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Cambodia's Cham Muslims cling to centuries-old culture
November 29, 1997
A decorated tree
Web posted at: 5:08 p.m. EST (2208 GMT)UDONG, Cambodia (CNN) -- Living among the predominantly Buddhist Cambodians is a Muslim sect known as the Cham, whose members are trying to keep a centuries-old way of life.
Every year, when they celebrate the birthday of founder Imam San, they also recognize their heritage.
The Cham of Udong decorate trees with ornaments that represent their ancestral beliefs. The religious and spiritual symbols, made from sugar-bread, represents the moon and stars, the Cham temple and calendar, and the Naga, or mythical water serpent.
The symbols date back to the Cham empire, known as Champa, that until the late 1400s thrived in what is now southern Vietnam. In 1471, the Vietnamese invaded Champa, and Cham freemen and aristocrats fled to other parts of Southeast Asia.
In 1975, about 250,000 Cham lived in Cambodia. But the rise of Pol Pot's Khmer Rouge regime decimated their numbers.
The Cham were forced from their homes, forbidden to speak their native language and forced to raise and eat pork, which violates their religious beliefs.
"It was a trying time for us. We were told that Islam was nonsense. But the worst was when they forced us to eat pork and step on the Quran," one Cham leader recalled for The Cambodian Times. "My wife was given a pig to rear ... and when the pig died, they killed her," the man said.
It is believed that 100,000 Cham were killed during the Khmer Rouge regime. Today, they trace their line of descent through their women, because more men than women were massacred from 1975 to 1979, creating a skewed sex ratio. Many Cham women now perform duties that once belonged to men.
The Cham practice a unique form of Islam, and have resisted pressure to change. The followers of Imam San call themselves Kaum Juma'at, or the Friday group, because they pray only once every Friday. Most Muslims must pray several times daily.
"It is not necessary to pray five times a day or once a week. For prayer, you can pray or worship God whenever you want," said Sos Rahman, a follower of Iman San.
Money from many Middle Eastern states has helped rebuild Cham mosques that were destroyed by the Khmer Rouge. But the Cham won't let the money sway their beliefs.
"This particular group of Chamshas faced some discrimination, especially by the Middle Eastern donors who try to force their beneficiaries to adopt a more Middle Eastern style of Islam. These Cham have refused to do so, clinging to their ancestral traditions and beliefs," said William Collins, an anthropologist in Southeast Asia.
About 200,000 Cham live in Cambodia, near major cities, including Phnom Penh, and along the Mekong River. They survive by farming, fishing, building boats and light commerce. Their villages are extremely poor, and many homes are made of split bamboo, containing few adornments and domestic utensils.
Many speak Khmer, Cambodia's official language, and are considered by some to be Cambodia's most accepted minority.
According to Collins, this is because they are a non-confrontational people, and because, like the Cambodians, their land was taken by the Vietnamese.
Reuters contributed to this report.
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