Islam in Korea Marks Golden Anniversary
Muslims in Korea?? Who knew?
http://theseoultimes.com/ST/?url=/ST/db/read.php?idx=2522
Korea Middle East Association Hosts Reception
Foreign Minister Ban makes congratulatory remarks.
A reception to mark the golden anniversary of Islam in Korea was held at Hotel Lotte in downtown Seoul on Oct.12, 2005 with about 200 prominent figures from local and foreign communities attending.
Among them were Minister of Foreign Affairs Ban Ki-moon, a dozen of of Korean National Assemblymen including Rep.Maeng-Hyung-kyu and Rep.Sohn Bong-sook.
Also on hand at the function hosted jointly by Korea Middle East Association and other Arab-related organizations in Korea were members of local Muslim society in Korea and foreign diplomatic corps from Islamic countries in Asia, the Middle East and Africa, not to mention Korean business leaders and professors who are associated with the Islamic world.
On behalf of diplomatic corps representing Muslim countries, Amb. Moosa Hamdan Al Taee of Oman made a welcoming address.
Amb. Reda El Taify of Egypt, Amb. Moncef Baati of Tunisia, Amb. Abdulla Mohammed Al-Ma'ainah of the United Arab Emirates and Amb. Ahmed S. Al-Midhadi of Qatar, who arrived here recently to assume their Seoul posts joined the reception along with Malaysian Amb. Dato' M. Santhananaban and Nigerian Amb. Abba Tijjani.
As a noted Muslim chaplain pointed out, both Muslims and non-Muslims harbor misperceptions of Islam.
The crisis is with the understanding of Islam. How often do non-Muslims, notably Americans try to understand Islam using the Islamic lens?
Another religious expert maintained that this misinterpretation fuels the "voices of extremism and exclusivity in the Muslim and Arab world." Extremism and violence often result when religion and politics intermingle, he said, citing the Israeli-Palestinian conflict as an example of states manipulating religion for their own interests.
Since 9/11, headlines focussing on Islamic extremism have hidden the story of radical change and intense soul searching in many Muslim countries.
But now, in an epic journey, celebrated British Muslim writer Ziauddin Sardar travels to five leading Muslim countries to reveal how heads of government, intellectuals and opinion formers are seeking a new interpretation of Islam, BBS has reported.
Zia travels to Pakistan, Indonesia, Malaysia, Morocco and Turkey to see how changes there are affecting the lives of ordinary Muslims.
Islam has had a presence in this country for a very long time. In the 8th and 9th centuries, Arab sailors and merchants frequented the coastal waters of South and East Asia. As early as 845 their books mentioned Korea and did so in the most flattering of terms: "Over the sea beyond China lies a mountainous country called `Silla,' rich in gold. Muslims who arrive there by accident are so attracted by its character that they stay there forever and do not want to leave."
The resurrection of Islam in the Korean Peninsula took place during the Korean War. The war was fought largely by U.S. forces but with support from other countries, among them Turkey, a close ally of Washington. The Turkish forces were among the most numerous, some 15,000 soldiers, and best trained non-American units to take part in the war.
The Turks brought Islam back to Korea. They proved to be not only good fighters but also successful missionaries. Their "tent mosques" which initially served the soldiers themselves, eventually became major centers of missionary activity.
The Turks allowed and encouraged Korean converts to take part in prayers and attend services, according to Sang-ki Paik, adviser for the Embassy of the Republic of Turkey.
The Turks were also engaged in large-scale humanitarian efforts, which left a favorable, lasting impression on the locals.
When the war finished and the Turkish units returned home, they left behind a small but active local Muslim community. The Korean Muslim Society was officially inaugurated in 1955.
This body, later re-named the Korean Islamic Foundation, became the major organization for believers here. The society sent members overseas for religious education and tried, unsuccessfully, to establish a permanent mosque with the help of a Malaysian government grant. Prayers were held in makeshift buildings, with minarets made of wooden planks and iron frames.
The 1960s brought a new impetus to Islam in this country. At that time a large number of Korean construction workers were dispatched to the Near East, where domestic companies were engaged in numerous projects. Some of these workers came back as converted Muslims and engaged in missionary activity among their fellows.
In the 1970s, the first permanent mosque was established in Itaewon, constructed with a grant provided by Saudi Arabia and opened in 1976. At that time it was one of the most remarkable buildings in the entire city, and is still impressive.
On the whole, Islam in Korea is not that prevalent, despite the efforts of Muslim preachers. It is considered to be an exotic phenomenon, although the number of Korean Muslims is much larger than the number of Orthodox Koreans. Nevertheless, Muslim society is growing and developing in Korea.
The number of Muslims here is estimated to be about 45,000 in addition to some 100,000 foreign workers from Muslim countries. There are six permanent mosques around the country.
http://theseoultimes.com/ST/?url=/ST/db/read.php?idx=2522
Korea Middle East Association Hosts Reception
Foreign Minister Ban makes congratulatory remarks.
A reception to mark the golden anniversary of Islam in Korea was held at Hotel Lotte in downtown Seoul on Oct.12, 2005 with about 200 prominent figures from local and foreign communities attending.
Among them were Minister of Foreign Affairs Ban Ki-moon, a dozen of of Korean National Assemblymen including Rep.Maeng-Hyung-kyu and Rep.Sohn Bong-sook.
Also on hand at the function hosted jointly by Korea Middle East Association and other Arab-related organizations in Korea were members of local Muslim society in Korea and foreign diplomatic corps from Islamic countries in Asia, the Middle East and Africa, not to mention Korean business leaders and professors who are associated with the Islamic world.
On behalf of diplomatic corps representing Muslim countries, Amb. Moosa Hamdan Al Taee of Oman made a welcoming address.
Amb. Reda El Taify of Egypt, Amb. Moncef Baati of Tunisia, Amb. Abdulla Mohammed Al-Ma'ainah of the United Arab Emirates and Amb. Ahmed S. Al-Midhadi of Qatar, who arrived here recently to assume their Seoul posts joined the reception along with Malaysian Amb. Dato' M. Santhananaban and Nigerian Amb. Abba Tijjani.
As a noted Muslim chaplain pointed out, both Muslims and non-Muslims harbor misperceptions of Islam.
The crisis is with the understanding of Islam. How often do non-Muslims, notably Americans try to understand Islam using the Islamic lens?
Another religious expert maintained that this misinterpretation fuels the "voices of extremism and exclusivity in the Muslim and Arab world." Extremism and violence often result when religion and politics intermingle, he said, citing the Israeli-Palestinian conflict as an example of states manipulating religion for their own interests.
Since 9/11, headlines focussing on Islamic extremism have hidden the story of radical change and intense soul searching in many Muslim countries.
But now, in an epic journey, celebrated British Muslim writer Ziauddin Sardar travels to five leading Muslim countries to reveal how heads of government, intellectuals and opinion formers are seeking a new interpretation of Islam, BBS has reported.
Zia travels to Pakistan, Indonesia, Malaysia, Morocco and Turkey to see how changes there are affecting the lives of ordinary Muslims.
Islam has had a presence in this country for a very long time. In the 8th and 9th centuries, Arab sailors and merchants frequented the coastal waters of South and East Asia. As early as 845 their books mentioned Korea and did so in the most flattering of terms: "Over the sea beyond China lies a mountainous country called `Silla,' rich in gold. Muslims who arrive there by accident are so attracted by its character that they stay there forever and do not want to leave."
The resurrection of Islam in the Korean Peninsula took place during the Korean War. The war was fought largely by U.S. forces but with support from other countries, among them Turkey, a close ally of Washington. The Turkish forces were among the most numerous, some 15,000 soldiers, and best trained non-American units to take part in the war.
The Turks brought Islam back to Korea. They proved to be not only good fighters but also successful missionaries. Their "tent mosques" which initially served the soldiers themselves, eventually became major centers of missionary activity.
The Turks allowed and encouraged Korean converts to take part in prayers and attend services, according to Sang-ki Paik, adviser for the Embassy of the Republic of Turkey.
The Turks were also engaged in large-scale humanitarian efforts, which left a favorable, lasting impression on the locals.
When the war finished and the Turkish units returned home, they left behind a small but active local Muslim community. The Korean Muslim Society was officially inaugurated in 1955.
This body, later re-named the Korean Islamic Foundation, became the major organization for believers here. The society sent members overseas for religious education and tried, unsuccessfully, to establish a permanent mosque with the help of a Malaysian government grant. Prayers were held in makeshift buildings, with minarets made of wooden planks and iron frames.
The 1960s brought a new impetus to Islam in this country. At that time a large number of Korean construction workers were dispatched to the Near East, where domestic companies were engaged in numerous projects. Some of these workers came back as converted Muslims and engaged in missionary activity among their fellows.
In the 1970s, the first permanent mosque was established in Itaewon, constructed with a grant provided by Saudi Arabia and opened in 1976. At that time it was one of the most remarkable buildings in the entire city, and is still impressive.
On the whole, Islam in Korea is not that prevalent, despite the efforts of Muslim preachers. It is considered to be an exotic phenomenon, although the number of Korean Muslims is much larger than the number of Orthodox Koreans. Nevertheless, Muslim society is growing and developing in Korea.
The number of Muslims here is estimated to be about 45,000 in addition to some 100,000 foreign workers from Muslim countries. There are six permanent mosques around the country.
posted by purvis at 10:52 AM
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