Reflections
IB Veteran
- Messages
- 520
- Reaction score
- 150
- Gender
- Female
- Religion
- Islam
AsSalaamu Aalaykum WarahmatAllah Wabarakatuh,
1 in 13 million - The only native Japanese Imam in Tokyo
Population of Japan - 127,000,000
Population of Tokyo - 13,000,000
No. of Muslims in Japan (estimate) - 100,000
No. of Japanese Muslims (estimate) - 10,000
No. who converted to Islam NOT for marriage(estimate) - 2 or 300
No. of Japanese Imam's in Japan - 5
No. of Japanese Imam's in Tokyo - 1
Abdullah Taqy is the only Japanese Imam in Tokyo.
A chance meeting with a foreign Muslim 12 years ago in Tokyo's Shibuya district and a life spent studying various religions led him to convert to Islam 3 ½ years ago.
He completed the Hajj, the worlds largest annual religious pilgrimage, to Mecca in Saudi Arabia 2 ½ years ago at the invitation of the Saudi Arabian government.
Shortly after, a meeting with the man who started him down his path to Islam 12 years previously led him to becoming the Imam at a small mosque in the Kabukicho area of Tokyo.
His day job for the past 20 years has been as a tattooist and body piercer.
He is soft spoken and exudes a calmness and friendliness that one cannot help being affected by.
He is truly, 1 in 13 million.
[video=vimeo;16573861]http://vimeo.com/16573861[/video]
1 in 13 million - The only native Japanese Imam in Tokyo
Population of Japan - 127,000,000
Population of Tokyo - 13,000,000
No. of Muslims in Japan (estimate) - 100,000
No. of Japanese Muslims (estimate) - 10,000
No. who converted to Islam NOT for marriage(estimate) - 2 or 300
No. of Japanese Imam's in Japan - 5
No. of Japanese Imam's in Tokyo - 1
Abdullah Taqy is the only Japanese Imam in Tokyo.
A chance meeting with a foreign Muslim 12 years ago in Tokyo's Shibuya district and a life spent studying various religions led him to convert to Islam 3 ½ years ago.
He completed the Hajj, the worlds largest annual religious pilgrimage, to Mecca in Saudi Arabia 2 ½ years ago at the invitation of the Saudi Arabian government.
Shortly after, a meeting with the man who started him down his path to Islam 12 years previously led him to becoming the Imam at a small mosque in the Kabukicho area of Tokyo.
His day job for the past 20 years has been as a tattooist and body piercer.
He is soft spoken and exudes a calmness and friendliness that one cannot help being affected by.
He is truly, 1 in 13 million.
[video=vimeo;16573861]http://vimeo.com/16573861[/video]
InshaAllaah he can give up that tattoo job and find a job worth his while.
