Muslims Preserve Ramadan Traditions, Religious Bonding Strengthens From Myanmar To Cambodia

By Vijian Paramasivam

PHNOM PENH, Feb 19 (Bernama) -- Muslims minorities in the region continue to cherish their religious traditions during Ramadan as they begin fasting on Thursday. 

They welcome the Holy Month of Ramadan, adhering to the tenets of Islam with dedication and pride despite being minority groups in predominantly Buddhist countries. 

Communities from Hanoi to Phnom Penh and Yangon preserve their long-held Islamic traditions, such as giving zakat, fasting, reciting the Quran, and engaging in meaningful communal gatherings, during the month-long observance. 

"For Cambodian Muslims, Ramadan is a period when our faith is publicly celebrated. Ramadan significantly strengthens community bonds.

"(Cambodian) prime ministers have hosted the annual national Iftar dinner since 2014, attended by thousands.

“This event, along with iftars hosted by non-Muslim officials, symbolises the country's ethnic and religious harmony," the Al-Serkal Mosque committee member Mohammat Younes told Bernama.

More than 800,000 Muslims across the Kingdom are welcoming the sacred month in Cambodia, home to nearly 17 million people, the majority of whom follow the Buddhist faith. 

In nearly 600 mosques and surau across the Kingdom, located in cities and remote villages, Muslims perform their spiritual rituals in a cordial environment and happily coexist with their Buddhist neighbours. 

And in Phnom Penh, a special month-long "Bazaar Ramadan Cambodia" is being held, reflecting the city's diverse cultural unity.  

Meanwhile, Muslims in Myanmar will begin fasting on Friday.

Nearly 2.3 million Muslims, in the vast 55 million population, another predominantly Buddhist nation, are preparing to mark the event with deep devotion.

They are unperturbed by the political or economic noise in the country that is undergoing a major political transition.  

"There will be a lot of community activities during Ramadan, giving zakat, helping mosques during the breaking of fast and hosting iftar.

"There are more than 100 mosques in Yangon, and we are trying to assist mosques across the country during Ramadan to carry out their activities," Yangon-based Islamic Religious Affairs Council's Secretary General Tin Maung Than told Bernama in a telephone interview. 

In Vietnam, about 100,000 Muslims will usher in the sacred month on Thursday with dawn-to-dusk fasting, one of the five pillars of Islam.

-- BERNAMA