Bani Islam Cham in Vietnam

Abstract

The Chams are an ancient ethnic group which inhabits several countries in Southeast Asia today. In Vietnam, the Chams are given official recognition as one of the 54 ethnic groups that make up the country. Numerically, the Chams number over 131, 0000 people and historically they once had their own kingdom and illustrious civilization in Champa which overlaps with central Vietnam today. The Chams in Vietnam may be divided into three categories, namely, the Brahmanized or Hinduized Chams, the Bani Islam Chams and the Chams who follow orthodox Islam. Although these three groups of Chams have plenty of differences between them it is their ethnic identity as Cham that unites them as a people. In view of the uniqueness of their culture and history, there have been many attempts to study them from many different approaches. This paper attempts to examine the role of the Bani Islam Chams in Vietnam from the sociological perspective. Their heterodox version of indigenized Islam is very different from the orthodox Islam observed by their ethnic brethren in Southwest Vietnam as they are also distinctive from the Brahmanized or Hinduized Chams. Using appropriate illustrations, the paper tries to show that the unique and colourful culture and life-style of the Bani Islam Chams continues to be relevant today as they have been from ancient times.