The Cham in Cambodia

The Cham in Cambodia

The Cham Muslims in Cambodia form the largest minority in the country with about 300.000 people. They are mostly concentrated along the Mekong and Tonle Sap River in central Cambodia, near Kampong Cham and around Phnom Penh, living off fishing and livestock.
They are descendants of the ancient Kingdom of Champa, covering most parts of Indochina till the 15th century.

Their Islamic religion stands in stark contrast to the overly Buddhist population. Nowadays the tensions between both religions are nearly non-existent, but still both populations like to go their own ways. But under the Pol Pot regime the Cham population faced a genocide and it’s estimated that as many as half a million Cham were killed.

You will come across many mosques in Cambodia and occasionally you will see women wearing the burqa [burka], but most often less conservative, colorful head-scarfs with beautiful ornaments and adornments.

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Caption: Cham mosque at sunset | Phnom Penh, Cambodia

Keywords: Cham, Muslim, Islam, Khmer, Khmer Islam, Cambodia, mosque, sunset, minaret, minority, dome, tower, Islamic architecture, religion, Sunni Islam, Sunnis, landscape, horizontal, Phnom Penh;

Caption: Cham mosque and cow framed through a window | Kandal Province, Cambodia

Keywords: Cham, Muslim, Islam, Khmer, Khmer Islam, Cambodia, mosque, minaret, minority, dome, tower, Islamic architecture, religion, Sunni Islam, Sunnis, cow, frame, framed, landscape, horizontal, Kandal;

Caption: Cham grave-stones | Phnom Penh, Cambodia

Keywords: Cham, Muslim, Islam, Khmer, Khmer Islam, Cambodia, religion, grave, gravestones, graveyard, script, Sunni Islam, Sunnis, portrait, vertical, Phnom Penh;

Caption: Anonymous Cham grave-stone | Phnom Penh, Cambodia

Keywords: Cham, Muslim, Islam, Khmer, Khmer Islam, Cambodia, religion, grave, gravestone, graveyard, anonymous, Sunni Islam, Sunnis, portrait, vertical, Phnom Penh;

Caption: Cham mosque and women with bicylces | Phnom Penh, Cambodia

Keywords: Cham, Muslim, Islam, Khmer, Khmer Islam, Cambodia, mosque, sunset, women, bicycle, minaret, minority, dome, tower, Islamic architecture, religion, Sunni Islam, Sunnis, portrait, vertical, Phnom Penh;

Caption: Old,smiling Cham woman wearing a krama | Phnom Penh, Cambodia

Keywords: Keywords: Cham, woman, smile, old, Muslim, Islam, Khmer, Khmer Islam, Cambodia, minority, religion, Sunni Islam, Sunnis, portrait, vertical, Phnom Penh;

Caption: Cham dwellers living under a bridge | Phnom Penh, Cambodia

Keywords: Cham, Muslim, Islam, Khmer, Khmer Islam, people, dwellers, living, bridge, poor, Cambodia, minority, religion, Sunni Islam, Sunnis, portrait, vertical, Phnom Penh;

Caption: Cham mosque at dusk | Phnom Penh, Cambodia

Keywords: Cham, Muslim, Islam, Khmer, Khmer Islam, Cambodia, mosque, sunset, minaret, minority, dome, tower, Islamic architecture, religion, Sunni Islam, Sunnis, portrait, vertical, Phnom Penh;

Caption: Cham dome of a mosque | Kandal Province, Cambodia

Keywords: Cham, Muslim, Islam, Khmer, Khmer Islam, Cambodia, mosque, minaret, minority, dome, tower, Islamic architecture, religion, Sunni Islam, Sunnis, portrait, vertical, Kandal;

Caption: A Cham mosque in Cambodia | Kandal Province, Cambodia | Kandal Province, Cambodia

Keywords: Cham, Muslim, Islam, Khmer, Khmer Islam, Cambodia, mosque, minaret, minority, dome, domes, tower, Islamic architecture, religion, Sunni Islam, Sunnis, Kandal;

Caption: Cham mosque in Cambodia | Kandal Province, Cambodia

Keywords: Cham, Muslim, Islam, Khmer, Khmer Islam, Cambodia, mosque, minaret, minority, dome, domes, tower, Islamic architecture, religion, Sunni Islam, Sunnis, Kandal;