Islam in Japan

[drag_lp3]

Islam, a common Arabic word for "Submission", is yet to be known as the fastest growing religion in the world. It persuaded countless thousands worldwide, including Japanese, in terms of astronomy - e.g. the revolving sun [see National Geographic January 1994], chemistry, geography, history - nearly related to those of Judaism and Christianity, law, etc and received their attentions.

According to an Arabic Islamic TV station on the Arabsat, Equraa, Japanese are among those who get to know Islam via Internet and/or other ways, and culturvated the religion. But it is never too easy praying in Arabic compulsorily, for it is a language with tongue-twisting tones chosen by God for mistranslational purpose. That is, Arabic is a tough language to make errors in translation very easily. Despite the language, the Koran - the Bible of the Moslems - is published in various languages as a dictionary to meet the demand of non-Arab Moslems who knew nothing about Arabic before.

But currently in Japan, Moslems only make up probably less than 10 percent of the country. And to keep this new way of life alive in such a huge environment, the Japanese Prime Minister should build more mosques, Islamic and Arabic schools, establish a national program - with association with Saudi Airlines - that will help Japanese Muslims get plane tickets to Mecca - a holy city of Saudi Arabia - during the annual Hajj season, and good Islamic libraries should be built to meet the Moslems' demand of literature nationwide [or stock-pile existing libraries with Islamic and Arabic literature books]. This way, maybe a Japanese Moslem will receive an award for his or her country from the U.A.E. government in the near future.

P.s. Special links for all Japanese Muslims and would-be:

http://www.islam.com
http://www.mcb.org.uk
http://www.maktoob.com
http://english.planetarabia.com

[Hanada Tattsu]

Well, I'm not a Muslim, nor do I live in Japan, but the thing is that, there is no demand for it in Japan.

Over 98% of the population is Buddhist. 0.7% of Japanese people are other religions, like Christian, Muslim, etc. There are hardly any Christian churches in Japan, mainly because there are hardly any Christians in Japan.

So, why would the government erect more mosques if there are less than 1% of Muslims in Japan?

I'm not being predujice, but usually, the Japanese have, even in times of war and occupation, tightly held to their religions and customs.

[Mandylion]

The proplem with most imported religions is a high degree of doctrinal exclusivity that the Japanese mainstream finds difficult to accept. This is largly why religions like Christianity and Islam have so few followers in Japan (last I heard their were around 500,000 Christians). For example, most Japanese people think of themselves as Buddhist and Shintoist (if religious at all), attending rites for both without any religious conflict or objection. Buddhism and Shintoism have exsisted for centuries side by side. Traditional Japanese homes may include both a butsudan and a kamidana (Buddhist alter to the ancestors and an alter to the kami).

Even in the New Religions, which tend to be more exclusive than traditional Japanese religions, often allow their followers to perform rites from other religions on behalf of a deceased parent, simply because that parent was a different religion.

As I understand Islam, and I do not make claims to being an expert, please correct me if I am wrong, there would be problems with allowing worship of Allah, the Buddha(s), and the Kami by the same individual. If Islam asks people to give up their family practices and ceremonies that for many are a central part to their identiy, Islam, like Christianity and Judaism, will not get vey far in Japan.

I don't mean to put your ideas down Drap_lp3. I think religious diversity in Japan is a good thing and I would encourage you to spread your views with compassion and understanding. I just wanted to add to your discussion by pointing out some unique challenges beyond the ones you clearly mentioned. -M

[Enfour]

Originally posted by drag_lp3
But currently in Japan, Moslems only make up probably less than 10 percent of the country. And to keep this new way of life alive in such a huge environment, the Japanese Prime Minister should build more mosques, Islamic and Arabic schools, establish a national program - with association with Saudi Airlines - that will help Japanese Muslims get plane tickets to Mecca - a holy city of Saudi Arabia - during the annual Hajj season, and good Islamic libraries should be built to meet the Moslems' demand of literature nationwide [or stock-pile existing libraries with Islamic and Arabic literature books]. This way, maybe a Japanese Moslem will receive an award for his or her country from the U.A.E. government in the near future.

And why should Koizumi do all or any of this?

Unless there is the demand for mosques and the other items you mentioned, why should this be done?

I am all for religious freedom, but I don't think that anything needs to be forced on people. If people want to convert to Islam, I am sure there are ways to find the right information and speak with the right people - yes even in Japan and even now.

Go forth in peace.

[philupthetank86]

arabic is hard, well the alphabet is at least, once you learn the alphabet im sure its not THAT hard, dam means blood, thats about all i know,

[thomas]

I found the alphabet pretty easy to learn, at least much easier that hiragana and katakana, lol. As far as classic Arabic is concerned grammar and pronounciation are tough.

[drag_lp3]

I know many people in Japan criticize Islam or even criticize Japanese for converting to Islam; I've been receiving negative replies for the closed forum "Islam in Japan" which was just only a wake-up call to help out the minor Moslem population there. But no one cared about he poor Japanese Moslem communities and I got mocked as if I had sex with the teenage Japanese girls, e.g. "Go forth in peace".
As you saw Muhammad as a contrast to Abu Lahab, so were the Moslems that spread Islam outside the Arabian Peninsula, and also the same to the pagans in and outside the peninsula that converted to the religion. But Moslems, not only criticize for their strange way of life, were are being executed as shown:

. Abu Lahab in the A.D. 600's ordered severe punishment
for his people in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, who converted
to Islam and deny the worship of the 600 idols.
. France invaded the Caliph's Iberian Peninsula and killed
Arab and Spanish people who were being caught.
. Palestinians were killed or being thrown out from their
homes in massive quantities to foreign refugee camps
since 1948 to make way for ISRAEL.
. 70, 000 people were being killed in Lebanon, which
include Palestinian refugees and Lebanese Moslems,
both Sunnis and Shiites, and others dropped out
from school to find work abroad. Fault of the Israeli
military whose occupation lasted from 1975 to 2000.

No one in this world has the rights to criticize anyone for converting, not even the British, because there are so many reasons why people do so. E.g. looking in the Bible, Ahmad Deedat of South Africa and some European researchers curiously discovered no less than 60000 errors. E.g. the Christians say that Jesus is a Son of God. But to look carefully, this originated from the Hebrew expression of, "A Godly person." And if Jesus was the Son of God, explain this:

"God said to me [Abraham], 'Thou art my son. This day
Have I begotten thee'."

OR

"The Sons of God walked with the daughters of men."

Looking in the Koran, it offered that the sun revolves, which NASA said NO until their great breakthrough in the National Geographic Magazine, January 1994. The word HADIYAH - meaning "Iron" - is being mentioned in the Koran "TWENTY-SIX TIMES". This is according to a British Moslem documentary. If we look into the Periodic Table, iron's atomic number is 26. God said in the Koran, "I created the heavens in seven layers". Scientists analyzed the Earth's atmosphere and discovered that it is made up of seven layers, which includes the ozone layer that filters the sun's ultraviolet rays. Many people converted to Islam because of their taste of physical evidence while Moslems remain Moslems because of their faith - no demands for physical facts of what the Koran says.
If you are a Christian, you can get "The Bible the Qur'an and Science" to learn more or go to Google.com and type in the text bar "Bible Qur'an Science". But make sure the author's name MAURICE shows. Maurice was a French science who developed his roadmap to Islam through the studies of Islam and Science.
No one needs to convert to Islam if the journey is too painful, but just in case, "I NEVER did say you should convert." Al-salamu alaykum - i.e. Peace be with you.

[lool]

hi all ....

First I like to thank the writer of this paragraph ( or what ever it is ) ..

and I want to thank every one replayed this thread .. and hope you benifit from this informations ..

arabic is hard, well the alphabet is at least, once you learn the alphabet im sure its not THAT hard, dam means blood, thats about all i know,

Yes (Dam) means (Blood) in arabic .. that's righte ...

and I am agree with your point that the alphabit of hiragana and katagana are harder than the alphabit of the arabic language ..

becouse in hiragana you have 5 of ( k ) : ( ka , ku , ki , ke , ko )

but in arabic you have one (k) called ( KAF ) and with some punctuation you can make it ( ka , ko , ke ) or with putting another letter like (a) >>> ( alef ) or (o)>> ( waw ) or ( i,y)>>> ( ya ) you can make it ( kaa , koo , kee ) and as that you can do with 27 letter else :
1-( alef ) >> ( a)
2-( ba )>> (b,p)
3-( ta ) >> (t )
4-( tha ) >> ( th )
5-( jeem ) >> ( g,j )
6-( hhaa ) >> there's no letter like it in english or in hiragana and katakana .
7-( khaa ) >> there's no letter like it in english or in hiragana and katakana .
8-( dal ) >> ( d )
9-( thal ) >> as you say ( the )
10-( ra ) >> (r)
11-(zeen) >> (z)
12-( seen ) >> (s,c)
13-( sheen ) >> ( sh )
14( saad ) >> as the last of ( else )
15-( dhad ) >> this letter the only arabic one can say it .. no one else in the word can write it in any language or say it in any language exept the arabic .. some arabs cant say it correctly but they'll can if they try .. the arabic language called also as ( the dhaad langusage ) ..
16-(ta) >> it's hard to translate it in english .. its like ( t ) but stronger .
17-(tha) >> it's hard to translate it in english .. its like ( the ) but stronger .
18-( een ) >>> its also hard to translate .
19- ( gheen ) >> its also hard to translate .
20- ( fa ) >> ( f,ph )
21- (qaaf ) >> ( stronger than q )
22- ( kaaf ) >> ( k,c,q)
23-( lam ) >> (l)
24-( meem ) >> ( m )
25-(noonn)>> (n )
26-(ha )>> (h)
27-(waw) >> ( w )
28-( yaa ) >> ( i,y)

and thats all ... It's easy to laern arabic .. but it's hard to learn the real arabic .. the real grammar of arabic .. it's hard for us also ( the arabians ) to learn the real arabic .. but nothing hard with work ...

note : the (( alphabit )) word came from ( alef,baa,taa ) the first three letters in arabic alphabits .. and that what I think ...

The word HADIYAH - meaning "Iron"

mmmmm .. the word ( HADIYAH ) means ( gift or present )

( iron ) in arabic is ( HADID or HADEED )>> (6,8,28,8 ) #is the arabic alphabit

and ( hadeed ) mentioned in the ( holy Quran ) 26 times not ( hadiyah )

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

about the islam in japan .. and some who said it's hard for the japanese to stop of their families practices and behaviors ..

in the reality .. if you understand the real broplem betewen the ( Islam ) and the other religiouns specially ( christians, juses and the arabs before islam ) you can know that they won't or wouldn't follow islam becouse of their families behaviour and relegious .. but islam reached all the arab world ( mideast ) and now it reached china and japan .. fromm the east .. south and north amirica from the west .. russia and the others from the north .. south africa , malysia , indonisia and ostoralia from the south of world map .. its started from the midlle of the map in ( saudi arabia >> MAKKAH ) and reached the all world ..

so I think the islamic future in japan will be from better to the best ..

the government of japan have nothing to do for muslims or the islam in japan .. just give them freedom and let them lieve as the others ...

( sorry about my bad english )

[MtoM]

thank you drag_lp3 alot
===

yes that's right arabic is a hard language i can say it's the hardest language to learn :its sounds are very difficult ,the garammers are tricky and wide sooooo wide
in the other hand, you can make your self good in it easly by living in an arabic country you can anderstand and be anderstood.
===========================================
yeah about japanese muslims...
Do you know anyone????
Please let me know soon

Mata Ja

[Abdullah72]

Hi,
For anybody interested in islam go to this site also in japanese
www.islam-guide.com
Write me to this e mail if you have anycoments:
jasmingutierrez@yahoo.com
Thanks

[thereisnospoon]

Interesting article, I am fairly fluent in Arabic, having spent a couple of years in Jordan and Egypt, I found the Arabic alphabet fairly easy to learn, lets hope I can learn the japanese as well. lol

[AranzA]

It's not about they're not interested in Islam, they know almost nothing.. I read an article about a Chinese lady who converted to Islam, she said that most ppl in China know little stuff about Islam, so she made negative judgment about the whole thing. However, when she joined a university in a foreign country, she got the chance to learn Arabic and learn more about Islam.. Besides, she met good Muslims who made her more interested in this religion.

I like reading about different religions. It痴 so interesting ^_^

[AranzA]

Originally posted by philupthetank86
arabic is hard, well the alphabet is at least, once you learn the alphabet im sure its not THAT hard, dam means blood, thats about all i know,

loool,, philupthetank86.. is this the only word you can memorize?

Jenn = Ghosts
saffah = butcher
Harami = thief



Anyway, Muslims can pray in their own languages,, Praying in Arabic is not obligated at all ^_^

[SuSu]

Hi everybody.
First of all, I want to thank the writer, it's a very nice article. Actually, I was looking for such a subject.
Well, I have a question:
Do you know where I can find Japanese Muslims and contact them, I mean websites or forums, if anyone has an idea, plz, let e know. Even if they are not Japanese, it's not a problem, let me know.
I'm very interested in learning the Japanese language, though I know nothing about it. lol. By the way, if anybody is interested in learning Arabic, I can help. ;)

Thanks everyone
Salam

[Farmad]

For ahkam, fikh and tasavvuf information...

Based on profound Ahl as Sunnah scholars' books.


http://www.hizmetbooks.org

http://www.hakikatkitabevi.com

[uygurlar]

I don't know about Japan, but there are 80 million Muslims in China. Islam has a longer tradition in China.

[AranzA]

80 million?? wow,, I haven't heard about this before,,

[Ash_s]

hi all i'm a muslim and i speak arabic so if any one wants help in arabic or islam just senf me an e-mail herer majhol2004@yahoo.com
and about my self i want to learn japanese i hope i can find people to help

[Hachiko]

Thomas and others, a curious question: has there been a section in the Japanese constitution that encourages religious freedom? If that's the case, I don't see why Islam shouldn't be embraced in Japan.

[Mandylion]

Hachiko - You are correct, the consitution does cover that. The question is more of a cultural one and how Japan views religion when thinking about if Islam can make it in Japan. The challenges are not only for Japanese people to adapt to Islam, but Islam to adapt to Japan. Traditions with a strong sense of mono-ness (one god, one way, one anything to the detractment of dualism) have had to soften their tone to keep even the smallest of toe-holds in Japan. This goes for New Religions (Tenrikyo, Nichiren, etc.) that have far more Japanese elements in their practice as well. Part of the reason sects like Tenrikyo have done so well is flexibility. An example;

Obon rites (Buddhist ancestor veneration rites) occur in Japan in the middle of August. Tenrikyo, a Buddhist/Shinto/founders ideas mix, New Religion does not endorse such practices. Still, I have met Tenrikyo priests who are willing to perform Buddhist obon rites (for a family member who was not Tenrikyo) if asked by followers.

Whould Islamic leaders, cut of the cloth who want to come to Japan and spread the faith, be comfortable performing or allowing the practice of rites like ancestor veneration? I don't claim to know. The Christian ministers I know just turn a bind eye to such practices. The ones who activly discourage such practices have very, very few members in church.

I'm not saying Islam shouldn't be introduced to Japan. I'm just saying it would be a big challenge.

[MtoM]

Try these two sites

Holy Quran : http://www.isuramu.net/kuruan/index.html

http://www.isuramu.net/index.html

[aliG]

Im not sure why people automatically think ARAB when they think Islam. Need I make it clear that there are Christian arabs, Jewish Arabs as well. But to clearify the point, Im pakistani and I dont speak a dam sentence of Arabic, yet I am muslim. Its like the stupidest thing I ever heard.

[Eternal Wind]

different ppl have their own rights in chosing what they believe and i think that there is nothing wrong with it.

[aliG]

Originally posted by Eternal Wind
different ppl have their own rights in chosing what they believe and i think that there is nothing wrong with it.

i understand, but they need to watch out when they say something like that in public. this is sheer ignorance. its like me thanking a VIETNAMESE by saying SHESHENI (in chinese).

[Hachiko]

Originally Posted by aliG

i understand, but they need to watch out when they say something like that in public. this is sheer ignorance. its like me thanking a VIETNAMESE by saying SHESHENI (in chinese).

Some Vietnamese may take it as ignorance. Others will take it as an accident, and say the correct term for "thank you." Regardless of ethnicity, it depends on how the person views it.