The main issue in Japan is not necessarily a conflict between Muslims and non-Muslims, but the fact that both sides find it difficult to reach out to each other.
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Hirofumi Okai, an expert on emigration studies and a visiting researcher at Waseda University in Tokyo, referring to the problems facing Muslim communities in Japan. (Jiji)
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0
some14some
is muslim community that large in Japan? perhaps this quote is in connection with 9.11 anniversary.
0
Darren Brannan
As large as any other prosperous country I would think.There is a mosque and a fairly large muslim community in Kobe.
0
zichi
They built the first Japanese mosque in Kobe in 1939. The city was fire bombed during WWII and a large area of the city destroyed but the mosque survived untouched.
Actually, there's a sq mile or so which contains the mosque, a synagogue, a Catholic church, a Jain temple and a Shinto temple.
I'm not sure the exact number of muslims living in Kobe, but I think there are about 300,000 in Japan. I have never seen any problems here between the different religions. Compared with many other cities, there are a high number of non Japanese in Kobe City.
But recently, I read one very disturbing report. The police had been secretly photographing and filming muslims. That kind of action can not lead to good relationships.
I disagree with the statement made by Hirofumi Okai and in this city pearls are still big business and I've seen muslims and jews talking to each other on the streets.
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zichi
On Friday in Kobe City, you'll see Jews walking to their synagogue, Muslims walking to their mosque and Indians to their Jain temple. Some of the Muslims are Japanese women who married. All these religions and both the Christians and Japanese ones live side by side in cultural harmony and are a good example for others.
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JapanGal
I know two muslims.
2
ExportExpert
I have personally witnessed muslim and jews doing business here many times, it is almost like japan is neutral ground so they don't feel threatened by each other at all.
I also think alot of the jews and muslims here left their original countries to get away from those who want to be exteme with their religion, its one thing to be religious its another to be an extremist.
Moderation seems to be working here atleast.
I also have muslim and jewish friends here and their views do not seem to be extreme, infact they seem like fairly tolerant people most of the time.
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Novenachama
With laughter Muslims must go outside of their community and learn to mingle with the people by letting them know how good they are. Muslims do have a responsibility for educating others about Islam and eradicate stereotypes and show that they are peace-loving citizens just like everyone else. Hence In order to change any situation you must change.
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Laguna
There is a large Muslim community at my university; when a professor suggested Friday as seminar day due to the majority preference, a Muslim student objected, and when the professor started to insist, I shot him a look that made him suddenly more flexible.
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ExportExpert
Laguna if it was a majority preference then it should have been friday, but as usual most have to bow to a muslims wishes.
-1
JeffLee
"Reaching out" is not the best way to approach a supremacist ideology (Islam).
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