600,000 Cham live in elevated split-bamboo homes along the Mekong and Tonle Sap Rivers. They are very poor, with no electricity or running water; but their diet of fish, rice, and vegetables is adequate.
Champa, an ancient empire, was invaded by Vietnam in 1471. Many Cham fled to Cambodia to escape death. Then, in the late 1970’s, hundreds of thousands were massacred under the rule of the Khmer Rouge.
The Cham are a very tight-knit matrilineal community. Polygamy is practiced, but for cultural and religious reasons, there is little intermarriage. One of their customs is digging up a loved one’s grave a year after burial and transferring the bones to a permanent resting place.
As Muslim people, the most faithful dedicate several days each month to study and meditate. Very few have turned to God, and they have no Bible. Literature is highly valued, but the Cham language has no Scripture.
Summer 2007