Piety And Unity Bloom As Cambodian Muslims Embrace Holy Month Of Ramadan 

By Vijian Paramasivam

PHNOM PENH, March 2 (Bernama) -- The congregation of worshippers on the first morning of Ramadan at Al-Serkal Mosque emanates a profound spirit of piety throughout the bustling capital.

Following the moon sighting on Friday evening, nearly 800,000 Cambodian Muslims joined about two billion of their fellow brethren worldwide in beginning their 30-day fast, one of Islam's five pillars.

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Muslims in Cambodia are expressing their religious and communal sanctity narrative during the holiest month in the Islamic calendar. 

They engage in fostering communal bonding, spiritual devotion and enhancing charitable works for the less fortunate — reflecting a vibrant faith and solidarity among the minority community in the Kingdom. 

Senior Minister in Charge of Special Mission on Cambodian Islamic Affairs, Dr Othsman Hassan, told Bernama that even as minorities Muslims are practising their religion solemnly in the country.

“Ramadan is a noble month and a very important month for us in Cambodia. We organise a lot of activities and even the Prime Minister will host an iftar for about 6,000 people this Ramadan (March 24). 

"Everyone, from ministries in the capital to provincial governors and rural communities, is welcoming Ramadan and celebrating together with non-Muslims," said Othsman.

Muslims make up only about five per cent of Cambodia’s 17 million population and have coexisted in harmony for decades.

In a predominantly Buddhist society, they have been preserving and practising their religion, culture, and tradition with full piety despite their economic challenges. 

Throughout Ramadan, obligatory religious activities like —  sunrise-to-sunset fasting, Tarawih prayers, charity and Iftar are strictly practised in accordance with the tenets of Islam. 

“We are minorities but nowadays welcoming Ramadan has become an important celebration for Muslims in kampung (villages) and cities. At the national and local levels, there is a lot of recognition of Ramadan.

“During the fasting month, giving zakat and organising iftar are common. Even non-Muslim ministers are hosting iftar during Ramadan and this is becoming a trend,” Highest Council For Islamic Religious Affairs Cambodia member, Math Aipay, told Bernama.

The landmark Al-Serkal Mosque in Phnom Penh, built in 1968, with its towering minarets is a symbol of the strong Muslim faith that continues to thrive in the Kingdom. There are 670 mosques across the Kingdom.

In neighbouring Vietnam, minority Muslims welcomed the Holy Month on Saturday. 

It is a tradition that they have followed since Islam was introduced by Muslim merchants in the 7th century, according to religious literature. 

About 63,000 Vietnamese Muslims, of 101 million people in the country, will fulfil their religious obligations without fail.

Hanoi-based Vietnam Halal Certification Authority Director, Ramlan Osman, said Vietnamese Muslims adopt the same Islamic beliefs practised in Malaysia. 

“They follow everything done in Malaysia, whether during Ramadan, Hari Raya or iftar. They prepare food at the masjid for the needy, like the “bubur lambuk” in Malaysia but here it is Vietnamese porridge.

“The celebrations in rural areas are more intense and meaningful, especially in provinces like An Giang (in southwestern) where there is a large Muslim Cham community,” Ramlan told Bernama in a telephone interview from Hanoi.

In Laos and Myanmar, minority Muslims have also started fasting this weekend.

--  BERNAMA