A group of youths from various racial and religious background on Wednesday got an interesting out-of-classroom lesson on Islam by joining in the Hari Raya Haji celebration at Kampung Siglap Mosque.
Amongst them were 14 students from Cedar Girls' Secondary who hail from China.
One of the first things these girls learnt during their visit was how to put on the head-dress.
Mosque officials then explained the significance behind some Islamic practices, after which the students were off to tour the historic Kampung Siglap Mosque.
But the highlight of the day was no doubt the witnessing of the Korban, a ritual to mark the feast of sacrifice.
Fazlur Rahman, a member of the South East CDC, said:"It is hoped that this will provide an experiential journey for these students, where they are able to visit the mosque and understand what our Muslim fellow Singaporeans do within the mosque, and today on Hari Raya Haji, the practices of the slaughter of the sheep and sacrifice."
Many of the students are with the Southeast CDC's Racial Harmony Youth Ambassador Programme.
The idea is for these multi-racial youths to better understand one another's culture and religion so they can go on to spread their knowledge and the message of racial harmony to their peers.
"After this trip, I think I learnt a lot about the Islamic culture and a better understanding of the religion," said one of the students.
Besides the mosque, the Youth Ambassadors also visit temples and churches during key festivals, all part of an ongoing effort to foster inter-racial and inter-religious understanding.