SHAFAQNA– South Korea is the economic pole of South-East Asia with 56 million population. It is estimated that some 300,000 Muslims are currently living in the country and a small portion of them are followers of Shiism. Shia cleric Hujjat al-Islam Muazzeni is an Islamic expert who traveled to South Korea month ago on a religious mission. Shafaqna has interviewed Muazzeni. Here is his remarks.
Hujjat al-Islam Muazzeni first speaks about religions in South Korea: the latest census shows almost half of the 56 million South Koreans do not follow any religion, 18 per cent are Protestant Christians and 23 per cent are Buddhists. Islam entered the Korean Peninsula in the 9th century when Muslim tradesman began doing business with Far East. The second wave of Islam was during the rule of the Mongols Empire in East Asia. In modern time, Islam was again introduced to the Korean Peninsula during the 1950s Korean War when Turkish soldiers who were on military missions in the South began introducing Islam to local people. For the time being, around 300,000 Muslims live in South Korea. Most of them are migrants and it is believed that only one tenth of them are from local population.
When asked about the number of Shia Koreans, Muazzeni says there are about 3,000-4,000 Shias in South Korea, Most of them migrants from Pakistan and India, with just 50 being South Koreans who converted through marriage. He adds you cannot find any religious student (or Talib) from South Korea. The biggest Muslim community of this country is The Muslim Confederation of South Korea whose founders are Saudi nationals. There are 30-40 mosques nationwide with the biggest built in Seoul in 1976. Saudi Arabia has funded the construction of almost all mosques. The Muslim Confederation conducts many activities including translating Islamic texts into Korean language, producing online videos and clips in Korean language, holding free Arabic courses and even establishing a nursery for both Muslim and non-Muslims. They built an Islamic bookshop and stage regular forums for spreading Islam. While all these activities are conducted by Sunni Muslims, the Shia have no role in any of them.
Hujjat al-Islam Muazzeni does not deny that Takfiri ideology is thought at Seoul’s Mosque and while the Wahabbis have spent millions of dollars to spread their ideology, the Shias have done literally nothing. While about 70,000 churches and 50,000 temples exist in South Korea, there are only 2 husseiniyahs, both in rented properties.
Shafaqna asks about restrictions on Muslims, Muazzeni says the government in Seoul has not put any religion under limits and it is even trying to ease travel of Muslim travelers to the country, though the only restriction for Muslims activities is that they have to coordinate with The Muslim Confederation which is under Saudi Arabia’s influence.
According to Hujjat al-Islam Muazzeni, the biggest issue the Shia community faces in is access to Halal food, as they never registered as an official group. Facing such problems, the Shia community decided to establish an official entity. It finally happened in 2013 when Pakistani and Indian students registered a Non-Governmental Organization. They have been holding Shia ceremonies ever since, translated Shia texts, books and booklets into Korean language. Their activities resulted in publishing at least five books and a website called Al-Islam. There is no ban on wearing Hijab for Muslim or Shia women either in social life, work or at university.
Hujjat al-Islam Muazzeni,says there is no Shia scholar in South Korea unless someone is invited from another country to address the Shias. Muazzeni goes on to say that, all the activities of the Shia are confined to 2 husseiniyahs, where they stage religious ceremonies but they have no schools, nurseries, etc.
This text originally published by Shafaqna Farsi, translated and briefed by Shafaqna English.
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