The hijab is strange,
Just look at Middle Eastern people
You think I'm a terrorist?

Starting from Islamophobia
Reaching out to Muslim neighbors
The story of Islam that goes on and on!

The number of immigrants coming to Korea is increasing.
Among them are Muslims.
People we once knew only as distant Middle Easterners are now living closer to us.
What do Koreans think of them?
According to a media interview, the reality is that they are still more cautious than other immigrants.
This is because the ‘hijab’ is unfamiliar and the prejudice that ‘Middle Eastern men = terrorists’ is strong.
This phenomenon may be another expression of fear that stems from not knowing Muslims well.


"The Story of Islam: A Tale of the Tail" is an introductory book on Islam and Muslims that begins with the origins of Islamophobia and reaches out to our Muslim neighbors.
It provides a thorough explanation of everything from the very basics of Islam and Muslims to the state of the modern Islamic world.
The 『Kokkomu Story』 series is basically a question-and-answer format.
The questions in this book are based on the assumption that you have Muslim neighbors.
The question I had when I happened to run into a Muslim neighbor was the starting point.

You've probably heard the words Islam and Muslim often.
What's the difference between these two words? Islam refers to the religion of Islam, and Muslim refers to people who follow Islam.

---p.
13

The Islamic calendar begins in 622 AD, when the capital was moved to Medina.
Because it is a special year.
Why is this so? Because only after moving to Medina did they establish an Islamic community, and on that basis, they were able to spread Islam.

---p.
19

Muslims who are financially able also practice charity during this period, called Zakat al-Fitr.
Zakat means 'charity', so Zakat al-Fitr means 'charity at the end of fasting'.
Donate grain or money to the poor, especially those who cannot enjoy the Eid al-Fitr festival.
So that we can all celebrate Ramadan together.

---p.
23

Ulugh Beg was a 15th-century ruler of the Timurid Empire.
He was also interested in astronomy and built the Ulugh Beg Observatory.
This was the best observatory of its time.
Equipped with a huge surveying instrument (the Parkley sextant) with a radius of 40.4 meters, it was possible to measure the positions of more than 1,000 stars with great accuracy.
The results of these measurements are summarized in 《Jiji-i Sultani》.
The Jiji-i Sultani was recognized as the most accurate astronomical table before the invention of the telescope.

---p.
29

When Muhammad died without appointing a successor, Muslims became divided over how to choose a successor.
Some argue for election and consent, that is, a small number of ruling men with the right to vote should elect a successor, and the successor should be chosen by the people through consent.
These are Sunnis.
Others claim that Muhammad actually chose a successor, and that this person was Ali, Muhammad's cousin and son-in-law.
Those who follow Ali are Shiites.

---p.
36~37

The relationship between Shia and Sunni does not end with them being different sects.
It's a competitive relationship in many ways.
For example, if a war breaks out, Iran will support the Shia forces because it is a representative Shia country, and Saudi Arabia will support the Sunni forces because it is a representative Sunni country.
External powers, such as the United States, often exploit this inter-sectarian rivalry.

---p.
44

The Kaaba existed before the founding of Islam.
It was a sanctuary for polytheistic worship.
After Muhammad conquered Mecca, he destroyed the idols in the Kaaba and declared it the holiest place in Islam.
Muhammad began construction of a mosque centered around the Kaaba, which was later completed to become the current Great Mosque (also known as Masjid al-Haram).
Muslims consider the Kaaba to be the most sacred, and this is the reason.
More than 4 million Muslims visit Mecca every year to perform the Hajj.

---p.
56

Al-Haram al-Sharif is a holy site for Muslims, Jews, and Christians.
Because the holy places overlap, conflicts sometimes arise between religious people.
To prevent such conflicts, the international community has stipulated that no country can possess Jerusalem.
But in reality, Israel controls Jerusalem.
Israel is a country with a large Jewish population.
For this reason, many excuses are used to prevent Muslims from visiting Al-Haram Al-Sharif.
During this process, armed conflicts occurred several times.

---p.
61

Of course, not everyone fasts.
Soldiers on active duty, long-distance travelers, children, the elderly, pregnant or lactating women, menstruating women, and the sick are exempt from fasting.
Children under ten years of age are not required to fast.
If you are unable to fast due to personal reasons, you may fast for the same number of days as you were unable to fast after Ramadan.

---p.
72

There are also foods that are forbidden in Judaism.
Judaism has dietary laws called Kosher.
Here are the rules for what you can and cannot eat.
Kosher is a Hebrew word meaning 'appropriate' or 'fit'.
Just as Muslims have halal certification, Jews also eat foods that have kosher certification.

---p.
96

Even halal food is widely recognized as healthy and good for one's well-being.
Halal cosmetics are made from natural ingredients rather than chemicals, so they are gentle on the skin and do not irritate it.
We do not test on animals and do not use any animal ingredients.
This is a very welcome product for vegetarians (vegans) and people who care about animal rights.

---p.
103

Islamic extremism goes beyond fundamentalism to reject everything other than Islam and the Islamic community.
It differs from fundamentalism in that it seeks to enforce its beliefs through violence such as terrorism and war.
Extremists believe that the world is in a state of war until Islam conquers the world, and they even interpret the Quran in their own way to justify terrorism.

---p.
108

Why did Islamophobia arise? The biggest reason is the terrorist attacks perpetrated by Islamic extremists, as mentioned earlier.
Seeing innocent people killed or injured in terrorist attacks here and there, including the 9/11 terrorist attacks, people feel a sense of crisis that they too could become victims.
Prejudices like “Islam is a religion that causes terrorism”, “If the number of people who believe in Islam increases, terrorism will inevitably occur”, and “Islam is a violent religion” are also engraved in our minds.

---p.
118~119

Islam, like any other religion, values ​​life.
Suicide and harming others are prohibited.
For this reason, those who truly believe in and follow Islam strongly criticize the behavior of some extremists that is contrary to Islam.
Islam strives to minimize the pain of slaughtering animals, and even condemns terrorist attacks that kill people as an act of betrayal of Islam.
Extremists are fake Islamists who pretend to be real.

---p.
120

Another reason for not wearing the hijab is that it goes against one of the principles of a modern state: the separation of church and state.
Separation of church and state is the principle that politics and religion are separate.
The state must not support or oppress any particular religion, must treat all religions equally, and must treat religious and non-religious people equally.

---p.
126

Why did Islam and Christianity come into conflict? The main reason is that Christianity believes in the Trinity (God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit), while Islam believes only in God.
It is not acknowledging the doctrine of the Trinity.
Christianity believes in the Trinity and therefore considers Jesus to be the Son of God, but Islam considers Jesus to be just one of many prophets.
Muhammad is considered the last prophet.
As Christians, it would be unwelcome to consider someone they have given divinity to be one of their prophets.

---p.
136

In Korea, a comprehensive anti-discrimination law has not yet been enacted.
Although bills have been proposed several times since 2007, they have not been properly discussed due to claims that social consensus is needed and opposition from conservative Christian circles.
Hate crimes are also on the rise in Korea.
Couldn't a comprehensive anti-discrimination law be the first step toward preventing such crimes?

---p.
150

Why are Middle Eastern countries so interested in the tourism industry? For a long time, Middle Eastern countries have relied on oil for their survival.
However, as the climate crisis worsens, there is a global movement to stop using fossil fuels.
Middle Eastern countries had to find other ways to boost their economies.
One of them is the tourism industry.

---p.
176

Seoul Central Mosque is Korea's first mosque.
It is located in Itaewon, Seoul.
This mosque opened on May 21, 1976, and is known as the largest mosque in Korea and the headquarters of Korean Islam.
Seoul Central Mosque was built in the 1970s as diplomatic relations between Korea and Middle Eastern countries became more active. The Korean government provided land (approximately 1,500 pyeong), and Islamic countries, including Saudi Arabia, provided support for construction costs.

---p.
189

Muslims definitely lived during the Goryeo Dynasty.
There is a record.
Goryeo was under the influence of the Yuan Dynasty for quite a long time.
In the process, Muslims from the Yuan Dynasty entered Goryeo.
For example, there were Muslims who followed princesses who married into the Goryeo Dynasty from the Yuan Dynasty.

---p.
195

In fact, before that, King Sejong had invited Muslims to important national events such as New Year's greetings and crowning of the crown prince, and he also liked them to give blessings through Islamic prayers.
But he made that decision because it was important for him to maintain Joseon society as a king.

---p.
199

Turkic Muslims lived in communities.
He built a mosque in Mugyo-dong, Seoul, and also ran an Islamic school.
They also published the Quran and held religious ceremonies.
The Japanese supported all of this.
Then the Muslims did as the Japanese wanted.
For example, it was a way of supporting Japan's anti-communist policy.
Is that all?
Our country, under Japanese rule, was considered a part of Japan.
So they didn't pay much attention to our independence movement.

---p.
201

Turkish soldiers continued to fight to end the war, suffering heavy casualties in the process, including some 900 casualties.
This is why we cannot help but regard Turkey not as a simple ally but as a ‘brotherly country.’
After the Korean War, the two countries became closer.
Turkey was also very important as a country connecting the Middle East and Europe.

---p.
205

The reason Muslims eat with their right hand is because, since ancient times, the right hand has been considered clean and the left hand unclean.
Because of this long-held belief, we extend our right hand when asking for a handshake, and we also use our right hand when handing over objects or food.

---p.
217

When you think of multiculturalism, the term 'multicultural family' immediately comes to mind, but these days, the term 'family with immigrant background' is used instead.
This is because the term multicultural family is mainly used to refer to people who have immigrated from Southeast Asia.
It is used as a language of discrimination.
I would like to recommend the term "immigrant family" as it is a neutral term that refers to a family where one or both parents came from a foreign country.

---p.
220~221