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| Southeast Asia |
| U.S. Fears Islamic Militancy Could Emerge in Cambodia |
| 2002-12-22 |
| "I say Cambodia is safe," said Ahmad Yahya, one of the most prominent Muslims in the country, addressing fears that Islamic militants could find a niche in this unruly land. "But who knows?" In Cambodia, fer Chrissake? With its porous borders, its corruption, its hide-and-seek legal system and its disorganized Muslim community, some analysts say, this small Southeast Asian country could easily become a refuge and a breeding ground for terrorists. "I told the ambassador, don't worry about our people," Mr. Yahya said, referring to the American envoy. "Our people I can guarantee. But the Bangladeshis, Afghanis, Pakistanis, Saudis and people like that who come here, I cannot guarantee." What the hell do they have to do in Cambodia? Those foreigners, and the mostly fundamentalist Islamic schools and mosques they are rapidly setting up, have already changed the face of Islam in Cambodia. The question is whether they are bringing radicalism and militancy with them. Ummm... Even without any evidence, we might be able to answer that question... For Cambodian Muslims, this is a time of internal turmoil and uncertainty as the religion seeks to redefine itself after a period of repression that almost destroyed it. Like most others in the country's Muslim minority, Mr. Yahya, a member of Parliament who heads a local Islamic foundation, is an ethnic Cham, descendant of a great empire that dominated much of the region early in the last millennium. The communist Khmer Rouge, which ruled Cambodia in the late 1970's, targeted the Cham for extermination and devastated their culture and their religious institutions. The kingdom of Champa used to cover most of what's now South Vietnam and part of Cambodia. The Vietnamese expanded south and exterminated or absorbed the populace, and the Cambodians and Laos mostly absorbed the remnants around Champassak. In their heyday, the Chams were Lesser Vehicle Buddhists, with a heavy overlay of pre-Hinduvta Hinduism, or more properly later Vedism. The Chams picked up Islam in their declining years in the same wave of expansion that killed off the Vedic kingdoms of Java and Sumatra. Even Southeast Asia experts tend to forget they're around anymore. The Cham kingdom's been dead for 300 years or so. Muslims now make up 5 percent or less of Cambodia's population of 12.5 million. As they rebuild their religion, many are moving away from the magic and mysticism that their fathers mixed with the teachings of the Koran, trying to adapt their religion to a more modern world. Wait for it... Here it comes... "This country is ripe for Muslim missionaries," said Bjorn Blengsli, a Norwegian anthropologist who is studying Cambodian Islam. "They had to start all over again. They had no religious leaders, nothing. They lost almost everything — their script, their rituals, almost all their written material. They were left with a couple of myths. That's why today a purification movement is so easy. They are very vulnerable, and a lot of people are coming into Cambodia and telling them how to change." How very nice of them... But he said that "being fundamentalist does not mean being a terrorist. If you have radical, militant Muslims living in Cambodia, I have not seen any proof." "I mean, other than a few explosions." |
| Posted by:Fred Pruitt |
| #3 Hey, Bjorn? Looking back on it, when you were making a career choice, do you think you might re-evaluate your pick of "anthropologist who is studying Cambodian Islam"? And I'd be real wary of this "They are very vulnerable, and a lot of people are coming into Cambodia and telling them how to change." There were some very impressive skull piles the last time that happened.... |
| Posted by: tu3031 2002-12-23 09:39:45 |
| #2 Yet another syncretic, mystical islamic community under pressure from the "purists" (IE Wahabis). ANd this one weakened by the Communists first. More of the Saudi effort to transform the Islamic world after their own image. Has Steve Schwartz gotten hold of this yet?? (on a related note, anyone noticed Saudi is welching on their commitment to provide $50 million to help Afgan rebuild the Kabul-Kandahar-Herat raod - now its just $30 million, and its a loan instead of a gift. Saudi just cant affrod to help rebuild Afganistan - all their money is going to - er, Uhmm, maybe better not to say where their money is going) |
| Posted by: liberalhawk 2002-12-23 08:47:14 |
| #1 They better watch their wallets, and everything else for that matter. The Cambodians will strip 'em right down to the bone and have 'em blaming each other... |
| Posted by: mojo 2002-12-22 16:17:19 |