Abstract:
The research on "Thai Muslim Social Movement: A Case Study of Afghanistan War Resistant Organizations, 2001-2002" has 3 objectives : firstly, to study factors responsible for the working of Thai Muslim social movement; secondly, to study the Muslims' collective identity resulted from participation in the social movement; and lastly, to study cooperative activities among the Thai Muslim social movement organizations. Resource Mobilization Theory and the concept of Identity are employed in studying this social movement. Using qualitative research method, six Thai Muslim organizations are selected as study focuses, two of which are created under the Islamic Religious Administration Law B.E. 2540, the rest are Muslim NGOs operating both in Bangkok and in the five Southern provinces of Thailand. The research findings are: the ultimate goal of Thai Muslim social movement is peace. Relying on Islamic culture, they make appeal to immediately stop the war and search alternative ways to prevent further violence. The social movement organizations have significantly referred to Islamic teachings to support their justifications, goals and processes of social movement. All these appear to reflect their higher ideals. Resource Mobilization Theory and the concept of Identity are used to critically explain the pattern of cooperation among the organizations, and the political structures which facilitates such social movement. Although there exist differences among these organizations, notably the way in which each mobilized resources for its group, together they relate to one another and emerge as a loose social movement of the Muslim minority operating in the Thai context.