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| This photo taken on Feb. 14 shows the construction site of a mosque in Daegu's Buk District. Korea Times file |
By Lee Hyo-jin
The National Human Rights Commission of Korean (NHRCK) said Friday that a mosque construction project in Daegu, which had been suspended due to complaints, should be allowed to resume, as the decision on the suspension was based on discrimination and prejudice against Muslims.
The human rights watchdog expressed its opinion in response to a petition filed by the Darul Emman Kyungpook Islamic Center, against the Buk District Office that had issued the administrative order to halt the mosque's construction.
The Islamic community in the Buk District of Daegu, the nation's third-largest city, located in the southeastern region of the country, launched the construction of the place of worship in Daehyeon-dong in December 2020, after receiving a construction permit from the local district office the previous September. The mosque was to be built on a site where Muslims were previously holding religious gatherings.
But some residents, who worry that the mosque might lead to a larger Muslim presence in the neighborhood, have been fiercely opposing the construction.
The residents and other political activists have been staging multiple rallies in front of the construction site and hanging up banners in protest. They filed a petition with the district office calling for an administrative order to halt construction.
The district office ordered the site owner to stop the construction on Feb. 16, and the project has been on hold indefinitely ever since.
The human rights commission stated that such a decision was based on discrimination and prejudice against Muslims, and recommended that the local government "take the necessary measures to allow construction to resume."
"The administrative order on the suspension is not rational, as it was unilaterally based on the complaints of residents that originate from prejudices against the religion of Islam," the commission said in a press release.
Locals opposed to the mosque's construction have complained about noise and odors coming from the construction site, as well as citing concerns over the spread of the coronavirus, worries that the surrounding area might turn into a "slum" and even fears of terrorist attacks carried out by radical Muslims.
The NHRCK stated that such reasons are invalid, as they lack a clear basis and are rather based on prejudice against Muslims.
In addition, the watchdog told the local district office to take additional measures specifically regarding the banners that had been displayed in the area, as they include hate speech and offensive, Islamophobic comments.
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| This photo shows a banner hung in a street in Daegu's Buk District that reads, "As in Europe, this area will turn into a slum and become a risk to public safety if it gets crowded with Muslims." Korea Times file |
Some of the banners hung in the neighborhood contained slogans that read: "Is the Taliban in Daehyeon-dong? Is this your country? Stop threatening our residents!" and "Muslims who kill people brutally and behead them, get out of this area now! Terrorists! Right now!" as well as "Islam is an evil religion that kills people."
The NHRCK said that these hostile expressions of hate speech go beyond the mere purpose of protesting the construction of the mosque, as they are clearly based on unfair, prejudicial beliefs.
Although the local district office explained that it is in the process of removing any banners put up illegally, the human rights commission emphasized that "the government and local governments should be active in taking down any publicity material containing expressions violating human rights in order to meet the legislative purpose of the Outdoor Advertisement Act."
