Reference: Essay probes Islam-Buddhism interface, Bangkok Post, June 6, 2010

It is claimed that Muslims and Buddhists share “the truth of karma” as it is “highly cherished” in both religions (Essay probes Islam-Buddhism interface, Bangkok Post, June 6, 2010). In fact, the karma principle, common to Hinduism and Buddhism, is completely absent in Islam and would be impossible to implement in Islam because its belief system includes neither reincarnation nor nirvana both of which are necessary ingredients in the karmic system of reward and punishment. Islam, like Christianity, Judaism, and Akhenatenism before it, uses the heaven and hell method for reward and punishment, not karma.

It is further claimed that the Saudi-Thai jewelry scandal of 1989 caused (1) loss of Saudi jobs for the people of Isaan that caused  (2) poverty and misery in Isaan which provided (3) the opportunity for Thaksin to use populist policies to garner the Isaan vote and that ultimately led to (4) the red shirt riots in Bangkok; and that this chain of events constitutes karmic justice for Thailand’s misdeeds in the Saudi scandal.

The cause and effect presented appears to be the product of a tortured mind. Isaan’s poverty and Thailand’s political problems are complex, historical, and endemic. In any case, the the sudden loss of  140,000 Saudi jobs in 1989 was quickly overcome by overseas employment in Japan, Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia, Brunei, Hong Kong and Korea. In Taiwan alone, the number of Thai workers peaked at over 200,000 in 1995.  Poverty in Isaan is not derived from the loss of overseas employment but rather Isaan’s dependence on overseas employment is derived from poverty.

Cha-am Jamal, Thailand