Religions can and should co-exist

The local Buddhists are worried about violence in the Muslim-dominated deep South and how the influx of Muslims might influence their lives, especially since the proposed mosque is adjacent to a Buddhist temple.

Imagine if local Buddhists in Narathiwat wanted to build a wat next to a mosque, to serve Buddhists passing through to visit their investments in the deep South, and the local Muslims protested – despite the Buddhists’ having properly followed all procedures required for official approval. The Buddhists would, rightfully, be indignant. They would say that the southerners wanted their money but not them, and that there was no reason to suppose that the violence would migrate from one end of the country to the other. The wat’s success would mean that southerners would have more clients for their hotels, eateries, tourist attractions, etc. Also, each religion has much to learn from the other, and this would be a good opportunity to do so. As for the two religious structures being adjacent to each other, if Buddhists and Muslims by the hundreds of thousands can live harmoniously side-by-side for ages, as they have in the South, why can’t their houses of worship do likewise (provided, of course, that zoning regulations regarding traffic flow, etc have been complied with)?

As a good Buddhist would say: “Hurt not others in ways that you yourself would find hurtful” (Udana-Varga 5,1), or “One should seek for others the happiness one desires for himself” (Buddha).

Burin Kantabutra

Bangkok