21st century Chams

young muslim cham girl in châu Đốc



map of distribution of cham in southeast asia today

the majority of cham in vietnam (also known eastern cham) hindu while cambodian counterparts largely muslim. small number of eastern cham follow islam , lesser degree mahayana buddhism. number emigrated france in late 1960s during vietnam war.

the majority (88%) of chams reside in cambodia muslim, utsul of hainan. isolation of cham muslims in central vietnam resulted in increased syncretism buddhism until recent restoration of contacts other global muslim communities in vietnamese cities.

malaysia has cham immigrants , link between chams , malaysian state of kelantan old one. malaysian constitution recognises cham rights malaysian citizenship , bumiputra status, , cham communities in malaysia , along mekong river in vietnam continue have strong interactions.

around 98,971 cham estimated live in vietnam.

the muslim acehnese people of aceh, sumatra, indonesia, descendants of cham refugees fled after defeat vietnamese polity in 15th century.

according national geographic article published journalist adam bray, vietnamese government fears evidence of champa s influence on disputed area in south china sea bring attention human rights violations , killings of ethnic minorities in vietnam such in 2001 , 2004 uprisings, , lead issue of cham autonomy being brought dispute, since vietnamese conquered cham people in war in 1832, , vietnamese continue destroy evidence of cham culture , artefacts left behind, plundering or building on top of cham temples, building farms on them, banning cham religious practices, , omitting references destroyed cham capital of song luy in 1832 invasion in history books , tourist guides. situation of cham compared ethnic vietnamese substandard, lacking water , electricity , living in houses made out of mud. cham activist organisation international office of champa republished bray s article on website cham today.

cham muslims in cambodia



chams villages in giang province (an phú, châu phú, châu thành district, tân châu town).



a mosque in da phuoc village, phu district, giang province.

the cham in vietnam officially recognised vietnamese government 1 of 54 ethnic groups. however, according cham adovcacy group international office of champa (ioc-champa) , cham muslim activist khaleelah porome, both hindu , muslim chams have experienced religious , ethnic persecution , restrictions on faith under current vietnamese government, vietnamese state confisticating cham property , forbidding cham observing religious beliefs. hindu temples turned tourist sites against wishes of cham hindus. in 2010 , 2013 several incidents occurred in thành tín , phươc nhơn villages cham murdered vietnamese. in 2012, vietnamese police in chau giang village stormed cham mosque, stole electric generator. cham muslims in mekong delta have been economically marginalised, ethnic vietnamese settling on land owned cham people state support.

a cambodian cham muslim dissident, hassan kasem, former military helicopter pilot both persecuted , imprisoned khmer rouge , fought against vietnamese invasion, denounced vietnam trying position saviour of cambodia khmer rouge rule , wrote vietnam has deceived west thinking of magnanimous liberator when invaded cambodia , ousted khmer rouge when in fact vietnam used war benefit own interests such subjecting cambodian financial assets , national treasures pillaging , theft, settling border disputes own advantage, trying destroy cambodian nationalist feeling against vietnam, benefiting khmer on khmer violence khmer rouge , setting own communist puppet government rule cambodia, cambodia people s party (cpp) vietnamese soldiers secretly remaining behind in vietnam prop puppet government , vietnamese officials pretending khmer continuing direct government puppet. cham activist organisation international office of champa republished hassan s article on website cham today.

the cham suleiman idres bin called independence of champa vietnam , advocated international intervention similar how east timor independence implemented united nations.

the cham muslim human rights activist musa porome , daughter khaleelah porome live in america , advocate cham rights against vietnamese government.

an attempt @ salafist expansion among cham in vietnam has been halted vietnamese government controls, however, loss of salafis among chams has been benefit of tablighi jamaat.