Was Islam spread by the sword?
No.
For example:
Spread of
Islam in Korea:
[4]
In addition to fewer than 30,000 indigenous Korean Muslims, are South Asian, Middle Eastern (i.e. Iraqi), Indonesianand Malaysian immigrants in South Korea, the majority of whom are Muslims. They have been guest workers since the 1990s,
taking the total Muslim population in the country to around 35,000.[1]
Early history[edit]
20th-century re-introduction[edit]
During the Korean War, Turkey sent a large number of troops to aid South Korea under the United Nations command, called the Turkish Brigade. In addition to their contributions on the battlefield, the Turks also aided in humanitarian work, helping to operate war-time schools for war orphans.
Shortly after the war, some Turks who were stationed in South Korea as UN peacekeepers began teaching Koreans about Islam. Early converts established the Korea Muslim Society in 1955, at which time the first South Korean mosque was erected.[19] The Korea Muslim Society grew large enough to become the Korea Muslim Federation in 1967.[3]
Today[edit]
In 1962, the Malaysian government offered a grant of 33,000 USD for a mosque to be built in Seoul. However, the plan was derailed due to inflation. It was not until the 1970s, when South Korea's economic ties with many Middle Eastern countries became prominent, that interest in Islam began to rise again. Some Koreans working in Saudi Arabia converted to Islam; when they completed their term of labour and returned to Korea, they bolstered the number of indigenous Muslims.[3]
TheSeoul Central Mosque was finally built in Seoul's Itaewon neighborhood in 1976. Today there are also mosques in Busan, Anyang, Gwangju, Jeonju, Daegu andKaesong. According to Lee Hee-Soo (Yi Hui-su), president of the Korea Islam Institute, there are about 40,000 listed Muslims in South Korea, and about 10,000 are estimated to be highly active practitioners.[20]
Seoul also hosts an Imambargah near Samgakji subway station for offering Salah and memorizing the grandson of Muhammad, Imam Hussain. Daegu city also owns an imambargah.
The Korean Muslim Foundation said that it would open the first Islamic primary school named Prince Sultan Bin Abdul Aziz Elementary School in March 2009 with the objective of helping Muslims in Korea learn about their religion through an official school curriculum. Plans are underway to open a cultural center, secondary schools and even university. Abdullah Al-Aifan, Ambassador of Saudi Arabia to Seoul, delivered $500,000 to KMF on behalf of the Saudi Arabian government.[21]
Before this formal establishment of an Elementary School, a madrasa named Sultan Bin Abdul Aziz Madrassa, has been functional since 1990's where children were given opportunity to learn Arabic, Islamic culture, and English.
Many Korean Muslims say their different lifestyle makes them stand out more than others in society. However, their biggest concern is prejudice they feel after the9/11 terrorist attack in 2001.[22] In Arirang TV, a Korean station also did a 9 minute report on Imam Hak Ap-du and Islam in Korea.[23]
Islam in Korea - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
I don't see any sword in spread of Islam in Korea.
Regards