A Yemeni Muslim leader visited the deep South yesterday in a bid to deepen ties with the Thai-Muslim community.
Lt Gen Santi Sakuntanark, commander of the 4th Army Region, welcomed Habib Abdulrahman bin Ali bin Mohammed bin Hafeedh and his followers to the Army Region 4 office in Pattani's Yarang district.
The Habib expressed his gratitude to His Majesty the King and Her Majesty the Queen for upholding the religion in a Buddhist state.
He was said to be impressed by the welcome he received, saying he could feel the government's sincerity during his visit.
Lt Gen Santi assured the visitors that the government treats all of its citizens equally, regardless of their faith.
He also told the visitors that the state wants to dispel outsiders' misconceptions about Muslims in Thailand and encourage Muslims in the deep South to follow the law.
The army also wants to help foster unity within the Muslim community to enable them to live peacefully in a multicultural society, he said.
The commander of Army Region 4 also explained the area's drug-suppression policies to the visitors.
The army, the Internal Security Operations Command's Peace Centre, and religious experts often hold interfaith activities as a tool to help with drug suppression and fighting stigma against Muslims in the South, Lt Gen Santi added.
After the meeting, the Habib relayed the message to the Thai Muslim community, advising them to follow the rule of law, as mandated by Islamic principles.
"Don't forget to look back and reflect at yourself when you feel that you are living in the dark. It will immediately bring you back to the righteous way of the Prophet Muhammad," he told his followers in the area.
