On a recent afternoon it was business as usual at Haroon Mosque, a 150-year-old Muslim enclave neighboured by a Buddhist temple, Catholic church and the gleaming new French embassy. Residents went about their daily chores before the call for afternoon prayers sounded from the mosque. Savouring the centuries-old community's laid-back feeling were a couple of European tourists who wandered around with their cameras.
Muslim students mingle with other people in the Ramkhamhaeng area of Bangkok.
The predominantly Muslim community on Charoen Krung 36 shares the cultural sphere with a number of Buddhist families, mostly from nearby sois. Temple bells from Wat Muang Kae are heard in the evening — followed by the muezzin's voice from the mosque. At the recent Children's Day party, the community saw both Muslim and Buddhist kids participating in games and activities.
The Charlie Hebdo killings in Paris, when Muslim extremists murdered 17 people two weeks ago, has put a certain pressure on Muslims all over the world. In Thailand, the situation in the Deep South — which, like the Paris incident, has a complex mix of politics as well as culture and religion — has long cast a shadow over the Muslim population. But Thailand has been fortunate to not experience the expression of anti-Islam sentiments, and a lesson in coexistence can still be witnessed.
Davud Homchuen, a 75-year-old Muslim clergyman at Haroon Mosque, shared his view on coexisting with neighbours of various faiths.
"It is very much about respecting other people's faiths and a willingness to integrate," he said. "We are strategically located in an area which in the past housed the American and Portuguese embassies. As for the French embassy, which is a stone throw's away from our community, we have enjoyed a cordial relationship with them for years. Our Buddhist and Christian neighbours visit us all the time."
After the Charlie Hebdo attack, there was a police presence in the area — mainly as a protocol, and not due to any suspicions.
"We did not feel that is was in any way related to a sense of distrust, not at all," said Davud, adding that the staff of the embassy enjoy having Muslim food in the community. When the embassy opened its new office building last year, Muslim elders from the mosque were invited to join in the officiating ceremony.
Davud, the official muezzin of the community, believes to live alongside people of other faiths in peace and harmony it is important for Muslims to respect the Koran as well as the culture of other people. He stressed, like the majority of Muslims have in the past week, that Islamic holy scriptures do not promote violence of any kind.
In fact, he said it teaches restraint, reflection and being mindful of how one reacts to religious persecution. It stresses the need to use dialogue instead of physical strength against people who have wronged you.
"Any Muslim who takes the life of another because that person has desecrated his religion doesn't know his faith," said Davud. "God has created life and so we have no right to take it no matter what that person has done to us. Terrorists that use Islam as a way to take retribution are often misguided by their emotions and leaders. We have to respect the laws of the country, no one can take the law into their own hands.
"To live in harmony one has to be accommodating of people who think differently from you."
Siripong Toleb, an office worker who regularly attends Haroon Mosque for prayers, was of the opinion that Muslims should extend the hand of friendship towards their non-Muslim neighbours to erase a current wave of negative attitudes.
"I do believe that to live in peace with others we have to not just respect each others' beliefs but also learn not to generalise," said Siripong. "Undeniably, there is tension in the air when people hear about terrorist attacks by insurgents and extremists. It is also wise for all of us to filter the news, seek more information, and don't get too emotional with everything reported on television."
Paris is not Bangkok, but Thailand has its own problems that involve some Muslim troublemakers in the Deep South, where lives are lost almost on a daily basis. But while the situation down there remains tense, a microcosm of subcultural coexistence is visible in certain parts of Bangkok.
On the other side of town, we can observe Muslim and Buddhist communities residing together alongside the centuries-old Jami-ul-Islam Mosque on Ramkhamhaeng 53, a popular student hangout and residential area for a large number of young people from southern Thailand.
Muslims from Pattani province first began building communities in and around Ramkhamhaeng from the early 1920s. The mosque is surrounded by a handful of dormitories catering largely to Muslim and Buddhist students, with Khlong Saen Saep running parallel to it. A 150m walk away from the mosque is Wat Thep Leela. The Buddhist temple and mosque have helped to foster a close-knit community.
Here Buddhist and Muslims have also been residing side by side with respect for each other's beliefs, culture and traditions for centuries, said Imam Sutee Kateprasit, the spiritual leader of Jami-ul-Islam Mosque.
"As a Muslim, when I hear about Islamic extremists waging terror in the name of jihad, my heart aches because Islam is a religion of peace," he said.
"When there is news of Muslims being persecuted in other countries, we show our displeasure by protesting in front of that particular country's embassy, and sending relief in the form of food and clothing.
"We are for peace and solidarity, and don't believe in stirring up discord.
"To bring about unity at a time where society might generalise that Islam teaches violence, I would suggest that the media offer our religious leaders a forum to speak and explain the truth. Social media can also play a constructive role in helping people to not form prejudiced attitudes towards us.
"Above all, it is time Muslims around the world ground themselves in their faith so they do not get carried away by political ideologies that might entice them into getting brainwashed, thinking that they need to kill people to prove a point, which is a sin."
Chaturong Panupha, a hotel employee, always attends night prayers at Jami-ul-Islam. He was born and brought up in Pattani province and was in his late teens when sent to study in Bangkok. In his view, people need to realise that the southern conflict is not fuelled as much by religious ideology as it is by political and cultural alienation which has been taking places for decades.
"What is happening in the South has affected the perception of people in Bangkok to a great extent," he said. "You will see it is common for Muslim students to usually hang out with other Muslims because usually non-Muslims are rather reluctant to become their friends.
"I am often asked why Islam condones the killings of innocent civilians. What is even more surprising about this is the fact that people with deep rooted prejudices against us are not so much the illiterate but the ones who call themselves 'learned'."
Sharing his thoughts on how to address this predicament, Chaturong said: "There is lack of trust, because the news is often one-sided, and the mutual understanding between people of different faiths needs to be improved.
"I believe it would be nice to have Buddhist and Christian schools teach Islam in an in-depth manner, or invite our religious teachers to hold a seminar. Knowledge is power and gives you wisdom to discern between right and wrong."
The process will be long. But since coexistence is not an option but a necessity, Chaturong believes that Muslims and Buddhists must realise that and work towards it.
Members of the Muslim community pray at Haroon Mosque on Charoen Krung, next door to a Buddhist temple.
