Dimensions of Religious Harmony as Constitutional Practice: Beyond State Control

German Law Journal (2019), 20, pp. 966–985

doi: 10.1017/glj.2019.78

This article provides a close analysis of the idea of religious harmony which is commonly invoked in several Asian countries. It argues that religious harmony can mean many things and can be used in a myriad of ways that go beyond simply as a tool for state control.

Religious harmony is not only a legal/constitutional principle, but has also become internalized as a social norm. Its regulating function extends to inter group relations and further grounds group demands on the state, thus imposing state obligations. To draw out the multiple and complex dimensions of religious harmony as a constitutional principle and social norm, I use Singapore, a self-avowed nonliberal communitarian state, as the primary case study in this Article.