All these people saying Middle East needs to allow religious freedom are very ignorant since Saudi Arabia and Isis controlled areas are the only places that don't allow churches. The Middle East is full of Christians both Local and immigrant. Iran also has a thriving and well respected Jewish community and numerous synagogues (they get labelled as anti-Semitic because of their opposition to Zionism, which has nothing to do with The position of Jewish people in Iran). So many people seem to associate Muslims and Arabs with Saudi Arabia which practices it's own small extra strict sect of Wahhabism.

"differences in lifestyle and culture" between Buddhists and Muslims, and possible "unrest and violence" that could follow the construction of the mosque."

On whose part?

The Muslims just want a place to pray.

What's wrong with that?

so a bar starts up next door as people just want a place to drink

and

a pork spare ribs place the other side of the mosque as people just want a place to eat

is OK then or is this a one way street

Couldn't care less about what happens next to the mosque. That would be the owner of the land's choice.

That's the thing, there could be conflict as a result of such a decision. There could be protests by the Muslim community that it's insensitive and what not to open a bar or restaurant serving pork, which is banned in Islam and then the local Buddhist and/or non-Muslim community in general might be up in arms about these "newcomers" telling them what to do in their own backyard.

It's very easy for you to say that everyone will just get along but I can tell you that's easier said than done. When a new group comes into an area and demands they are respected but the local community feels like they are being disadvantaged, conflict may arise.

Again I present the example of Myanmar. An apparent rape by a Muslim of a Buddhist girl in western Rakhine state caused massive outrage amongst the Buddhist community and caused many mosques, houses and businesses belonging to Muslims to be burned down. The local Rakhine community felt they were being disadvantaged by foreign aid groups bias in favour of the Rohingya or as the Burmese call them, Bengalis, which are Muslim. That and the fact that they appeared to enroach on their lands, displacing them.

We hope that will never happen here or anywhere else, BUT the potential exists. There needs to be proper consultation with all parties concerned, whether it's constructing a mosque or opening a rib bar next to a mosque or whatever. There may need to be a compromise solution or else there could be trouble.

Nothing you say justifies the bigotry of those wanting to deny muslims a place to pray.

The intolerance of some burmese towards those occupying and following their faith on land, as they have done for centuries, and the things they did, does not mean that those wishing to deny their fellow Thai citizens the right to follow their faith [on land they own] are right.

Quite the opposite.

Edited March 5, 201511 yr by Bluespunk

How sad some poor little bigots cannot see beyond their blind prejudice and ignorance.

Some of us have lived in the middle east and did not hide our atheism and had no problems at all.

Some of us went to christmas eve midnight mass [more for the tradition of it all than any faith based reasons] in churches there.

Catholic churches, legally established, no harassment about their services.

Sad how ignorant, prejudiced and blindly intolerant little bigots cannot see beyond the boundaries of their hate.

hey bluesie, count the number of times u use the word hate and bigot..............

reflect~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

now go to pakistan, yemen, iraq,

not your sheltered expat communities,

wow, bigot, ignorance, hate,

read your pointless, driveling posts,

we get it, your an islamic apologist, who abhors any other organized religion,

now get over it,

you are a hoot,

?get it now???

Sad, sad, sad.

I have found Thais to be tolerant of people of all religions or none. But when she was flogging tickets for a function at the Wat and had a couple of dozen left I went out with her and told people to buy a ticket or else be reborn as a muslim. All sold quickly.

hey bluesie, count the number of times u use the word hate and bigot..............

reflect~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

now go to pakistan, yemen, iraq,

not your sheltered expat communities,

wow, bigot, ignorance, hate,

read your pointless, driveling posts,

we get it, your an islamic apologist, who abhors any other organized religion,

now get over it,

you are a hoot,

?get it now???

WE get it?

Speak only for yourself, Oby Wan Kenobi...

Couldn't care less about what happens next to the mosque. That would be the owner of the land's choice.

That's the thing, there could be conflict as a result of such a decision. There could be protests by the Muslim community that it's insensitive and what not to open a bar or restaurant serving pork, which is banned in Islam and then the local Buddhist and/or non-Muslim community in general might be up in arms about these "newcomers" telling them what to do in their own backyard.

It's very easy for you to say that everyone will just get along but I can tell you that's easier said than done. When a new group comes into an area and demands they are respected but the local community feels like they are being disadvantaged, conflict may arise.

Again I present the example of Myanmar. An apparent rape by a Muslim of a Buddhist girl in western Rakhine state caused massive outrage amongst the Buddhist community and caused many mosques, houses and businesses belonging to Muslims to be burned down. The local Rakhine community felt they were being disadvantaged by foreign aid groups bias in favour of the Rohingya or as the Burmese call them, Bengalis, which are Muslim. That and the fact that they appeared to enroach on their lands, displacing them.

We hope that will never happen here or anywhere else, BUT the potential exists. There needs to be proper consultation with all parties concerned, whether it's constructing a mosque or opening a rib bar next to a mosque or whatever. There may need to be a compromise solution or else there could be trouble.

Nothing you say justifies the bigotry of those wanting to deny muslims a place to pray.

The intolerance of some burmese towards those occupying and following their faith on land, as they have done for centuries, and the things they did, does not mean that those wishing to deny their fellow Thai citizens the right to follow their faith [on land they own] are right.

Quite the opposite.

Nothing you say justifies the bigotry of those wanting to deny muslims a place to pray.

You keep writing that in spite of the fact that no one is denying them a place to pray. Those 60 Muslims in Nan already have, and have had, a place to pray. This is about building a Mosque w/minaret that is much larger than current needs to attract more Muslims to the area. Please don't continue to distort the issue.

The intolerance of some burmese towards those occupying and following their faith on land

What has the behavior of Burmese to do with the people of Nan? Are you suggesting the people of Nan get their inspiration to protest a new Mosque from the Burmese?

Couldn't care less about what happens next to the mosque. That would be the owner of the land's choice.

That's the thing, there could be conflict as a result of such a decision. There could be protests by the Muslim community that it's insensitive and what not to open a bar or restaurant serving pork, which is banned in Islam and then the local Buddhist and/or non-Muslim community in general might be up in arms about these "newcomers" telling them what to do in their own backyard.

It's very easy for you to say that everyone will just get along but I can tell you that's easier said than done. When a new group comes into an area and demands they are respected but the local community feels like they are being disadvantaged, conflict may arise.

Again I present the example of Myanmar. An apparent rape by a Muslim of a Buddhist girl in western Rakhine state caused massive outrage amongst the Buddhist community and caused many mosques, houses and businesses belonging to Muslims to be burned down. The local Rakhine community felt they were being disadvantaged by foreign aid groups bias in favour of the Rohingya or as the Burmese call them, Bengalis, which are Muslim. That and the fact that they appeared to enroach on their lands, displacing them.

We hope that will never happen here or anywhere else, BUT the potential exists. There needs to be proper consultation with all parties concerned, whether it's constructing a mosque or opening a rib bar next to a mosque or whatever. There may need to be a compromise solution or else there could be trouble.

Nothing you say justifies the bigotry of those wanting to deny muslims a place to pray.

The intolerance of some burmese towards those occupying and following their faith on land, as they have done for centuries, and the things they did, does not mean that those wishing to deny their fellow Thai citizens the right to follow their faith [on land they own] are right.

Quite the opposite.

Nothing you say justifies the bigotry of those wanting to deny muslims a place to pray.

You keep writing that in spite of the fact that no one is denying them a place to pray. Those 60 Muslims in Nan already have, and have had, a place to pray. This is about building a Mosque w/minaret that is much larger than current needs to attract more Muslims to the area. Please don't continue to distort the issue.

The intolerance of some burmese towards those occupying and following their faith on land

What has the behavior of Burmese to do with the people of Nan? Are you suggesting the people of Nan get their inspiration to protest a new Mosque from the Burmese?

A: Don't tell me I am distorting an issue just because you don't like my point of view.

B: The thai owners of the land wish to build a mosque on their land and they not you are the ones to decide what they need.

C: Read the post I was replying to if you want to know what the burmese reference was about.

You can do that, can't you? You know, read the whole of a thread before jumping in.

Edited March 5, 201511 yr by Bluespunk

How sad some poor little bigots cannot see beyond their blind prejudice and ignorance.

Some of us have lived in the middle east and did not hide our atheism and had no problems at all.

Some of us went to christmas eve midnight mass [more for the tradition of it all than any faith based reasons] in churches there.

Catholic churches, legally established, no harassment about their services.

Sad how ignorant, prejudiced and blindly intolerant little bigots cannot see beyond the boundaries of their hate.

Thank you, well said.