Crossing-border religious activities of the Cham and Khmer people in An Giang province today

Abstract

In the context of globalization and integration, the Muslim Cham and the Theravada Khmer people in An Giang province tend to increase their cross-border religious activities. Thereby, the Muslim Cham people keep enacting their religious communication activities with Islamic communities in Southeast Asian countries, especially in Malaysia and Cambodia. Simultaneously, they develop connections with Islamic communities in the Middle East to train their officers, complete their doctrinal training, and to follow Habaly branch’s practices. Meanwhile, the Khmer people, especially the group who follows Thommadut branch, aim towards the Theravada in Cambodia to further their monk training, religious practices, aid reception, etc. Such tendencies will create challenges for state governance of religious activities in An Giang province in specific and in the Southern West of Vietnam in general.