Andrea Vilchez
Throughout recent years, human sex trafficking has become an issue of vital importance in Thailand. Prostitution has come to be a defining factor in Thai society. While the matter finds causes in social, economic, and political changes over the last half century, the various religions practiced throughout the country have also played a major role in the expansion of the sex trafficking industry. Thailand’s attitude on prostitution has developed through the moral views established by the social teachings found in the country’s most influential religions—Buddhism, Catholicism, and Islam.
Throughout recent years, human sex trafficking has become an issue of vital importance in Thailand. Prostitution has come to be a defining factor in Thai society. While the matter finds causes in social, economic, and political changes over the last half century, the various religions practiced throughout the country have also played a major role in the expansion of the sex trafficking industry. Thailand’s attitude on prostitution has developed through the moral views established by the social teachings found in the country’s most influential religions—Buddhism, Catholicism, and Islam.
Buddhism, being the main religion of Thailand, advocates that women are not necessarily viewed as lesser than men (Dewaraja, The Position of Women in Buddhism). However, societal norms have placed women and children in charge of providing and helping their families, often including providing relief from financial pressures. This view has come into place due to karma-related teachings found in Buddhism, which hold that nirvana is achievable through merit and the accumulation of good karma. Many women, and in several cases children too, have come to believe that through helping their families, they are not only providing for them financially, but are also establishing good karma for themselves. Often, an idea of self-purification is also included in their merit, due to some monks’ views of women as “dangerous objects” who entice and seduce men (http://www.sexwork.com). Thailand, being approximately 95% Buddhist, widely accepts these perceptions and it is for this reason that a majority of Thai society regards prostitution as a means of providing for families and as work that would bring about good karma. Prostitution has thus become an accepted form of merit, and people that choose to involve themselves in the practice are not judged for their actions in light of their “good” intentions.
Catholicism first developed an influence on the kingdom of Thailand with the country’s establishment of international trade in the early 14th century (Bangkok Post). By the 17th century, the religion had not only established a permanent foothold in Thai society, but had begun its expansion with the foundation of churches and schools. About a century later, the country experienced an increase in Catholic congregations, which continued the missionary work of earlier centuries. Religious orders like the Salesians, set out to teach and educate the people of Thailand. In 1965, the Association of Catholic Education Council began its mission to incorporate moral values into the Thai people—including the Catholic respect for life—in hopes of creating good citizens. While many critics saw this work as attempts at undermining Buddhist influence, the council contrastingly worked to reinforce the religion’s power, by producing more devout followers. Regardless of the extensive Catholic work in Thailand however, the country has managed to become a world leader in sex trafficking. Missionary work and the work of several religious groups have been unable to stop the spread of prostitution, due to the overwhelming influence of Buddhism with less than a tenth of the Thai population being Catholic (Society of Saint Pius X).
While Islam is among the most influential religions in Thailand, its social teachings seem to have had little effect on the Thai view on prostitution. The Qu’ran itself advocates a strong protection of women’s rights. Women are viewed as equal to men and are offered a “respected place in society” (Muslimbridges.org). However, while these beliefs are directly found in the Islamic holy text, many Islamic societies have found themselves abandoning such values and principles and adopting more contemporary beliefs. Modern Islamic law for example, allows for the existence of “temporary marriage”, a phrase used to refer to prostitution (TheReligionOfPeace.org). From this standpoint, men are allowed to utilize women for sex outside of their primary marriage so long as the woman is compensated. If a man wishes to enter into permanent marriage with a woman, she is automatically subjected to the mandatory fulfillment of her husband’s every sexual need. That is, upon marriage, women relinquish their right to deny her husband sexual favors at any time, and if she does so, her husband is allowed to divorce her. Thus, Islamic values often find themselves contradicting of each other. Inclusively, despite the prohibition of prostitution by certain Islamic sects, Thailand finds itself frequently welcoming Muslim men seeking the benefits of the country’s growing sex trafficking industry (The Jerusalem Post).
Thailand has found religion to play a major role in the development of the country’s moral values. With Buddhism, Catholicism, and Islam being some of the most popular in the region, the social teachings of each have come to affect the expansion of Thai sex trafficking. Although in recent years, Catholic workers have strived to incorporate a respect for life into Thai society, Buddhism finds itself overpowering this missionary work with 90% of the population regarding prostitution as a means of merit and good karma. Inclusively, even the seemingly contradictory teachings of Islamic text and the stipulations of Islamic law have greatly contributed to the Thailand’s development into “Asia’s Brothel”.
Works Cited
Dewaraja, L. S. "The Position of Women in Buddhism." Access to Insight. Buddhist Publication Society, 5 June 2010. Web. 12 May 2011. <http://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/authors/dewaraja/wheel280.html>.
Frantzman, Seth J. "Terra Incognita: Sex, Islamism and the Old South." Jerusalem Post | Breaking News from Israel, the Middle East & the Jewish World. The Jerusalem Post, 04 May 2011. Web. 15 May 2011. <http://www.jpost.com/LandedPages/PrintArticle.aspx?id=215305>.
"The Influence Of Thai Buddhism on Prostitution." Sexwork Cyber Resource Center || Welcome. Sexwork Cyber Center, 1999. Web. 11 May 2011. <http://www.sexwork.com/Thailand/buddhism.html>.
Nimkannon, Oratip. "Education and Language Education and in Thailand." Bangkok Post : Yingluck Takes the Helm. The Post Publishing Public Co., Ltd., 8 Aug. 2005. Web. 12 May 2011. <http://www.bangkokpost.com/education/site2005/cvau0905.htm>.
"TheReligionofPeace - Islam: Temporary Marriage (Prostitution)." TheReligionofPeace.com - Guide to Understanding Islam. TheReligionOfPeace.com. Web. 15 May 2011. <http://www.thereligionofpeace.com/Quran/008-temporary-marriage.htm>.
Yahya, Haroun. "God's Mercy Towards Women." MuslimBridges.org. Web. 15 May 2011. <http://www.muslimbridges.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=426:gods-mercy-toward-women&catid=34:gender-equity-a-women-rights-in-islam&Itemid=134>.
Tim Sakow
ReplyDeleteThe Buddhists may believe in karma and "what goes around comes around", but its contradictory. Buddhism may call for merit and good deeds in order to help, but performing in sexual misconduct goes against Buddhist beliefs (www.buddhanet.net). Within the Five Precepts sexual misconduct is to be avoided, which includes the selling of people for sex. Often in Buddhism the intention of actions are taken in account, and all that are involved in the business have impure intentions. The people involved in the sexual acts of prostitution usually do not have an intention to exploit themselves, they are forced into it. Its not so much the fact that woman and children choose to do this as a good deed, but are taken or given away by parents for their own survival. Instead of acts of selflessness often people perform selfish acts that indirectly break the conduct of the Five Precepts. Especially the first precept that demands respect for all life, not just humans. Very few woman in Thailand choose to be abused and exploited, good intentions or not. Do you actually think that people involved with the trading and business aspects of human trafficking are blind to the reality of the inhumanity? Or that they the women are actually doing good work?
http://kansaszencenter.org/?page_id=15
Anthony Greenfield
ReplyDeleteIt is hard to imagine that one of the most influential religions, Islam, can have no effect on the people of Thailand at all. In most cases, if a religion has a strong grasp over the citizens of a nation, it is able to govern their policies and lifestyle. In fact, Islam is not one of the most influential religions in Thailand, being that it only takes up about 5% of the Thai population. With a little population, there is a small chance it has any influence over the people. Buddhism makes up at least 94% of the population, where the people devote their daily lives to.
I agree with the fact that Catholicism has such little influence in Thailand, although Catholics are working hard to change the corruption in Thailand. I also agree that most of the problems in Thailand spur from the lack of religious influence of the Buddhists. As said before, women may feel that receiving a good karma can occur by selling themselves into prostitution, but most women are forced into human trafficking.
http://www.humantrafficking.org/countries/thailand
Jennifer Elovitz
ReplyDeleteIt is completely true to say that Buddhism has allowed prostitution to become an accepted form of merit, and that those who choose to enter into it are not judged for their actions. It’s so unfortunate that missionary work guided by Catholic Social Teaching has been unable to stop the spread of prostitution since Buddhism is so prominent in the Thai population. Your argument is valid when you state that Buddhism definitely overpowers the missionary work within Thailand due to the fact that 90% of the population follows Buddhist values and regards prostitution as an improvement in karma and therefore a step closer to nirvana.
As you state, the Islamic values you are discussing are extremely contradictory. Considering the fact that upon marriage, women relinquish their right to deny their husbands sexual favors at any time, and if they do so, their husbands are allowed to divorce them, it is incorrect to say that the Qu’ran advocates a strong protection of women’s rights. It is invalid to say that women are viewed as equal to men and are offered a “respected place in society.” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x2EFCYc2JhY&playnext=1&list=PLEF57018E9121E27E This video shows how women actually have to suffer in Islam. They must obey to their husband’s every command, and the video even speaks of a girl who was forced to get married at age 6 and lose her innocence at age 9. This does not sound like women’s rights are protected. Though, this harsh treatment of women is only done by Puritans, not moderates. However, the puritans are present and active in southern Thailand. Although Puritans often praise and celebrate the role of women as mothers, in every other role women are portrayed as deficient and subservient. Therefore, as a wife, she is completely under the tutelage of her husband; as a daughter, she is under the tutelage of her father; as a member of society, she is under the tutelage ofall men (Abou El Fadl, 257).
Abou El Fadl, Khaled. The Great Theft: Wrestling Islam from the Extremists. New York, NY: HarperSanFrancisco, 2007. Print.
Kate Molinari
ReplyDeleteThis is an extremely sound argument; but there is one thing that I find disagreeable.
The Muslim practice of Nikah Mut'ah, or temporary marriage, may not be as commonly practiced in Thailand as your argument suggests. According to Hughe's Dictionary of Islam, Mut'ah is a practice only permissible under the Shi'a sect of Islam. Of the four percent of the Thai population that is Muslim, only one percent identifies as Shi'ites ("Thailand Info"). Doing the math, if only four percent of the population is Muslim, and one percent of the entire Muslim population is Shi'ite, then only 0.04% of the Thai population identifies with the Shi'a sect. Therefore, the practice of Mut'ah is only acceptable in a mere 0.04% of the population of Thailand. Thus, holistically (lol), the majority of Thai Muslims do not practice this, and find prostitution to be unacceptable.
"Thailand Info." Muslim Population Worldwide. www.islamicpopulation.com. Web. 17 May 2011. .
Hughes, Thomas P. "Dictionary of Islam : Letter M." Answering Islam, A Christian-Muslim Dialog and Apologetic. Web. 17 May 2011. .
Andrea Vilchez
ReplyDeleteRE: Tim Sakow
It is true that Buddhism itself does not justify the act of prostitution and sex trafficking. However, the people of Thailand, manipulating the religion to their own interpretations, have come to view Buddhism in a corrupted light. It is not so much that Buddhism states whether prostitution and sex trafficking is acceptable, but rather that the kingdom of Thailand is using in this context. Buddhism does, as you have pointed out, prohibit sexual misconduct—and essentially prostitution—in its Five Precepts. However, Thailand’s loose interpretations of Buddhist beliefs have allowed the people to use Buddhist teachings to benefit themselves.
Although most women are indeed forced into prostitution, several times the teachings on good karma and merit are used by their “pimps” to persuade the women that their actions are rationalized. Sex trafficking does not only involve physical coercion into prostitution oneself, but it also entails the mental submission of the victim. While women often suffer physical abuses before giving in to prostitution, they also receive equally damaging mental abuse (The Psychological Trauma of Modern Day Slavery). Often times, after being beaten and starved, women are told that prostitution can end their abuse. They are convinced that their families will not suffer if they only give in and allow themselves to be trafficked. Pimps and traffickers manipulate their victims into believing that prostitution is not only okay in their families’ eyes, but also in the eyes of Buddha, who according to them, allows prostitution when good intentions are involved. In many cases, women are broken down mentally and psychologically, to the point where they come to believe that their own prostitution can be justified. Thus, while traditional Buddhism does not, in any way, advocate that prostitution and sex trafficking are neither acceptable nor moral, the corrupted attitudes of the Thai have led them to believe that sex trafficking can be rationalized by loose interpretations of Buddhist teachings.
Woodland, Brooke. "The Psychological Trauma of Modern Day Slavery: Sex Trafficking and Its Impact on the Field of Psychology in Thailand." Philadelphia University, 14 Apr. 2008. Web. May-June 2011. http://www.philau.edu/schools/liberalarts/news/documents/Woodland.pdf.
RE: Anthony Greenfield
ReplyDeleteIslam’s lack of influence is often due in part to the tensions between Thai Muslims and Buddhists. While Islam does represent one of the three most influential religions in the kingdom, in recent years conflicts between Muslim and Buddhist Thailand have arisen. Thailand has seen countless violent insurgencies by Muslim separatists on Buddhist Thailand. Bombings, drive-by shooting, and other attacks have accounted for Thailand’s negative attitude toward Islam. The Muslim extremists have essentially instilled a sense of fear in the predominantly Buddhist kingdom. The tensions have essentially led to the Buddhist Thailand exiling its Muslim counterpart (The Institute for Global Engagement). A majority of the Thai population not only rejects Islamic thought, but also isolates any Muslim Thais. Thus, Islamic influence remains limited.
Catholicism, on the other hand, can indeed attribute its lack of influence to its lack of popularity among the Thai people. Nevertheless, Catholic missionaries are, as you mentioned, working hard to help educate the country on the issue of sex trafficking. They are not only working to instill the social teachings of Catholicism into the people, but also hope to end the problem itself.
"Conflict Continues between Buddhists and Muslims in Thailand." The Institute for Global Engagement - IGE. The Institute for Global Engagement, 26 June 2009. Web. 17 May 2011. http://www.globalengage.org/issues/prayer/943-conflict-continues-between-buddhists-and-muslims-in-thailand.html.
Mydans, Seth. "Muslim Insurgency Stokes Fear in Southern Thailand - Asia - Pacific - International Herald Tribune - The New York Times." The New York Times - Breaking News, World News & Multimedia. 5 Feb. 2007. Web. 17 May 2011. http://www.nytimes.com/2007/02/25/world/asia/25iht-thailand.4712619.html.
RE: Jen Elovitz
You make a valid argument in addressing the common mistreatment of women in Islam. However, while the Quran may contain various laws which women are forced to submit to, the text also contains evidence against your argument. For example, the 124th verse of the 4th chapter notes that both men and women are welcomed into Paradise without any injustice, so long as they believe (Equality of Men and Women). The 35th verse of the 33rd chapter notes that Allah has prepared ALL men and ALL women for forgiveness. The fact of the matter is that not all Muslims practice the inferior treatment of women. The Quran thus proves to hold contradictory statements regarding the treatment of women and their place in society. Additionally, while Puritans do inhabit much of Southern Thailand, they are not the only Muslim group in that area of the kingdom. Just as Thailand is home to Buddhist contemporaries as well more traditional Buddhists, the people of southern Thailand consist of a mixture of Muslim Puritans, Muslim Moderates, and Muslim Extremists (Book Reviews – Political Islam in Southeast Asia) Regardless, whether Islam advocates fair or unfair treatment of women or whether southern Thailand is primarily Puritan or Moderate Muslim, Islamic beliefs have had little to no effect on Thai society, primarily due to the tensions between the two religious groups inside the country. Thailand instead focuses on its primary religions—Buddhism. It is from Buddhist beliefs that the Thai people have derived their moral values and beliefs.
"Equality of Men and Women in Submission (Islam)." Absolute Submission to God (Islam). United Submitters International, 2002. Web. 17 May 2011. http://www.submission.info/perspectives/women/equality.html.
Kersten, Carool. "Book Reviews - Political Islam in Southeast Asia: Moderates, Radicals and Terrorists." Islamic Research Priorities on Epistemology and Thought Website. 2003. Web. 17 May 2011. http://i-epistemology.net/attachments/850_Ajiss21-4%20-%20Book%20Reviews%20-%20Political%20Islam%20in%20Southeast%20Asia%20-%20Moderates%20and%20Radicals%20and%20Terrorists.pdf.
Andrea Vilchez
ReplyDeleteRE: Kate Molinari
While it may be true that only a small percentage of Islamic Thailand holds temporary marriage as acceptable, this does not necessarily mean that the majority of Thai Muslims find prostitution unacceptable. Islam, while it does advocate the equal status of women and men, is often found to advocate inferior treatment of women as well. That is, while the Quran holds verses detailing that men and women are equal and should be treated so, much of contemporary Islam holds that women are in fact, lesser than men. Many Islamic groups—although certainly not all—believe that women, because of their lesser status, are to submit to their male counterparts. Women are viewed as objects of sexual temptation and are to be kept from situations which may lead to men acting upon the desires which women entice. Much like in Buddhism, certain Islamic sects go so far as to strip women of their rights upon marriage, be it permanent of “temporary”.