January 21, 2005

Krue Se mosque open again

WASSANA NANUAM

 Pattani _ Hundreds of Muslims in the South flocked to Pattani to pray at

the Krue Se mosque yesterday after the 16th-century building reopened.

 The mosque had been shut for major restoration work after the April 28

carnage of last year.

 Several young men said they had chosen to pray there in honour of 32 men

who were killed when security forces stormed the mosque even though they did

not know any of them personally.

 "It's a mosque with history, especially because of April 28 last year. I

pray and think of them," said Che Usala, 26, from Songkhla's Thepha

district.

 Mr Che was one of many who had initially been opposed to the restoration,

but after seeing the interior for the first time in months he had changed

his mind.

 "It's beautiful inside. I never wanted the mosque to be refurbished. But

now it's beautiful and strong," he said.

 Niseng Nilaeh, a 72-year-old mosque keeper, said most of the villagers were

happy with the mosque's new look _ particularly given they have had a say in

the restoration process.

 Chaowalit Suwanrat, a fine arts official who supervises restoration work,

said renovation of the mosque is complete while landscaping would take

another one to two months.

 The official reopening of the mosque is scheduled for next week _ to be

presided over by the prime minister.

 Around 400 Muslims from the province gathered at the mosque and prayed for

peace in the South and for those affected by the tsunamis.

 The participants also made donations to tsunami-ravaged Muslim communities.

 Theera Mintarasak, Pattani assistant governor, also called on Muslims to

maintain what he called the "middle road".

 He said it was necessary for Muslim people to study Islamic teachings

thoroughly and to avoid being manipulated by extremists.