Observing Ramadan

By Song Min-soon

Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade

In the wake of the recent hostage situation in Afghanistan this summer, this year's Ramadan feels quite different from the past ones. To the followers of Islam, The holy month of Ramadan is indeed sacred and meaningful, but most Koreans are generally unfamiliar with Ramadan and thus do not take great interest in it.

However, I hope that this Ramadan will be an opportunity for all of us to reflect on the Islamic world and its culture as well as the rapidly growing Muslim community in Korea.

There are Five Pillars of Islam, namely the profession of faith (Shahadah), ritual prayer (Salah), fasting (Sawm), alms-giving (Zakah), and pilgrimage to Mecca (Hajj).

During Ramadan, which is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, the religious duty of fasting is observed. With the exception of the children, elderly, pregnant women, nursing mothers and the ill, Muslims do not eat or drink from dawn to dusk.

This ritual is intended to help practice self-discipline and purification of the soul in addition to gaining a sense of a community and sympathy for those who are less fortunate by understanding the feeling of deprivation and hunger.

Islam is not very different from other major religions in that it preaches mercy, love, and peace. Hence it has become one of the world's largest religions with 1.3 billion believers around the world.

It seems that only a few people are well aware of the fact that in addition to other influences on the West, science and technology stemmed from the Islamic civilization.

From Saladin, who gained much respect from both sides during the Crusade for his generous mercy, to Arabic literature, symbolized by the famous Arabian Nights, pieces of Islamic history are interwoven with the world's.

Muslim merchants such as Sindbad, the evolution and dissemination of the decimal system, as well as a number of scientific terms with Arabic origin are vivid examples of the rich Islamic history, culture and civilization.

Furthermore, given that we import 82 percent of our crude oil and 60 percent of LNG gas from the Middle East, the number increasing to 90 percent if we include Islamic countries in Central Asia and Southeast Asia, along with a sizable trade and commerce relations in other fields, the Islamic world is essential to our economic prosperity.

Notwithstanding the importance, we have thus far been somewhat indifferent to Islam and, at times, have perceived it through a distorted lens. With the imagery, ``Quran in one hand and Scimitar (curved sword) in the other,'' imprinted on our minds, we have formed a bias towards Islam viewing it as aggressive and unwittingly associate it with some terrorist acts.

To jettison such bias and gain a more balanced perspective, we must have a better understanding of Islam. In order to join the ranks of the world's leading countries within the group of the ten largest economies, we need to diversify cooperative relations with various civilizations. A balanced perspective is a must in that regard.

In an effort to better understand Islam, we need to take more interest in it and build a broader foundation for Islamic studies. Compared with the strategic interests we hold towards the Islamic world, however, our overall knowledge and network basis is acutely insufficient.

A lack of specialists on Islam or the Middle East within the government as well as in business or the academic world has long been criticized _ repeatedly, constantly, and boisterously.

Such lack of knowledge and networks did not go unnoticed during the recent hostage crisis in Afghanistan.

Public opinion on the Islamic world played a vital role in resolving the hostage incident, and it reaffirmed the need to accumulate knowledge and create a social network in this region. Then, the task is to train these much-needed specialists while taking more interest in this region.

To enhance our understanding and increase exchanges with the Middle East and the Islamic countries, the Korean government is planning to launch an organization called the ``Middle East Society'' at the end of this year in collaboration with civilian expert groups.

The Middle East society, which will play the role of bridging the gap between Korea and the Islamic world as well as the Middle Eastern region, will promote exchanges in various areas such as academics, economy, culture, religion, and government, thereby enhancing our understanding of the Islamic world.

I hope that through the activities of the Middle East Society, the Korean people will take a greater interest in Islam and that a closer relationship can be fostered between Korea and the Islamic world. By doing so, Korea will further broaden its diplomatic horizon and living sphere.