My article 'Muslim in Korea' and a guide to halal food was published in the June issue of InDaegu. They had interviewed me about my Presidential Palace visit in their last issue (see earlier blog entry) and asked me to write about my experiences.

http://www.in-daegu.com/PDFs/June2011.p df

page 6 of 13
the messed up the part on Uzbek restaurants, theres supposed to be two restaurants
'Samarkand' by Daegu Station and 'Tashkent' around the corner on Donseongno
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Original Text

Coming to Korea as a Muslim I thought would be a challenge, particularly in regards to food, but was not as difficult, with understanding from Koreans, and introduced me to korean dishes that fit a muslim diet.

Muslims are not allowed to drink alcohol nor eat pork and ham. Beef, chicken, and lamb are allowed, only if killed in islamic tradition, referred to as 'halal'. Eggs and Fish have no restriction. From my travels over the years I knew following a halal diet can be a challenge in a foreign country where you dont speak the language, and are unfamiliar with menus.

Living in Korea for a year I thought I would practically starve!. However, I was able to find a facebook group 'muslims in south korea', halal restaurants online, and a daegu mosque. If there was a mosque, that meant there was a community, and halal food.

The main daegu muslim area is around Bukbu bus terminal. There are grocery stores that sell halal meat, Indian spices, a Mosque, and a halal pakistani restaurant 'Ali baba'. Near Daegu Station is a halal Uzbek Restaurant ‘Samarkand’ and around the corner 'Tashkent' on Donseongno. Keimyung University area has a halal pakistani restaurant ‘Pak-Asian’. Finally, downtown has a new halal turkish kebab restaurant ‘Star Kebabs’.

This gives me five halal places to eat and a variety of menus from Turkish, Uzbek, and Pakistani. There are other indian restaurants but they are not halal, so I can’t eat their meat dishes.

School cafeteria food is another challenge. Often I can only eat rice and have surprised looks from others at my empty tray. I have to explain 'aniyo goki', and that I'm ok. I bring a lunchbox with more snacks and have to show this to teachers who are concerned I ate nothing.

Surprisingly, everyone was understanding when I arrived. They were knowledgeable about Islam and understood when I said I couldnt eat meat. I didnt encounter any negative stereotypes about muslims.

The biggest muslim concentration is in seoul itaewon. There is a large mosque, with elaborate ceramic tiles and two large minarets. The imam (pastor) was korean and the congregation is a mix of nationalities from the middle east to south east asia, and korean muslim converts. Itaewon has many halal restaurants from pakistan, turkey, uzbekistan, iran, and lebanon.

In daily social life, being a non drinker excludes me from a lot of nitelife. Group dinners can be a problem since korean restaurants are not halal. The English teachers have been accomodating and goto a seafood restaurants, but for full staff dinners its usually somewhere I cant eat the main item. I’m able to order a sidedish like haemul pajan, kalguksu, or bibimbab. The teachers make sure I am looked after and go out of their way to be accomodating.

Life in Korea as a Muslim did not mean I had to starve, there are several food options, korean teachers have been very understanding, and I've acclimatized to korean dishes that can fit my religious requirements.

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See also blog entry 'Eid in Daegu'
http://blog.travelpod.com/travel-blog-e ntries/londone7/1/1320663320/tpod.html

The Korea Herald also interviewed me about Muslim Life in Korea
http://blog.travelpod.com/travel-blog-e ntries/londone7/1/1335353258/tpod.html