Page 28 - CCU FULL BOOK

E. REFLECTION

Mawlid is a symbolic reminder of the historical presence of Islam in the country. It is
also represents an annual opportunity to reaffirm Muslims’ status as Thai citizens and their
allegiance to the monarchy. In keeping with tradition, this year’s Ngarn Mawlid Klang – the
main festival – is being held in the grounds of the office of the Chularajmontri, Thailand’s
Islamic spiritual leader, in Nong Chok, Bangkok. The Chularajmontri is official representative
of the 7 million Thai Muslims – 7 per cent of the country’s population and made up of different
ethnicities and sects. Forty-four per cent of Thai Muslims reside in the southernmost
provinces of Pattani, Yala and Narathiwat, while the rest are spread across the nation.

The Islamic world normally celebrates Mawlid on the 12th day of the third Muslim calendar
month – January, this year. But in Thailand there is no fixed date, with tradition decreeing the
festival be held in the run up to the holy month of Ramadan, which is June this year. The
Ministry of Culture’s Islamic Department gives awards to Muslims who have contributed to
the promotion and development of Thai life in their roles as citizens, as educators and as social
workers. In Bangkok, the Ngarn Mawlid Klang main festival is a vibrant showcase for the Thai
Muslim community and their lifestyles. Booths display the history and cultural life of the
diverse Thai Muslim community and the embassies of Muslim countries offer a flavour of their
own unique cultures, arts and commercial life. Meanwhile stalls offer religious artefacts,
Muslim fashions and Thai Muslim dishes from the north to the south of the country