Inter-faith relations on a knife-edge
State-led projects are being designed to bring communities closer together in the violence-ravaged far South, writes Phongthai Wattanavanitvut
State-initiated projects aimed at bridging cultural and ethnic gaps between people of different religions in the far South, a region still wracked by separatist-led violence, are making headway by tackling some of the most divisive issues, according to local officials.
One of the religious practices that has courted controversy is the Islamic circumcision ritual known as sunat, or khitan in Arabic, that is performed mostly on boys aged 7-12. Only older men in poor health are excluded from having to undergo this.
In a bid to boost communal unity, officials have launched an annual sunat summer project in tambon Taling Chan in Bannang Sata district of Yala, one of the three southern border provinces plagued by perennial violence.
This year, around 50 Muslim boys from several villages in the tambon took part in the event, which was co-hosted by the Provincial Electricity Authority (PEA) and the local administrative organisation in Ban Kue Long.
Physicians from the Tambon Taling Chan Health Promoting Hospital were stationed at an Islamic school in Moo 2, the venue for the event, which turned several rooms into operating threatres and others into convalescent rooms.
The PEA said the authorities were keen to sponsor the event to highlight the government’s recognition of, and respect for, local customs and divergent lifestyles.
Pornchai Trachoo, director of the PEA’s Bannang Sata branch, said the circumcision project came about in tandem to the PEA’s policy of encouraging its staff to become actively involved in local activities including religious events, particularly in the southern provinces.
As Thailand’s southernmost area has been ravaged by unrest for over a decade, state authorities have resorted to various strategies to campaign against violence in an effort to reclaim peace.
In addition to joint security operations by authorities working in concert with residents, several projects and activities have been launched to boost the relationships between state officials and locals. These are considered a “binding agent” for Muslim and Buddhist residents.
The sunat project is also expected to bring Islamic and Buddhist employees closer together as more than half of those living in Bannang Sata district are Muslims, Mr Pornchai said.
According to Islamic belief, male circumcision is part of the purification of a Muslim’s body. It is mentioned in a list of Islamic practices known as the fitrah.
The Prophet Muhammad, a messenger of Allah and the founder of Islam, listed the five core elements of the fitrah as being: The removal of pubic hair, male circumcision, trimming one’s moustache, plucking armpit hairs, and trimming one’s nails.
These public health practices are in accordance with Islamic theology which states that Muslims’ minds and bodies must be purified before they attend religious ceremonies including daily prayers as a way to show their respect to Allah.
Muslims also believe circumcision is hygienic, and it has been scientifically proven that removing the foreskin can lessen the risk of contracting sexually transmitted diseases such as gonorrhea, syphilis or cancer caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV).
Men who receive a circumcision are also less prone to cancer in their reproductive organs, peer-reviewed studies indicate.
Dr Wirot Suwannasut said there are very few records of circumcised Thai men developing cancer in their reproductive organs. Moreover, women Muslims rarely contract cervical cancer, he said, adding by way of explanation that HPV is often transmitted from men to women.
Despite the quick and relatively easy nature of the operation, circumcisions require observance of the strictest hygiene standards to prevent any complications, doctors say.
As such, public health staff in Yala have also been giving advice to parents who showed up at the recent sunat event to help with their sons’ convalescence.
Basic necessities and appliances such as electric fans were also given to boys who underwent the surgery.
Bundit Waedolloh, the official overseeing the project, said circumcision is a rite of passage for all Muslim boys or men before they are recognised as fully fledged devotees of Islam.
Before engaging in their daily prayers, Muslims are required to wash their faces and feet and generally ensure their whole body is clean.
Those who have not yet been circumcised must bathe beforehand, which is hugely inconvenient as Muslims are required to pray up to five times a day, especially during the holy month of Ramadan when they must also fast from sun-up to sun-down.
Ramadan kicked off in Malaysia on Thursday but the dates differ by a matter of days from country to country as the religious festival traditionally starts with a sighting of the moon.
“The number of boys who attend these circumcision events each year is rising because the people here believe strongly in Islam,” said Mr Bundit.
The number of boys who attend these circumcision events each year is rising because the people here believe strongly in Islam. BUNDIT WAEDOLLOH SUPERVISOR OF THE SUNAT SUMMER PROJECT IN YALA