Muslim in Thailand

 

Thailand is a state in Southeast Asia. Thailand is the only country in Southeast Asia that has not become a colony of any European power. From 1782 to 1932, absolute monarchy was established in the country. In 1932, the rebels staged a coup and established a constitutional monarchy in the country. Since then, Thailand has been ruled by many military and civilian governments. Until 1939, the country was known as Siam . That year the name was changed to Thailand. However, in the late 1940s, it was again called Siam. In 1949, the name Thailand was adopted for the second time. Bangkok is the largest city and capital of Thailand. With a monarchy of 5,14,000 sq km, Thailand has a population of 75 million, of which 7.5 million are Muslims, or 12 percent of the total population. Buddhists 8 percent, Christians 0.62 percent and others 0.08 percent. According to the 2015 census, Thailand has 2,892,311 Muslims, or 4.29% of the total population. 2,227,613 of these Muslims are concentrated in the southern region of the country, where they represent up to 24.33% of the population. Muslims are the largest minority in the country. The five religions are royally supported. These are Buddhism, Islam, Christianity, Hinduism and Sikhism. Religious people of the regional faith can also practice their religion freely here. Most of them live in rural areas.There are approximately 2,000 mosques in Thailand, about 100 of which are in Bangkok. Some 200 Muslim schools offer secular as well as religious instruction. There are 160 mosques in Bangkok alone. The number of prayers is also significant. Some ancient mosques were established about 300 years ago. There are madrasas with almost all of these mosques. In the mosque of Thailand, the call to prayer is given to Mike. The work of invitation and preaching is also going on in full swing. In Thailand, there are no constitutional barriers to religious practice, education and preaching.

Islam's relationship with royal Thailand is rooted in history. Thailand has had business relations with Arabs for hundreds of years. That relationship deepened and improved after the advent of Islam. Islam spread in the country through Arab traders and Muslim campaigns in the thirteenth century. From the time of King Sukuthai (1257-1377) the Arabs began to live in the coastal areas of Thailand. During the period 1350-1767, many ethnic groups from Iran, Malay and Indonesian settled in the southern part of present-day Thailand and have been receiving socio-economic and religious support from the Kingdom of Siam. 1602 is a very important time for Islam. Two brothers from Iran played a major role in the spread of Islam in Thailand. The two brothers who had a great influence in the propagation of Islam were Shaykh Ahmad Komi and Shaykh Saeed Komi. An example of their influence is a famous mosque established in 1656 AD. The mosque was built in the city of Ayodhya. Shaykh Ahmad Khumi, a preacher of Islam, played an important role in the development of economic and religious relations with Arabia and Persia. For the important role of Sheikh Ahmad Khumir, King awarded him the title of Chularajamanati or Shaykhul Islam. In Thailand, he oversaw Islamic education and religious affairs on behalf of the King. Since then, Muslim relations with the Kingdom of Thailand have never been worse. After gaining worldwide recognition as a tourist destination, a large number of travelers came to Thailand from Arab countries. And a large part of Thailand's agricultural products are exported to various Muslim countries. Muslims from different ethnic groups in Arabia, Pathan, Malay, Burmese, Bengali, Cambodia, India, Central Asia, and Indonesia live mostly in the south, and Howe Muslims of Chinese descent live in the northern provinces of Thailand. They are far ahead of Muslims of Chinese descent in Yunnan Province in education and business. The late King of Thailand Bhumibol was a favorite of all Thais regardless of race or religion. He looked at people of all religions with equal eyes. Eid Miladunnabi in the presence of his representative is a big religious festival for Thai Muslims. The Central Islamic Committee of Thailand is the highest religious authority of the Muslims which is recognized by the king and advises the king on various matters including Islamic education, Hajj, mosque management, Sharia court. A Chinese mosque in Chiang Mai was to celebrate its centenary this year; But due to the death of King Bhumibol, this centenary ceremony was canceled.

In the early twentieth century, Muslims in Thailand were also influenced by the Islamic reform movement, especially through the thought of Muhammad Abduh. During this time Ahmad Wahab wrote a book on his reformist thinking. The ideals and thoughts of this book were the manifestations of the thoughts of Muhammad Abduh and Rashid Reza. His political activities against Dutch colonialism were molded by the Muhammadan movement. When he was deported from Indonesia to Thailand, he was able to attract a large number of fans and supporters. The first Islamic reformist front he formed was called Ansarus Sunnah. When government pressure on Muslims increased in the 1960s, Pattani formed the Liberation Front. Similarly, in 1968, he created another print called 'Pattani Sammilita Swadhinata Sangstha'. The goal of their movement was the independence of the four Muslim-majority provinces in southern Thailand. The Islamic Awakening movement in Thailand flourished in the 1970s and 1980s. In the last two decades, the Islamic awakening movement has been active in different parts of the Muslim world, including the Middle East, in a slightly different way. They have been conducting Islamic activities in the style and form of the 'Dawa' movement. The movement continued to try to establish Islamic values, and they also cooperated with various Islamic countries.

The three main Muslim states in Thailand are Patani, Narathiwat and Yala. Yala is one of them. Eighty-five percent of the population is Muslim. The three provinces of Patani, Narathiwat and Yala are called the Patani region. The Thais occupied the former Pattani Sultanate in 1785 and have ruled the region ever since. The Anglo-Syrian Treaty of 1909 guaranteed Thai ownership of the region. According to the latest census by the Ministry of Home Affairs, the three main Muslim states of Thailand are Pattani, Narathiwat and Yala. Narathiwat Muslims 6 lakh, Buddhists 1 lakh and Christians 3 thousand and Yala Muslim 3 lakh, Buddhists 2 lakh and Christians 2 thousand. In other words, these three provinces are home to 16 percent of the total Muslim population in Thailand. Adjacent to Malaysia, Satun province also has a Muslim majority. All four provinces have large Muslim populations. Eighty percent of Thailand's Muslims live in this part of the country. Kelantan was in Malaysia at the time of the formation of the Nation State, while the provinces of Fatani, Yala, Narathabi and Satun were annexed by Thailand. Dit and the central government is also coming up with its recognition; But after the Thai language was made compulsory in the 1940s and local religious laws were relaxed, tensions erupted in the four provinces, which some groups later sought to push for independence. Tensions are still high in the region. From November 2004, independence movements began in four Muslim-majority provinces bordering southern Malaysia. Most of the inhabitants of the four provinces are Malay-speaking. The inhabitants speak Malay in the Yaoi branch. Thai and Yao speakers do not understand each other's language.

There are allegations of discrimination against Muslims, harassment by security forces, killings and disappearances. The independence movement is taking place in the provinces of Sonka, Pattani, Yala and Narathiwat. Occasionally there are violent incidents between Muslims and local Buddhists. According to the Daily Bangkok Post, at least 6,500 people were killed in the region between 2004 and 2015. Several Islamist groups are working to establish an independent Islamic caliphate in the south of the country. The government wants to suppress them severely As a result, violence is created However, nine out of ten people who died were civilians, according to Human Rights Watch Like Sri Lanka and Myanmar, Buddhist monks in Thailand are also a part of the conflict In October 2015, a popular Thai Buddhist monk said on Facebook that a mosque should be set on fire in response to the killing of a Buddhist monk. Following the announcement, the Buddhist monk was expelled from the monastic community. Peace talks between the government and Muslim leaders continue. The government appears to be committed to a lasting solution to the problem. Was. A Buddhist clergyman, representing the protesters, handed the protest letter to a provincial official. In Thailand's southern border region, where Muslims are the majority, provincial Islamic committees can conduct limited family, marriage and divorce arbitration. Muslim women are often seen in various business establishments or supermarkets in the capital, Bangkok. Muslims can be easily recognized. Because Thai Muslim girls wear hijab. Thai Muslim women always wear hijab. After wearing hijab at home and abroad, he does daily activities and business. In the south, Thai Muslim women are seen riding motorcycles. It's like a different world! Muslim female police officers in Thailand can wear a hijab or a headscarf while on duty.