) -
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religion_in_Singapore

EXERCISE:

Learning from our history, it is therefore very important to learn to respect one another’s religion in order to maintain peace and harmony in a society. This is particularly important in Singapore’s multi-ethnic society.

Research the internet and give another example on "Religion and Riots" around the world (may be historical or present). Comment on the truth of the above statement, and think of a way which we can exercise respect for one another's religion.

Instructions:

1. Use Word to type out your essay first (must have a minimum of 120 words).
2. You may research your answers from the Internet.
3. Do a spell check for grammar and spelling errors.
4. When you are satisfied, “cut and paste” your essay into the comments box below this article (remember to include your Class and Register Number) and submit.