South Korea Scraps Prayer Room Plans For Winter Olympics After Islamophobic Opposition
10 February 2018Islamophobia Watch
The plans for a multi-faith prayer room during Winter Olympics in the South
Korean city of PyeongChang have been canceled after opposition from
anti-Muslim protestors, reports said Monday.
The Korea Tourism Organization (KTO) had to scrap the plan for a prayer room
in Gangneung, where the indoor games are taking place after anti-Muslim groups
voiced such strong opposition that the officials 'could no longer do their
jobs,' Al Jazeera reported.
The PyeongChang Olympics Gangwon Citizens' Islam Countermeasure Association
reportedly launched a petition against the prayer room, collecting over 56,000
signatures.
The director of another Islamophobic organization, the Islam Countermeasure
Association also told Al Jazeera that Muslims should refrain from prayers at
the Olympics.
Other similar groups also opposed the distribution of halal food in cafeterias
during Winter Olympics.
Meanwhile, a representative from the Korean Muslim Federation said that Korea
lacks the thoughtful understanding as the host country of the Olympics, and
highlighted that the establishment of prayer rooms was not only for Muslims
but for people from different faiths.
In 2016, the KTO had urged more restaurants to serve halal food, as part of
efforts to draw more Muslim tourists in the country.
Islam was re-introduced in the Korean peninsula by the Turkish Brigade in
1950, which fought the Korean War under the command of the United Nations.
S. Korea encourages restaurants to serve halal food to boost Muslim
tourists
South Korea is encouraging local restaurants to serve up halal food by
introducing a new certification system, according to the country's tourism
agency Thursday.
The Korea Tourism Organization (KTO) revealed to Anadolu Agency that 200 halal
eateries will be highlighted in a guide to be published this August.
Restaurants will be certified based on five levels -- from those who fully
comply with the requirements of the Korea Muslim Federation to places that
simply keep pork off the menu.
KTO records show that 740,000 Muslim tourisms visited the South last year,
most of whom came from Malaysia and Indonesia -- Turkish citizens accounted
for nearly 20,000 visitors in 2015.
With the total expected to rise to 800,000 this year, South Korea has
apparently recognized the need to keep up.
Capital city Seoul features several Turkish food options, and the KTO has
already recognized some of them among 140 halal restaurants in the county.
At least a few of the establishments on the updated list will serve Korean
food.
Asked if local restaurants were planning to include a version of Gaegogi (dog
meat) that adhered to halal preparation standards in its new certification
system, a KTO official said he doubted such dishes would make their way on to
a halal menu.
Islam considers the eating of dog -- or cat -- haram as the consumption of
carnivorous animal products is prohibited.
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