A Muslim woman walks on a deserted street in front of Seoul Central Masjid, the first mosque in South Korea, on Aug. 19, 2021. (Yonhap)
DAEGU, Dec. 15 (Korea Bizwire) — A controversy broke out after several residents in the southeastern city of Daegu announced they would stage a pork-eating event near the construction site of a mosque.
The anti-mosque committee in Buk Ward in Daegu said that will hold an “end-of-year party” 50 or 60 meters away from the mosque’s construction site on Thursday.
The committee’s actions are expected to deepen the divide between the Islamic community and local residents.
Previously, several residents placed the head of a pig, used in a traditional Korean ritual, in front of the entrance to the mosque’s construction site, sparking tensions.
Currently, there are three pig heads, feet, and tails laid out near the construction site.
In Islamic culture, it is regarded as sinful to consume pork.
The Supreme Court ruled in favor of the Islamic community in September.
Despite the court’s ruling, construction could not move forward because residents hampered the project by blocking the entrance of the construction site with their cars and putting up anti-Islamic posters and banners in the area.
Residents have claimed they will suffer noise pollution and other inconveniences because of the mosque.
Separately, the National Human Rights Commission of Korea in October recommended the ward office take measures to resume the construction.
H. M. Kang (hmkang@koreabizwire.com)
