"Nowhere in the Holy Qur’an or hadiths of the Prophet Muhammad does it state that people should stop work altogether on Friday," Pattani Central Mosque Imam Yakob Raimanee told Khabar Southeast Asia. "They only state that we should follow the specified prayer times on that day. That’s normal, and I’m sure that (no practicing Muslim) would conduct business at those times."
Islam, he explained, stresses the need to find the proper day-to-day balance between work and spiritual pursuits.
Businesses in the region closed down en masse on Friday (September 29th) after suspected insurgents distributed leaflets in Pattani, Yala and Narathiwat threatening reprisals against proprietors who failed to close their shops. As many as 80% of Pattani enterprises were shuttered, while similar closures were reported in Yala and Narathiwat.
They (rebels who made the threats) do not appear to be well-versed in Islamic doctrine, the Imam said..
"It is true that in some states of Malaysia they have Friday and Saturday off, but that is just part of their tradition. It doesn’t entail that they need to stay at the mosque all day on Friday waiting to pray," Imam Yakob said. He added that Muslims have to decide for themselves which days they should conduct trade.
"A life conducted solely in spiritual pursuits, without working, does not follow Islamic doctrine any more than a life devoted solely to work, with no time for prayer. These approaches lead to failure. The correct path is one that has a balanced blend of spiritual practice in everyday life," Yakob said.
The threats appear to be part of an effort by the insurgents to frame their armed struggle in religious terms, even though authoritative Islamic sources have rejected such a link. The Organisation of Islamic Co-operation (OIC) and Muslim World League (MWL) have both said the crisis has little to do with the right to practice Islam in the Deep South, where about 80% of residents are ethnic Malay Muslims.
Local residents say the forced closures are affecting their livelihoods and well-being.
"Many people here live hand-to-mouth and are badly affected if they cannot work on Fridays," motorcycle taxi driver Dorloh Salaeh said. "If the market is closed on Fridays, I’m out as much as 600 baht ($20) per week. That amount is very important to me because I have a family to provide for and have loan payments to make on my motorbike."
Another resident, Waris Phum, had similar concerns. "Everyone has to conduct their day-to-day lives, but it is more difficult if all the restaurants and shops are closed on Fridays," he said. "Most people in the three southernmost provinces have three meals a day but only one at home, so they rely on restaurants and tea shops for food."
