<Online Research>
Article 1
Summary: 3 Muslims who live in Korea appear in this interview. They say other factors rather than religion, such as food and appearance, were the main reasons of the difficulties they experienced in Korea.The interviewees mention that they found Koreans to be very friendly to them and Koreans have shown understanding to their religion. An interviewee attributes the reason why people have stereotypes of Islam to lack of knowledge.
Article 2
Mistaken for Terrorists and Condemned as a Violent Religion: Muslims Hurt in South Korean Society(2015/05/08)
Summary: There was a talk concert titled, "Islam, Let's Go Together" on May 07, at the Namsan Youth Hostel in Seoul.The Korea Conference of Religions for Peace (KCRP) organized this event on the theme "Living as a Muslim in Korea". People in diverse religions gathered together to have a conversation with a Korean Muslim, Yun Na-eun, and two Turkish immigrants to South Korea, Usame ZUNBUL and Fatma SALMANOGLU.
Article 3
Muslims in Korea want more mosques and halal food
Summary: According to a survey, Muslims in Korea said that they need more mosques and halal restaurants, and there should be more education about Islam in Korea.
Video 1
Mistaken for Terrorists and Condemned as a Violent Religion: Muslims Hurt in South Korean Society(2015/05/08)
Summary: There was a talk concert titled, "Islam, Let's Go Together" on May 07, at the Namsan Youth Hostel in Seoul.The Korea Conference of Religions for Peace (KCRP) organized this event on the theme "Living as a Muslim in Korea". People in diverse religions gathered together to have a conversation with a Korean Muslim, Yun Na-eun, and two Turkish immigrants to South Korea, Usame ZUNBUL and Fatma SALMANOGLU.
Article 3
Muslims in Korea want more mosques and halal food
Summary: According to a survey, Muslims in Korea said that they need more mosques and halal restaurants, and there should be more education about Islam in Korea.
Video 1
Korea Today - Growing Interest in Halal Food
Summary: Halal means anything permitted by the laws of the Islam. This video shows the increase of halal restaurants and products in Korea. There is also an growing interest in halal products as an well-being trend.
Video 2
Summary : In this video, two foreign people who live in Korea, but are not Muslim, are talking about being Muslim in Korea. So what they are saying in this video is from their own research on Muslims in Korea, not from their firsthand experience. What they are mainly trying to do is to give information to some Muslims who are interested in living in Korea.
I didn't know the exact meaning of 'Halal' before I watched the video. And it was new to me that 'Halal' is becoming popular and spreading out in Korea. After I watched the video, I felt that the concept of 'Halal' is quite similarly acknowledged to Koreans as 'well-being'. I still cannot sure whether it is right or not. But, it was good know that there are lots of 'Halal' related products, including cosmetics. Maybe next time I visit Itaewon, I might try 'Halal' food, sweets, and products.
답글삭제Before reading post#1 and 3, I thought that Islam has a violent religious dogma to people who are not Muslims. I hope that presentation can show and tell me what Islam is and what is their rule, how they should act to people who are not Muslims and why. I think it can be a good chance to break my hidden bias and misunderstanding.
답글삭제I am Myeongjin Seo.
삭제I think it's good that you brought up some positives about being Islam in Korea. It seems like there's still a long way to go but, I think from those articles, we're on the way! And about the terrorism and Islams related, is that, not just for Islams but for many different subcultures, it's quite easy to make overgeneralization in a negative way. I think it's great for you guys to show such various articles and videos which I wasn't really thinking of!! Thank you for the research. I think it's great!
답글삭제I am still shocked with Korean religious statistics, because the majority of Koreans I know are religious Christians/Catholics, and some are very hardy followers. Islams are really minority. The video suggests muslams in korea to overcome their difficulties. When drinking they can refuse for other reason not for religious reason and just fit together. Also, when it comes to food, they can go Itawon and find halal supermarket and restaurant.
답글삭제[ki-eun]
답글삭제I studied the religion class in high school, so I have a confidence that I know most of Muslim culture. But with these research, I studied a lot, especially with the term. I thought that Halal was just Muslim culture itself, this video told that Halal was not the Muslim culture itself but especially good thing in that culture and other posts were the positive thing, so thanks for the posting!
I have been to Turkey and I travel many Mosques. One of Mosques was remodeled from a church. It means that the Muslim is a religion of acceptance. In the articles people express their anger to IS and certain terror groups. I truly understand them.
답글삭제Also in the video, there was halal certificates. I was really interested about that. Because the is kind of labeling foods in a positive way. I wonder the effects of the mark.
Hyunjun Jeon
삭제Through this blog, I learn that the number of Musilms is growing. And most serious problem seems food , not perception. I thought our society is very much inflexible considering Muslim, but good to know our country also can learn about diversity and respect. I don't think halal food stores can make their number grown drastically right now. But if population keeps growing, there will be many, so I think it is the matter of time.
답글삭제Many interviewees and articles mention the common problem we south koreans have when encountering muslim people, which is to identifying some extreme activists such as 'ISIS', 'Al-Quaeda' with just ordniary muslim people. If we give it a little thought, it is evident that we cannot overgeneralize some extreme people's behaviors to unrelevant muslim people, but we are still doing those things and making muslims feel desperate. It was interesting that this kind of 'identifying some extremes member's behavior with other member' is happening to not only muslims, but also many other subcultures other groups interviewed, so it seems necessary that we have to rethink before talking to member of a subculture in those ways.
답글삭제Also, it seems that the biggest obstacles of muslims living in korea are the provision of 'halal' food and a place to pray. I liked the part in the TL;DR video that schools should think about providing an alternative food for international students if they continue to accept foreign students at the school's dormitories. I've never thought that the dormitory's diets would be not acceptable to muslim people and never imagined about the difficulties they are faced with.
Dongmin Shin
답글삭제Through the whole researches that your group did, I found some similarities between them. At first they have difficulties about their daily religious rite. and even it affects their diet too. I was so impressed that the meaning of 'Halal'. I didn't know that halal means that big. Also I expected that many of Korean feel them negatively due to the extremists of Islam, but not that many cares about it so i felt relieved as a Korean.