Culture Corner: Islam in Vietnam
Islam is one of the largest religions in the world, boasting almost two billion faithful across the entire world. It’s no wonder, then, that it has also reached Vietnam, even if it’s a minority in the cultural tapestry. This essay hopes to give a short historical account of how Islam got to Vietnam, and the characteristics of modern Islam in the country. Background Among the regions that make up Vietnam, Islam’s presence was first found in the region of Champa, comprising the central and south parts of the country. The Cham, who occupied the region, are widely associated with Islam and vice versa, since they were the first to convert to Islam, doing so as early as the tenth and eleventh centuries. Although some records place conversions at the twelfth century. The religion only started to gain popularity around the seventeenth century, however, when the royalty of Champan kingdoms converted.[1] Crucial to this development were Muslim traders, especially those from the Malay people. I