[Henldyhl]

Is there anybody in this forum from korea?. My brother got scholarship from hanyang university korea. Before taking decision, I want to know the environment, Islamic dawah work in Korea. Do you suggest going there.?

[raspirator]

Hangyang university in Seoul has set up some facilities for Muslim students. Here is some info from the university website:

Nowadays, many international students are seen, studying in Hanyang University. Although the rate of Chinese students is the highest, it is easy to see students with Islamic backgrounds. These students are from countries such as Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Indonesia. On the ERICA campus, there are 69 government scholarship holders from Pakistan. Through these 69 students dreaming to become the future of their country, Weekly Hanyang, set out to report the Islamic and multicultural scenes on campus.

In 2006, Hanyang University and the Education Ministry of Pakistan had made an agreement. Since this event, the government of Pakistan is giving scholarships, and enabling students to study on the ERICA campus. Currently, 69 Pakistani students are studying in graduate schools, after having passed both a major related exam in Pakistan, and an academic aptitude test of Hanyang University. These students are the future leaders of Pakistan.

Muslims meet certain hardships when it comes to life in Korea, due to cultural differences. The first and most difficult problem is diet. Muslims follow dietary laws that prohibit foods categorized as Haram. Swine, pork, any other meat slaughtered without the proper religious procedures, and alcohol are Haram. ERICA campus readied a cafeteria for Muslim students in the Students Residence Hall 1. Canned tuna, that is familiar to most Koreans, can be seen on the countertop shelves.

The Students Residence Hall 1 and Engineering Building 5 have places for salat, a religious practice carried out towards the Mecca and Medina in Saudi Arabia. The first salat is practiced before sunrise, the second around noon, and the third around 3 in the afternoon, the fourth around sunset, and the final and fifth salat around 8 o’clock in the evening. Pakistani students use their time in between classes to practice salat.

Hanyang University is unique to have a cafeteria and praying rooms for Muslim students. However, there is more that needs to be done. There is a shortage of furnaces, to help Pakistani students to melt into Hanyang more naturally, who yet seem fragmented apart. Professor Lee Hee-soo (The College of Languages and Cultures, Department of Cultural Anthropology), who is a specialist of Islamic culture, emphasized the need for events to promote a better understanding of each other’s culture. Professor Lee said that “the external support is sufficient while internal communion remains in need,” and that “although the university is acting as a tow truck in better building a multi-cultural society, Hanyang must present a blueprint that will bring the Pakistani and Korean together.” http://www.hanyang.ac.kr/goLink.jsp?.../english1.html


Here is some information about Seoul's only major masjid: Seoul Central Mosque

Here is the Korean Muslim assocation website with information on halal restaurants, Korean language classes, etc.
http://www.koreaislam.org/notice.do?method=list

There are a few websites addressing the history of Islam in Korea which stretch back to 900 CE. More recently, Turk troops who fought in the Korean war also engaged in Dawah reintroducing Islam to Koreans. Since then, there has been a modest community of Korean Muslims and expat Muslim workers, students, professionals.

As far as receiving a scholarship, your brother should weigh the benefits and costs involved for him.
What is the scholarship for?
How adept is he at Dawah, at learning new languages and interacting with different people?
How well does he adapt to challenging and difficult circumstnaces?

[raspirator]

One more thing about Korea, America has been highly influential there. American culture and christianity has prospered such that Evangelical/born again Christian communities are the most outspoken in Korea. And they also spread missionaries like flies. One can find Korean christian missionaries in Afghanistan along with the Nato troops. If your brother goes to Korea, he should prepare for dealing with Korean Christian missionaries who use American strategies of proselytizing.

[Henldyhl]

Hangyang university in Seoul has set up some facilities for Muslim students. Here is some info from the university website:



http://www.hanyang.ac.kr/goLink.jsp?.../english1.html


Here is some information about Seoul's only major masjid: Seoul Central Mosque

Here is the Korean Muslim assocation website with information on halal restaurants, Korean language classes, etc.
http://www.koreaislam.org/notice.do?method=list

There are a few websites addressing the history of Islam in Korea which stretch back to 900 CE. More recently, Turk troops who fought in the Korean war also engaged in Dawah reintroducing Islam to Koreans. Since then, there has been a modest community of Korean Muslims and expat Muslim workers, students, professionals.

brother usama. I think 69 from pakistan and others from muslim countries are enough to form community.

One more thing about Korea, America has been highly influential there. American culture and christianity has prospered such that Evangelical/born again Christian communities are the most outspoken in Korea. And they also spread missionaries like flies. One can find Korean christian missionaries in Afghanistan along with the Nato troops. If your brother goes to Korea, he should prepare for dealing with Korean Christian missionaries who use American strategies of proselytizing.

I think no other country in American influence more than Pakistan.
At that circumstances, have to rely on internet for spiritual and religious connectivity.

If anyone did khurooj there or any shaikh visits there, then please let me know.
Also, share experience of study there and quality of education etc.
My opinion is to avail it, still have one week to decide.

[raspirator]

Brother, it seems that your brother has an excellent opportunity to shape his future on a global scale.
Korea has two universities recognized internationally as two within the top 50 universities in engineering: SNU and KAIST. Hangyang is not ranked with them, but Korea is well known for top level engineering and science (although I am unhappy about the visibility from my Hyundai which I know is an engineering trick to increase accident rates and replacement parts, but that's another story).

Here is an article of microbotic engineering for robots designed for passing through the blood stream to repair an injury. A Hanyang engineering professor is involved in that research. Hanyang apparently has a partnership with U of C Berkeley for the patent on this invention. But it shows a high level of engineering expertise, cooperation, and innovation.

To obtain more indepth information, I suggest contacting Muslim students at the university. The university might even provide contact numbers for you and your brother to speak to some and perhaps even students from your country who attend the school.

May Allah make it easy for you and your brother.