CAMBODIA'S HIGHEST MUSLIM LEADER DISCUSSES

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 PHNOM PENH 000170

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

DEPT FOR S/CT, EAP/MLS
NSC FOR L. PHU

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL PGOV PTER CB
SUBJECT: CAMBODIA'S HIGHEST MUSLIM LEADER DISCUSSES
CHALLENGES, DISMISSES RADICALIZATION

REF: 08 PHNOM PENH 968

SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED

1. (SBU) SUMMARY: In a March 12 meeting, Cambodia's Mufti,
who is appointed by the King for life as the Supreme Leader
of all Muslims in the country, described to Poloff some of
the challenges facing his community. Although many of the
difficulties faced by Muslims in Cambodia are also
experienced by other religious and ethnic groups, including
the majority Khmers, the base of poverty from which the
Muslim minority starts creates an added obstacle to accessing
many state services. Poverty has also been a driving factor
behind recent migration of the Muslim population inland from
their traditional home along the rivers, potentially
increasing their isolation and marginalization. The Mufti
acknowledged that some of the Muslim communities in Cambodia
may follow stricter forms of Islam but dismissed the threat
of rampant radicalization as "old news." Notwithstanding
this attempt to downplay the continued pressures of extremist
Muslim elements, post believes the growing population of Cham
youth remain at risk. END SUMMARY.
IDENTITY
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2. (SBU) While some texts refer to Cambodia,s Muslim
population as "Khmer Islam," Cambodia,s Mufti Oknha Sos
Kamry stated the majority tend to refer to themselves simply
as Cham. This designation dates back to their history as
descendents of refugees from the Kingdom of Champa which was
one of the early Hindu Kingdoms in Southeast Asia. The
majority of the Cham converted from Hinduism to Islam
beginning in the 15th century. After being violently driven
out of Vietnam in 1471, the Khmer kings provided the Cham
refuge and they have had a mostly peaceful coexistence with
the Khmer since that time.

3. (SBU) Mufti Sos Kamry expressed his concern that little
has changed within the Cham population for many years. He
worries that they are not keeping up to date on changes both
domestically and globally, and are not able to attain jobs
and perform at the same levels as the Khmer. According to
the Mufti, the reason the Cham lag behind the Khmer is mainly
due to their almost complete annihilation during the Khmer
Rouge. He stated that while 40 percent of the Khmer were
killed during the Khmer Rouge era, 60 percent of the Cham
were annihilated; likewise 30 percent of the Khmer were
evacuated from their villages compared to 100 percent of the
Cham.
MIGRATION
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4. (SBU) Known for their fishing skills, the Cham originally
settled along the banks of the Mekong River and major
tributaries. However, due to the decrease in the fish
catches per person over the years, which some attribute to
overfishing, illegal fishing, increased population and the
effects of global warming, the Cham have begun to migrate
inland. Approximately 30 percent of the population has
migrated to provinces such as Mondulkiri, Ratanakiri, Kratie,
Stung Treng, and Kampong Cham over the past few years in
order to cultivate rice and other cash crops. When asked
about difficulties finding land or obtaining land titles in
the new communities, the Mufti said that the process can be
lengthy but is usually successful. According to the Mufti,
the much publicized land-grabbing by high-ranking officials
affects both Cham and Khmer alike. He felt the real issue is
the initial poverty level of the Cham coupled with the amount
of monetary resources it takes to relocate. This is
exacerbated by the absence of extended families to rely upon
due to the small size of the population (although there are
not exact figures, the Mufti and others estimate the Muslim
population to be approximately 350,000-400,000). Although
most of the Cham along the Mekong live in separate
communities from the Khmer or other ethnic groups such as the
Vietnamese, the communities tend to be close in proximity
with access to state services. According to the Mufti, the
new Cham communities also tend to be separate, but are
farther away from schools and larger villages, which could
further add to their isolation. To seek opportunities
outside Cambodia, many Cham (up to 30 percent according to
the Mufti) migrate to Malaysia due to the close historical,
linguistic and religious ties to find work in factories and
as domestic helpers.
EDUCATION
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PHNOM PENH 00000170 002 OF 002



5. (SBU) A direct result of the decimation of the majority of
Imams by the Khmer Rouge has been a dearth of educated
instructors and modern teaching methodologies in Islamic
schools. Although most Cham feel education is important and
many receive some form of Islamic education, they face
economic and cultural barriers which keep many out of state
schools. A recent study conducted by American Institutes for
Research and funded by USAID which assessed the
marginalization of Cham communities found that only 55
percent of the respondents reported having ever attended
state school, with the average number of years attended being
six. One-third of the sample attended school up to grade
three, and less than 17 percent attended secondary school.
The study cited the main barriers to attaining state
education included poverty, distance to state schools, the
mixing of males and females in the same classroom, and
difficulty with the Khmer language. In contrast, 76 percent
of the respondents reported having attended an Islamic
school. According to the Mufti, this is the root of the
problem. While Islamic schools may be more accessible than
the state schools, they lack skilled teachers, funding, and
all types of study materials to include religious texts.


6. (SBU) The Mufti and other Cham leaders are working to
promote education as a means of advancement as an alternative
to migration abroad for low-level factory jobs which do
little to develop and advance the future of the Cham. To
further enhance their roles and visibility, one of the most
prominent Cham leaders within the government, Secretary of
State and wealthy Cham businessman Osman Hassan, requested
seven additional Cham-held positions in the government. The
request was submitted to PM Hun Sen, who decided to approve
it after visiting Kuwait in January. All seven have been
appointed as Under Secretary of States in various ministries.
These appointees to current positions are in addition to the
newly created Secretary of State at the Ministry of Social
Affairs which will be held by former opposition party member
and Muslim advocate Ahmad Yahya.
RADICALIZATION - OLD NEWS?
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7. (SBU) In previous meetings, the Mufti openly discussed
some of the negative changes within the Cham community which
he felt stemmed from the "new Muslims" coming from the Middle
East and proselytizing a less tolerant form of Islam.
However, when asked about ties attached to charity from
overseas during this most recent meeting, the Mufti responded
by saying that problems such as those encountered at the Umm
al-Qura school (Ref A) are "old news." He stated that he and
the government now understand the problem, and those who
provide assistance must first come to the Highest Council for
Islamic Religious Affairs which then determines whether the
source is proper and legal. The Mufti did concede that some
donors circumvent his Council and go directly to the
communities. In order to attract more funding for schools
and mosques, the Mufti said some accept the money and have
changed their ways, but that it is a very small percentage
and not likely to cause serious problems for Cambodia.


8. (SBU) COMMENT: In this most recent meeting, the Mufti was
clearly concerned about the future of the Cham and the need
for increased attention to education in order to improve
their current position in society. Noticeably absent from
this discussion was any anxiety over negative foreign
influence on Cham communities. This may be due to a
perceived decrease in tensions or simply a decision by the
Mufti and government to handle such matters internally.
However, post believes the pressure of extremist Islamic
elements - though more low-key than before - continues and
that Cham youth are at risk of being swayed by extremist
orthodoxy, especially when many are given full scholarships
to overseas schools. Nonetheless, the Mufti's focus on
improving both the access and quality of religious and
secular education for the Cham would work toward countering
any of the less desirable influences of foreign charity by
creating a more educated and employable Muslim minority
within Cambodia. END COMMENT.
RODLEY