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UNDERSTANDING the IDENTITY of the THAI MUSLIM COMMUNITY of KUDI KHAO in THONBURI, BANGKOK Penchan Phoborisut1 Abstract

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UNDERSTANDING the IDENTITY of the THAI MUSLIM COMMUNITY of KUDI KHAO in THONBURI, BANGKOK Penchan Phoborisut1 Abstract UNDERSTANDING THE the sake of US national security. Robert IDENTITY OF THE THAI Dickson Crane (2005: 159) labeled the attack on New York City’s Twin Towers, MUSLIM COMMUNITY OF a symbol of U.S. economic power, as a KUDI KHAO IN THONBURI, “hell-sent” gift to Islamophobes. In spite BANGKOK of journalists’ or editors’ good intentions to stay unbiased, media coverage could 1 reinforce the prejudiced perception against Penchan Phoborisut Muslims, who are often portrayed in news coverage of the war on terrorism as Abstract belligerent and fanatic. Meanwhile, in Thailand, over the course Kudi Khao or Bang Luang Community is of 4 years, at least 3,000 lives have one of the oldest Thai-Muslim perished in atrocities in Thailand’s restive communities in Bangkok. Its history can be south (Al Jazeera, 2008). The situation traced back to the time of the late shows no sign of abating. As of the Ayudhaya Dynasty. Some Thai Muslims beginning of July, 2008, in the wake of migrated to the south of the Chao Phraya renewed violence, a school principal in River. After the subsequent capital, Baan Ma Hae School in Raman district of Thonburi, was established, some had Yala was killed while on his way home settled along the river near the capital after school. Thai News Agency reported where their descendants have resided until the incident prompted 55 schools to the present time. This Thai-Muslim temporarily close the following day. The community is located among diverse brutality of insurgent acts is featured in neighboring communities which today 2 news due to the new wave of violence. boast the motto of “One sub-district , three religions.” Kudi Khao’s unique Omar Farouk Bajunid pointed out, despite blend of cultural identity illustrates an Thailand’s Buddhists’ tolerance of integration of cultural pluralism in the religious differences, bias towards Islam diverse ethnic environment of Thailand as still persists as it engages in insurgent acts seen through the physical features of the in Thailand’s three southernmost religious center, Kudi Khao, an Islamic provinces. The media’s portrayal of mosque built in Thai architectural style southern Thailand’s insurgency which and the people’s way of life intertwining involves violence allegedly caused by Thai influence. ‘Muslim extremists’ has created a distorted perception of Thai-Muslims In the post 9/11 era, the global war on elsewhere. terrorism has been emphasized and often used as justification for stricter control for The Union of Catholic Asian News reported Muslims in Bangkok were 1 Lecturer, Department of New Media threatened by discrimination following the Communication, Faculty of Communication southern unrest, quoting Sawvanee Arts, Assumption University, Bangkok, Jitmoud, an academic at Rajabhat Thailand Thonburi University who said some 2 Sub-district of Wat Kanlayanamit, Thonburi Muslims were turned down when applying district, Bangkok Downloaded from Brill.com10/04/2021 01:03:55AM via free access MANUSYA: Journal of Humanities, Special Issue No.16, 2008 for a job simply because they were now 225 households in the Kudi Khao Muslims while some were subject to body community with about 1,100 people over a searches by police. She reported another stretch of 20 rai. Conditions today are incident when two female Muslim teachers crowded, with houses along narrow alleys in Bangkok were asked by the dean to take and walkways. Ninety-five per cent are off their veil, hijab, in front of other Thai Muslims whose ancestors have lived colleagues. The paper quoted Sawvanee as in this community since the old days. The claiming, “The dean then ‘demonstrated’ remaining five per cent are Thai Buddhists to his staff how it was possible to hide a who rent houses in the area. Wongtimarat bomb or weapons beneath the garments,” Khemachat (2003) mentioned at the (UCANEWS, January 24, 2006). beginning of the Rattanakosin Period in 1782, the people here were farmers and Bajunid also noted little awareness of used the canals as a primary means of Thai-Muslims in other parts of the transportation. Since 1932, when Thailand country. The heterogeneity of the Muslim adopted a constitutional monarchy, the community was not adequately disseminated. economy has shifted from plantation- based to industrialization. People left their This paper aims to explore the cultural agrarian life and entered the industrialized identity of the Muslim community of Kudi world, working as daily workers or being Khao, which might not be as little known employed by business owners. From but is not adequately appreciated. interviews with elderly people, some went to work with Muslim shop owners in the Introduction Surawong area, close to today’s financial district. The community of Kudi Khao where people practise Sunni Islam stands among Muslims in Thailand a diverse neighborhood with communities of different faiths such as the Theravada According to Omar Farouk Bajunid (1999: Buddhists community surrounding 221), Muslims have settled in Thailand Kanlayanamit Temple, the Catholics of since ancient times’. They are not a newly Portuguese descendents living near Santa established community “but an integral Cruz Church, and Mahayana Buddhists of part of the modern Thailand.” There are Chinese descendants of Kudi Chine who three major groups of Muslims in worship at the Avalokiteshavara shrine of Thailand: The first group is the Malay Kian An Ken. Each community, located Muslims who reside in Thailand’s within only a few minutes’ walk from each southernmost provinces, the biggest group other, is culturally rich and shares of Muslims in the country. The second historical significance and a multi-ethnic group comprises Thai Muslims of Malay background; however, they have lived ethnicity who speak Thai and live in the together peacefully for centuries upper Southern provinces. The last group (Bangkheow 2008). is made up of a myriad of different groups of Muslims who settled in central Thailand Kudi Khao used to be surrounded by such as Bangkok, Ayudhaya, and other canals. There were only 10–15 houses in provinces throughout the country. This the area. With the surge of land prices and group is composed of Persians, Malays, increasing population growth, there are Moguls, Indonesians, Indians, Bengalis, 69 Downloaded from Brill.com10/04/2021 01:03:55AM via free access Understanding the Identity of the Thai Muslim Community Afghanistanis, Chinese, and Muslims from multitude of different political movements other neighbouring countries who in which Islam is marked as central, while migrated to Thailand due to economic and Islamists are Muslims who support political reasons (Yusuf 2008: 560). political schemes where the application of Islamic law is of pivotal importance. That Identity means Islamists are Muslims but not always the other way around (Schwedler The idea of identity and its definition can 2001). be murky. Many people define the term in each specific context. A lot of times, In Islamic Culture (1992) Sawvanee identity tends to refer to social category Jitmoud argues that Islam is not merely a defined by membership rules and (alleged) religion, but it determines a culture that attributes or behaviors or socially administers the life of a Muslim from birth distinguished qualities one takes pride in till death. As she elaborates: or views as unalterable but socially consequential. Nowadays, identity is a Islamic culture is not a product of modern formulation of dignity, pride, or human imagination. Hence it does honor that implicitly links these to social not vary with time, geography or categories (Fearon 1999). human values. It is the duty of every Muslim to practice, spread Schwedler (2001) said identity is not a and perpetuate Islamic culture in solid set of attributes but the production of any society wherever he may find historical processes and experiences himself in. through which each individual and group perceive themselves, their relationship The identity of the Thai-Muslim with the people around them and their community Kudi Khao position in the world. Key informant Chai Jonsook said the Lewis (1998) stated “primary” identities people in Kudi Khao community are can be acquired by blood such as the descendants of Cham Muslims, family, the clan or tribe, and acquired by elaborating that a majority of Cham place such as the village, neighborhood, Muslims settled in Thailand in the Ban district or quarter. Religion serves as a Krua Community in Bangkok, and where linkage between the first two factors: the he lived right now, during the early family and place in identity formation. He Rattanakosin Dynasty circa 1782. Using also added many people viewed religion as himself as an example, Chai described the only loyalty that could surpass local Cham Muslims as small, and usually with and immediate attachments. This is the darker skin tone as they worked in the case in the Middle East, the culture of fields growing crops and living along the which is determined by religion or canal. “membership of a religious community” Sawvanee Jitmoud (1998) mentioned that For Muslims, the religion plays a pivotal Thai Muslims in this community migrated role in their lives. The term Islam is the from the former capital of Thailand, religion while the people who practise Ayudhaya when it was occupied and razed Islam are Muslims. Islamism means a by Burma. Hundreds of Thai Muslims who 70 Downloaded from Brill.com10/04/2021 01:03:55AM via free access MANUSYA: Journal of Humanities, Special Issue No.16, 2008 were rafters selling things around the that the economic, social and political former capital at Tambon Hua Lam, Hua conditions in Bangkok were driving Ror and Takian Canal rafted down the Muslims in Bangkok to diminish the Chao Phraya River to settle along both emphasis on their ethnic background and banks of Bang Luang Canal (or Bangkok to assimilate into the Thai-ness by Yai Canal).
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