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Tuesday, August 31, 2010

A Time for Tolerance: Pushing Back on Hate-filled Rhetoric around the "Ground Zero Mosque"

By Tad Stahnke, Director of Policy and Programs
Crossposted from Huffington Post


America treasures the relationship we have with our many Muslim friends, and we respect the vibrant faith of Islam which inspires countless individuals to lead lives of honesty, integrity, and morality. This year, may Eid also be a time in which we recognize the values of progress, pluralism, and acceptance that bind us together as a Nation and a global community. By working together to advance mutual understanding, we point the way to a brighter future for all.
When President George W. Bush said those words to mark 2002’s Eid al-Fitr, I agreed with him. I still do. But as the controversy surrounding the plan to build a mosque in Lower Manhattan continues to intensify along political and religious lines, our national discussion increasingly points the way to a much dimmer future.

I have spent my career fighting for religious freedom and combating discrimination at home and abroad, first at the
U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom and now at Human Rights First. Over the years, I’ve sat in the same room with countless foreign government officials and religious leaders and asked them to condemn violence and other human rights abuses fueled by discrimination and hatred. And no matter where I was—in Saudi Arabia or Russia or Pakistan or France—the American example of religious freedom, tolerance and inclusion—while not perfect—strengthened my belief that those values are universal and promoting them benefits all of us.

I have found that the vast majority of Americans cherish these values. On many occasions, leaders from all denominations have worked hand in hand to strengthen religious freedom at home and advance it abroad. Today’s challenges present yet
another opportunity for these leaders to come together and demonstrate that the values that unite us are far more powerful than the fears that divide us.

It won’t be easy. Just this week,
a cab driver in New York City was stabbed after the perpetrator asked if he was a Muslim. A Florida church is sponsoring a national “Burn a Koran Day” on September 11. Mosques planned for construction in Tennessee, Wisconsin, California and Florida have been challenged by Americans claiming that Islam is not a religion or that Muslims are inherently violent and at odds with U.S. values. Sponsors of the Park51 project are being asked to forego their constitutional rights because many believe an Islamic center has no place in the same neighborhood as the site of the 9/11 tragedy.

Genuine discourse about the propriety of the mosque is not unexpected. After all, open discussion and honest disagreement are part of the American fabric. But at this critical moment in time, all of us need to speak up and speak out to reject stereotypes and prejudices that lead to exclusion and even violence if we are serious about securing religious freedom and confronting hatred at home and abroad. We must defend that principle because it is what makes us different than our enemies.

This week at Gracie Mansion, Mayor Michael Bloomberg said it eloquently. He noted, “(I)f we say that a mosque and community center should not be built near the perimeter of the World Trade Center site, we would compromise our commitment to fighting terror with freedom. We would undercut the values and principles that so many heroes died protecting. We would feed the false impressions that some Americans have about Muslims. We would send a signal around the world that Muslim Americans may be equal in the eyes of the law, but separate in the eyes of their countrymen. And we would hand a valuable propaganda tool to terrorist recruiters, who spread the fallacy that America is at war with Islam. Islam did not attack the World Trade Center – Al-Qaeda did. To implicate all of Islam for the actions of a few who twisted a great religion is unfair and un-American.”

Mayor Bloomberg’s predictions are not rhetoric. They are reality. National Public Radio reported earlier this week that extremists are using the mosque debate and other events
targeting Muslims as evidence of America’s “war on Islam”—evidence they are hoping will help them recruit young Muslims who visit jihadi chat rooms or frequent radical Islamic Web sites.

Vilification of Islam and Muslims harms our security efforts. Local and national law enforcement need to work together with all communities—including American Muslims—to protect the homeland. Our men and women in uniform in Iraq and Afghanistan need to work with local authorities and Muslim populations to form a more peaceful path forward, one in which conflict is addressed through a rule of law grounded in equality and protection of fundamental freedoms.

To date, the decision makers with power to influence the construction of the mosque in Lower Manhattan have done their best to uphold these ideas. They have stood up for religious freedom, inclusion and tolerance. They have upheld the Constitutional rights that make our nation great.

Now it’s our turn.

It’s time to put this debate back on course and recognize that hate-filled rhetoric, violence and intolerance hurt nobody but us. It does not keep us safe. It does not reflect our values. It does nothing but weaken our resilience as a nation and our position as an international example in the fight to defend the rights of all people – regardless of their race, religion, nationality, sexuality or political opinion.

Earlier this month as he appeared on WNYC’s
The Brian Lehrer Show, former Bush and Reagan Administration advisor Ken Adelman noted that “the United States should stick with its values of tolerance and understanding ….” He then added that the he was “a little disappointed” that former President George W. Bush – whose remarks I quoted at the beginning of this piece – has not come out to give voice to the same ideals he so eloquently outlined in 2002. I agree. More of that kind of leadership from those who haven’t spoken out already is what the nation needs now to put us back on the right track.

Thursday, August 26, 2010

As Iran sanctions threaten, Iran sees new friend in Cambodia

Leaders from Iran and Cambodia met this month in their most senior exchange to date. Some say it is a sign that Iran sanctions are pushing Tehran to develop new trade partners.

Iran sanctions: Cambodian Foreign Minister Hor Namhong speaks during a news conference in Phnom Penh August 6. 'To impose sanctions against Iran is not a solution,' Hor told reporters Aug. 16 in Phnom Penh, days after his meeting in Tehran with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

Chor Sokunthea/Reuters

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By Stephen Kurczy, Staff writer / August 26, 2010

Iran seems to have found a new friend in the unlikeliest of places: Cambodia. Tehran hosted a high-level delegation from the Southeast Asian nation earlier this month to discuss bilateral trade and mutual dislike of American "interference."

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It's the latest sign that the Islamic republic is seeking out new partners – no matter how small – in the face of increased sanctions.

"There is no doubt that Iran’s growing isolation, resulting from the force of UN sanctions, is behind Iran’s push to improve relations with Cambodia and other willing states," says Alon Ben-Meir of the Center for Global Affairs at New York University. "The sanctions against Iran are having a serious effect. For this reason, Iran at this juncture will trade with any country it may find. Cambodia happened to be an easy target because of its energy vulnerability."

In June, the United Nations, European Union, and United States all passed sanctions in an effort to target Iran's uranium-enrichment program.

"To impose sanctions against Iran is not a solution," Cambodian Foreign Minister Hor Namhongtold reporters Aug. 16 in Phnom Penh, days after his meeting in Tehran with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Mr. Hor advised "negotiations and engagement" instead.

Iran offers trade, technology

The two countries established formal relations in 1992 as Cambodia emerged from civil war, but Cambodian government spokesman Khieu Kanharith says this is the most senior bilateral exchange to date.

"Iran requested to have a diplomatic relation with Cambodia. We don't see any objection to that," says Mr. Khieu, who is also the minister of Information. "Our policy toward Middle Eastern countries is to sell more of our products, mainly agricultural, and try to get more knowledge on oil management."

The summit touched on trade, investment, tourism, and oil, which is notable in light of Cambodia's hopes to tap recently discovered offshore oil reserves. After years of exploration and speculation – from international firms such as Total and Chevron – oil production is projected to begin in 2012. Then, in mid-August, a top Cambodian official told Nikkei news agency that Cambodia is looking into nuclear technology and hopes to build its first nuclear power plant as early as 2020.

President Ahmadinejad "voiced readiness to share Iran's experiences with Cambodia in various fields of agriculture, science, technology, and research," according to Fars News Agency. The two sides agreed to establish a joint economic commission to explore opportunities, according to The Tehran Times.

Shared dislike of American 'interference'

They also found common ground in rejecting pressure from the US. “My country has always been opposed to the interference of the United States in other countries’ internal affairs," Hor said, according to the Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA).

Economic ties remain minimal between Iran and Cambodia. The two countries’ trade value during the past Iranian calendar year (ending March 20, 2010) stood at $539,000, according to The Tehran Times. In the three months prior to June 21, Iran exported $120,000 and imported $66,000 to and from Cambodia.

Even more than a new economic partner, Iran is apparently looking to Cambodia as a conduit to reach greater Southeast Asia through the 10-country Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN). "Cambodia can play a key role in connecting Iran and the association," Iran's Accredited Ambassador to Cambodia Seyed Javad Qavam Shahidi told the FARS news agency after Hor's visit.

Web of geopolitics

In the complex web of geopolitics, it makes sense that Iran would warm relations with Cambodia, says British historian Philip Short. China woos Cambodia and Burma as counterweights to regional power India, while also wooing Iran and Pakistan as counterweights to longtime rival Russia, he says.

"So, for Cambodia and Iran – both Beijing’s good friends – to get cozy isn't a surprise at all. In fact, one wonders why it didn’t happen earlier," says Mr. Short, author of the Khmer Rouge history "Pol Pot: Anatomy of a Nightmare" and the biography "Mao: A life."

"For Cambodia there’s an obvious economic interest," continues Short. "And for Iran, which is still pretty isolated, the more diplomatic support it can garner the better."

China has invested millions in infrastructure projects in Cambodia. In December 2009, Beijing pledged $1.2 billion in aid and soft loans. That made China a bigger benefactor to Cambodia than all other countries combined. In July, international donors pledged $1.1 billion in annual aid to Cambodia, which was still the most ever from them. "China is Cambodia’s best buddy," says Short.

But Cambodia has also been courted avidly by Washington in recent years. In July, US soldiers participated in a peacekeeping exercise with troops from 23 Asia Pacific nations as part of the US-run 2010 Global Peace Operations Initiative. Washington and Beijing have long competed for influence in the region, with China supporting the Khmer Rouge insurgency against a US-backed government of the 1970s.

No warning from Washington?

Cambodia's business community appears unfazed by the country's newfound friendship with Iran.

"If Iran wishes to offer any material support to Cambodia, why shouldn’t they accept it? Cambodia is a neutral country with a lot of needs, and welcomes all the help it can get," says Douglas Clayton, CEO of the private equity fund Leopard Capital, which has attracted international investors to a $34 million multisector equity fund in Cambodian businesses.

A spokesperson from the US Embassy in Phnom Penh says that Washington urges "all UN Member States, including Cambodia, to fulfill the objectives of UNSCR 1929 (United Nations Security Council Resolution 1929) by meeting not only their mandatory minimum obligations but also by applying accompanying measures." UNSCR 1929 was passed in June to target Iran's nuclear enrichment program.

While Cambodia's government spokesman says that Phnom Penh has not been warned against developing ties with Iran, Professor Ben-Meir of New York University suspects the US may have dropped a hint to Cambodia against getting too close.

"Soon Cambodia itself will begin to feel the pressure from the international community to stop trading with Iran," he says. "Cambodia therefore will continue to play a balancing act, swaying from which side it is getting the greater benefit. For this reason, the United States and the EU will have to come up with some aid to Cambodia if they wish to distance Cambodia from Iran."

Monday, August 16, 2010

How to be a Good Graduate Student ?!

Individuals with good habits of mind and a strong work ethic are likely to succeed as graduate students regardless of the situation. Critical thinking and attention to detail are important. In addition, graduate students can increase their odds of success by the folowing points:

• Communicating clearly and frequently with their mentors will ward off disastrous misunderstanding in the future

• Clearly defining goals for themselves and regularly evaluating their progress towards those goals.

• Practicing self-discipline. Students must set a schedule for themselves and stick to it in order to complete graduate-level work.

• Developing the tools of scholarly endeavor. Thinking critically and reading broadly provides students with a knowledge base. Good writing skills and practice writing proposals, papers and other scholarly documents helps them to communicate their work. Oral presentations develop speaking skills. Carefully planning and documenting of scholarly efforts aids in the publication process, later. Checking and re-checking details reduces the chances of error. Maintain a professional demeanor and appearance communicates that the student wants to be treated as a professional.

• Practicing productive work habits. Long hours do not necessarily equal productivity and can be a detriment to the personal relationships that graduate students need to sustain their long term efforts.

• Putting their work into the perspective of being one graduate student among many. Students who are prepared and in charge are more independent and less likely to be manipulated. They are surer of the relative importance of their own work. Successful students recognize the needs of others and develop outside interests or seek psychological counseling in order to manage the stress of graduate school.

• Planning for the future. Students should build a framework for a future career by attending national meetings and communicate with other scholars. Likewise, students should not view graduate school as the only career path option. Sometimes, switching schools or degree programs or pursuing other important opportunities is a viable and a valuable investment in the future.One of the most important things a graduate student can do is to have a fulfilling personal life. Success in life is not solely measured in publications or awards. A well-rounded graduate student who seizes opportunities to step back from their studies in order to maintain perspective will be able to navigate the frustrations of graduate school.

Before the fruit of prosperity can come, the storm of life need to first bring the required rains of testing, which mixes with seed of wisdom to produce a mature harvest!

Tuesday, August 10, 2010

With Ramadhan.. Of course, You Can Do It..!!

Make this Ramadan the month of "Change"..Are You Ready for it???

"Change" is the vogue today.
"Change" is being chanted by the Presidents to rally up public support;
"Change" is being demanded by the masses suffering due to skyrocketing fuel and commodity prices;
"Change", a drastic one indeed, is what we are witnessing with awe in the global weather patterns.

For Muslims, Ramadan is the prime time for change. This month dramatically alters our routines and schedules. From tight sleep schedules, to hunger for extended hours, to reduction in consumption of junk foods, to a technology diet; to withdrawal from caffeine addiction, to lengthy standing in Taraweeh prayers at night, to extensive listening to the Quran. What a change indeed!

Beyond Routines and Rituals..!!
The real change, however, Ramadan demands of us is the internal change – a change that positively transforms our lifestyle, character, attitudes, conversations, and habits. Allah has described this change in the month of Ramadan as follows: "O you who believe, fasting has been ordained on you as it was decreed upon those before you so that you may adopt Taqwa[Taqwa is Allah consciousness ]" (2:183 [Quran 2:183].

Slavery to Ramadan?
If our change is limited to outer physical practices only, we become slaves to Ramadan, instead of being servants to Ar-Rahman (Allah, the Merciful). Prophet Muhammad[peace be upon him] has warned us about those who don't fast from bad behaviour: "Allah has no interest in any person's abstention from eating and drinking, if that person does not give up lying and dishonest actions" [Sahih al-Bukhari].

Ramadan Resolutions..!!
Every Ramadan we make resolutions and tell ourselves: "This Ramadan will be different. I'm going to change my ______ habit." "I will give up ………", "I will take my practice of Islam to the next level". But how many of us are really able to follow through? Plenty of good intentions, many amazing wishes, but sadly enough, life goes on as usual the morning of Eid. Ask yourself, how is my fasting benefitting my spiritual connection with Allah? How is my extensive worship in Ramadan helping me discipline my tongue (taste and speech), eyes, ears, and habits?
Are you ready to take that first step to transform your bad habits into good ones?

Ways to Kick Bad Habits..!!
Few things are more demanding than eliminating bad habits, since they are part of our daily routines and personality. It takes days of patience and practice to break old habits.
However, the good news is, Ramadan offers a perfect and natural environment for moral training. Interestingly, researches from "positive psychology" (scientific study of successful people) have repeatedly shown it takes between 30 to 40 days to kick a bad habit and develop a new one. In addition to the physical discipline during the month of Ramadan, the increased spiritual exercise and connection with Allah, can transform your habits for life.

Try these proven techniques for a successful positive change in your habits during Ramadan and beyond!
1. Acknowledge and Identify your bad habits:
First step is to admit you need to change. If you are in a state of denial, you won't recognize that you have a bad habit to change.

2. Pick a habit for this month: Prioritize your bad habits and focus on one for this month. If you are committed to changing at least one habit, you will see remarkable results, Allah-willing.

3. Realize that it's in us to change: Don't believe the old saying, "You can't teach an old dog new tricks." You can break a bad habit if you really want to. No one else can change your habits, if you don't want to.

4. Remember, Allah loves those who commit mistakes and repent: Prophet Muhammad[peace be upon him] said: "By Him in Whose Hand is my life, if you were not to commit sin, Allah would sweep you out of existence and He would replace (you by) those people who would commit sin and seek forgiveness from Allah, and He would have pardoned them." [Sahih Muslim]

5. Intention & Plan to change: "If you fail to plan, you plan to fail." A healthy process of change in character requires a gradual pace, which entails planning. Develop concrete milestones to measure your progress.

6. Replace a bad habit with a good one: Completely eliminating a habit is more challenging than replacing it with a more productive habit. Moreover, it's crucial to replace the lost natural needs, such as the need to socialize and to be entertained with something healthy. For instance, it's easier to replace or balance your addiction to TV with a physical workout or reading, than to suddenly remove the TV from your life. Interestingly, Prophet Muhammad[peace be upon him], the greatest 'psychologist' of humanity, illustrated this principle in these words: "Fear Allah wherever you may be; follow up an evil deed with a good one which will wipe (the former) out, and behave good-naturedly towards people." [At-Tirmidhi]

7. Change your Environment: Resist the negative peer pressure by finding a better company of friends. Collective action to change is very powerful. Prophet Muhammad [peace be upon him] explained this peer pressure effect with this analogy: "A good friend and a bad friend are like a perfume-seller and a blacksmith: The perfume-seller might give you some perfume as a gift, or you might buy some from him, or at least you might smell its fragrance. As for the blacksmith, he might singe your clothes, and at the very least you will breathe in the fumes of the furnace." [Sahih al-Bukhari & Muslim]

8. Exercise: Spiritual exercise is important for lasting change. You may not realize that by exerting your yourself in spiritual exercises like the reading of Quran and Hadith, fasting, giving charity, Zikr[remembering Allah] etc helps in eliminating a number of bad habits. Through the spiritual light of doing noble deeds evil ones will gradually be eradicated from your life. Allah says : "Indeed, Salah restrains from Shameful and unjust deeds" [Quran:29:45]. A person complained to the Prophet Muhammad [peace be upon him] about someone who read salaah and also committed theft .The Prophet Muhammad [peace be upon him] said "His salaat will very soon wean him off that sin.' This shows that the evil habits can be got rid of by adhering to good practises. The doing of good deeds such as remembering Allah cleanses the heart. A clean heart encourages a person to do good deeds and refrains one from evil habits!
Moreover, exercising your will power (struggle to fight temptations) for this month helps you kick all kinds of bad habits and form new good ones. Willpower is like a muscle; the more you exercise it, the more you strengthen it.

9. Think of yourself as a changed, different, new person: This simple psychological shift in your thinking about your own image can do wonders. Tell yourself, "I can't continue this ill-behaviour. I am better than that. I am stronger. I am wiser."

10. Reward success: The most fundamental law in all of psychology is the "law of effect." It simply states that actions followed by rewards are strengthened and likely to recur. Unfortunately, studies show that people rarely use this technique when trying to change personal habits. Setting up formal or informal rewards for success greatly increases your chances of transforming bad habits into good ones, and is far more effective than punishing yourself for bad habits or setbacks. As Muslims we should also remember that the ultimate reward is Allah's Pleasure and Paradise in the Hereafter.

11. Get help: Tell someone about your effort to change if it helps. He or she may keep you on track and may offer some good advice. Read books that will encourage you to do virtues actions. Join programs in your local Mosque. Ladies should endeavour to join their local Taalimi Halqas. There are good and sincere people who are ready to assist. We are not an island- We are an Ummah!

12. Boost your spiritual immune system: By fasting,doiung good actions, spending time in the Mosque or going in the path of Allah will boost your Imaan[faith] which will provide you with internal strength to overcome temptations to reverting to old bad habits.

13. Remind yourself of Death and Hereafter often: "Remember often the terminator (or destroyer) of all the pleasures [i.e. death]," the Prophet [peace be upon him]once stated. [At-Tirmidhi.]

14. Resolve to continue on and follow up: Giving up bad habits or learning good habits requires regular maintenance and determination. It is a long, ongoing process, also known as "Tazkiyyah" in Islamic terminology. It's more difficult than the first few steps of change. ("How many times have I dieted, for example, only to gain the weight back?"). So ensure that you follow up. Link yourself to a good Allah-fearing Islamic Scholar and make a habit of spending time in Allah path.

15. Develop a relapse strategy: How do you ensure not to return to your bad habit you are trying to change? Some people donate money to a good cause every time they return to sinning or a bad habit. This reminds them of the 'cost' of going back to old bad habits. Others try physically demanding acts to deter them from reverting to old ways. For example that if you do___ act than you will keep three fast or pay so much sadaqah[charity] etc

16. Ask Allah for Help: MOST IMPORTANT!-Make Asking for Allah's Help an integral part of the overall change process. Ask for Allah's Help before, during and after every attempt at kicking a bad habit. Do so sincerely, even begging and crying, like a child does when he or she really wants something. Allah is Ever-Willing to Help and to Respond to our needs, but it is us who must take the first step towards Him. Allah will NEVER disappoint us!
"And whosoever is conscious of Allah and keeps his duty to Him, He (Allah) will make a way for him to get out (from) every (difficulty), and He will provide him from (sources) he could never imagine." [Quran 65:2-3]

Wednesday, April 28, 2010

Petroleum Resources in Cambodia

Petroleum resources
by Marae Ciantar, Partner, and Shaun Yeo, Lawyer, Allens Arthur Robinson



The Royal Government of Cambodia has been actively seeking to promote and facilitate the development of the country's petroleum resources with the objective of enhancing economic growth and providing opportunities for employment and participation in petroleum operations for Cambodian nationals and companies. The development and production of petroleum resources could be expected to generate significant revenue for Cambodia and allow the country to continue to develop its infrastructure to form the basis of future economic growth.

In recent years, significant exploration activity has been undertaken in Cambodia’s petroleum sector, with the most substantial operations being undertaken by ChevronTexaco in Block A, offshore Cambodia. However, currently Cambodia has no oil and gas production or any oil and gas project that is at the development stage.

Current petroleum regulatory regime
The Cambodian National Petroleum Authority (the CNPA) was formed in 1998 as the key governmental agency to oversee upstream and downstream petroleum activities in Cambodia. The principal law that applies to the upstream oil and gas industry in Cambodia is the Petroleum Regulations 1991, as amended in 1998 and 1999.

The Petroleum Regulations prescribe a process for the award of concessions in the form of petroleum agreements which are entered into by the CNPA and a relevant petroleum company and its partners. A Petroleum Agreement must be signed in substantially the form of the model agreement scheduled to the Petroleum Regulations, subject to any additions or deletions as may be approved by the Government.

Under the Petroleum Regulations 1991, some key points of note in respect of the terms of such concessions are:

- exploration periods are granted for a period of 4 years, and may be extended twice for a period of two years each time. The CNPA may further extend the duration of the exploration period for such time as may be reasonably necessary to complete certain matters (e.g. drilling, logging, testing or plugging of any well, completion of appraisal and evaluation of any discoveries);

- the Contractor must relinquish prescribed percentages of the allocated Contract Area at the end of each phase of the exploration period - at least 30 per cent of the original Contract Area by the end of the initial exploration period, a further 25 per cent of the original Contract Area by the end of first extension of the exploration period and any remaining areas of the original Contract Area, in each case excluding areas falling under a production area;

- the production period expires 30 years after the effective date of the production sharing agreement, although the CNPA may extend the production period by up to 5 years if commercial production from the relevant field after the expiry of the 30 year period is possible;

- royalty payable to the Government will be at least 12.5 per cent of the value of petroleum sold;
the Contractor will be entitled to cost recovery in accordance with the terms of its Petroleum Agreement; and

- the balance of petroleum produced within a Contract Area (after retention of Royalty by the Government and recovery of Petroleum Costs by the Contractor) will be allocated to the Government and the Contractor in accordance with the provisions of the Petroleum Agreement.

The Petroleum Regulations also contain other provisions that would commonly be expected in an international-standard regulatory regime for upstream petroleum operations, including in relation to approval of work programmes and budgets, obligations in relation to the conduct of petroleum operations and reporting to the Government.

The proposed new petroleum regulatory regime
The Royal Government of Cambodia and the CNPA are actively working to further develop and enhance the regulatory framework for the exploration and exploitation of petroleum, having regard to the current stage of development of Cambodia’s petroleum industry and other regulatory developments that have occurred since the initial introduction of the Petroleum Regulations in 1991. The centrepiece of the new regulatory framework is expected to be a Petroleum Law, supported by appropriate implementing regulations.

Given that a number of Petroleum Agreements have been entered into under the Petroleum Regulations (offshore and onshore), one of the key issues for existing petroleum contractors will of course be the extent to which the Petroleum Law provides for the 'grandfathering' of the terms of the existing production sharing contracts.

Petroleum investment in Cambodia
In 2002, the CNPA entered into a production sharing agreement with ChevronTexaco in Block A, with ChevronTexaco announcing in January 2005 that it had discovered oil in four exploration wells and gas in one well in Block A (although to date no commercial discovery has been declared). Concessions to other Blocks (have been granted to other petroleum companies including the Singapore Petroleum Company, PTT Exploration and Production Public Company Limited, Medco International Petroleum and Chinese National Offshore Oil Corporation.

The area of overlapping maritime claims by Cambodia and Thailand in the Gulf of Thailand (the OCA) is generally considered to be highly prospective for petroleum resources. The approximately 27,000 sq km area of the OCA is estimated to contain up to 11 trillion cubic feet of natural gas and underdetermined quantities of condensate and oil.

On 18 June 2001, Cambodia and Thailand signed a Memorandum of Understanding regarding the OCA to lay the foundation for ongoing cooperation in relation to joint development of the petroleum resources located in the OCA. The MOU recorded the intention of the countries to divide the OCA in to two zones and to attempt, through accelerated negotiation, to simultaneously agree upon:

- a treaty for the joint development of the hydrocarbon resources located within the Areas II, III and IV of the OCA (the Joint Development Area); and

- a defined maritime border for the northern Area I of the OCA (the Area to be Delimited).

Discussions in relation to development of the treaty regime for the Joint Development Area and delimitation of the Area to be Delimited, have continued regularly since the signing of the MOU and are ongoing.

The Royal Government of Cambodia is also endeavouring to promote domestic refining of any commercial quantities of oil that may be discovered in Cambodia, and has publicly stated its desire for the development of an oil refinery in Sihanoukville once oil production commences.


Roll out the barrels...


Cambodia might be sitting on as much as two billion barrels of oil and up to 11 trillion cubic feet of gas, according to reports by the World Bank and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

“Depending upon the world price of oil, Cambodian reserves may be contributing annual revenues of $2 billion, several times the current level of domestic revenue and ODA (overseas development aid) combined — within perhaps five to ten years,” says a World Bank report.


Block A - in 2002 Cambodia entered into a production sharing agreement with Chevron in a concession area known as Block A – the only block that has been actively explored so far. Chevron announced in 2005 that it had discovered oil in four exploration wells and gas in one well. According to Chevron, the oil discovered consists of a number of small dispersed fields rather than a large single block. Despite the find five years ago, it would appear the company has no intention of announcing plans to commence production any time soon.

Block B belongs to PTT Exploration and Production (33.34%), Singapore Petroleum (33.33%), and Resourceful Petroleum (33.33%). The first exploration well drilled in this block found no recoverable oil.

Block C belongs to Polytec Petroleum, while Block D belongs to China Petrotech (Cambodia). Analysts estimate that Block D could contain either 226.9 million barrels of recoverable oil or 496.2 billion cubic feet of gas.

Block E belongs to Medco Energi (60%), Kuwait Energy (30%), and JHL Petroleum (10%), and Block F belongs to the Chinese National Offshore Oil Corporation.

Exploration rights are granted for a period of four years, after which they may be extended twice for a period of two years at a time.

Overlapping Claims Area
The overlapping claims area (OCA) in the Gulf of Thailand consists of an estimated 27,000 sq km offshore area estimated to contain up to 11 trillion cubic feet of natural gas and underdetermined quantities of condensate and oil.

Negotiations over the OCA have been going on for years; Cambodia has been seeking a 50/50 split of the disputed area while Thailand wants a larger share of the fields.

Both sides have allocated blocks within the OCA; of Cambodia’s allotted blocks, Area III is being awarded to Total after lengthy consideration and the government has received offers from Chevron and Mitsui of Japan for Area IV.

Cambodia and Thailand signed a Memorandum of Understanding in 2001 in relation to joint development of the petroleum resources located in the OCA. But this agreement was cancelled in November 2009 by the Thai government in protest over Cambodia’s appointment of former Thai prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra as economic advisor.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


The government is keen to promote investment in the oil and gas sector and established the Cambodian National Petroleum Authority (CNPA) to oversee the upstream and downstream petroleum activities. Companies interested in the sector should make direct contact with the CNPA.
Cambodian National Petroleum Authority
Nº. 13-14, Confederation de la Russie
Phnom Penh 12406, Cambodia
Tel: 023 890 330 HP: 016 457 888 / 016 378 268

www.cnpa-cambodia.com

Tuesday, April 27, 2010

Islam In Cambodia

Islam is the religion of a majority of the Cham (also called Khmer Islam) and Malay minorities in Cambodia. According to Po Dharma, there were 150,000 to 200,000 Muslims in Cambodia as late as 1975. Persecution under the Khmer Rouge eroded their numbers, however, and by the late 1980s they probably had not regained their former strength. In 2009, the Pew Research Center estimated that 1.6% of the population, or 236,000 people were Muslims.[1] All of the Cham Muslims are Sunnis[citation needed] of the Shafi'i school[citation needed]. There is also a growing Ahmadiyya Muslim Community in Cambodia.[2] Po Dharma divides the Muslim Cham in Cambodia into a traditionalist branch and an orthodox branch.

Background

The Cham have their own mosques. In 1962 there were about 100 mosques in the country. At the end of the nineteenth century, the Muslims in Cambodia formed a unified community under the authority of four religious dignitaries—mupti, tuk kalih, raja kalik, and tvan pake. A council of notables in Cham villages consisted of one hakem and several katip, bilal, and labi. The four high dignitaries and the hakem were exempt from personal taxes, and they were invited to take part in major national ceremonies at the royal court. When Cambodia became independent, the Islamic community was placed under the control of a five-member council that represented the community in official functions and in contacts with other Islamic communities. Each Muslim community has a hakem who leads the community and the mosque, an imam who leads the prayers, and a bilal who calls the faithful to the daily prayers. The peninsula of Chrouy Changvar near Phnom Penh is considered the spiritual center of the Cham, and several high Muslim officials reside there. Each year some of the Cham go to study the Qur'an at Kelantan in Malaysia, and some go on to study in, or make a pilgrimage to, Mecca. According to figures from the late 1950s, about 7 percent of the Cham had completed the pilgrimage and could wear the fez or turban as a sign of their accomplishment.
The traditional Cham retain many ancient Muslim or pre-Muslim traditions and rites. They consider Allah as the all-powerful God, but they also recognize other non-Islamic practices. They are closer, in many respects, to the Cham of coastal Vietnam than they are to other Muslims. The religious dignitaries of the traditional Cham (and of the Cham in Vietnam) dress completely in white, and they shave their heads and faces. These Cham believe in the power of magic and sorcery, and they attach great importance to magical practices in order to avoid sickness or slow or violent death. They believe in many supernatural powers. Although they show little interest in the pilgrimage to Mecca and in the five daily prayers, the traditional Cham do celebrate many Muslim festivals and rituals.
The orthodox Cham have adopted a more conformist religion largely because of their close contacts with, and intermarriages with, the Malay community. In fact, the orthodox Cham have adopted Malay customs and family organization, and many speak the Malay language. They send pilgrims to Mecca, and they attend international Islamic conferences. Conflicts between the traditional and the orthodox Cham increased between 1954 and 1975. For example, the two groups polarized the population of one village, and each group eventually had its own mosque and separate religious organization.

Persecution

Further information: Persecution of Muslims
According to Cham sources, 132 mosques were destroyed during the Khmer Rouge era, many others were desecrated, and Muslims were not allowed to worship. Later, since the Vietnamese-installed PRK regime, Islam has been given the same freedom as Buddhism. Vickery believes that about 185,000 Cham lived in Cambodia in the mid-1980s and that the number of mosques was about the same then as it was before 1975. In early 1988, there were six mosques in the Phnom Penh area and a "good number" in the provinces, but Muslim dignitaries were thinly stretched; only 20 of the previous 113 most prominent Cham clergy in Cambodia survived the Khmer Rouge period.

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Following is the hort Course on Islam, Gender, and Reproductive Rights,
Southeast Asia, 4-25 June 2005, Indonesia


Funded by the Ford Foundation
Organized by the Center for Women’s Studies, State Islamic University,
Sunan Kalijaga Yogyakarta, Indonesia



The Study of the Qur-An vs. Modern Education for Islamic Women in Cambodia

By Farina So

Documentation Center of Cambodia

Cambodia’s Muslim community (the Cham) faces many problems, including poverty, relative isolation (outside the capital of Phnom Penh, most Muslims live in communities that lack access to such basic infrastructure as good roads, water, electricity, telecommunications, and newspapers), and negative cultural perceptions (some members of the majority Buddhist community and minority ethnic groups still view the Cham with suspicion, if not superstition).

In 2005, the Cambodia Television Network aired a program, “Manpower and Destiny,” that for the first time featured a Cham as a lead character. However, the series depicted the Muslim as an indolent who depended on destiny rather than his own efforts. In addition, the actor portraying the Cham character wears an earring (which Muslim men are not allowed to do) and clothing that is supposed to be worn for praying and religious ceremonies only. He also drinks beer. An outcry from the Cham community contributed to the series being taken off the air.

Muslim women have traditionally faced a number of social and cultural obstacles to their development, including fewer opportunities for advancement than either the general population or Muslim men. These translate into Cham women enjoying less access to adequate health care, having lower status in society in terms of both family and community decision making, lacking a voice in the political arena, and lower educational attainment. This paper focuses on the last area – education, which affects all the other problems women experience. It also offers some solutions to improve their situation.

Islam and Education

Every Muslim man’s and every Muslim woman’s prayer should be:
“My Lord! Enrich me with knowledge.” Surah TA HA, 20:114.

For Muslims, the Qur-An is the final word of Allah as revealed through his last messenger Muhammad. This holy book contains guidance from Allah, not only on how to find salvation but also on how people should live their lives in the right way.

The Qur-An begins with an important word: “Read.” It states that “The best form of worship is the pursuit of knowledge,” and also that “The ink of the scholar’s pen is more sacred than the blood of the martyrs.” The Qur-An tells us that without education, it is difficult for people to understand its teachings, and that education is vital for all aspects of our lives.

However, while the Qur-An says that both men and women should pursue knowledge, it also places restrictions on women’s interactions with the outside world (such as placing them under the protection of their parents), and proscribes different rights for men and women owing to their psychological and biological differences. This has limited women’s ability to obtain modern academic educations, which has in turn impeded their ability to become knowledgeable about the wider world and to make intellectual and economic contributions to their families and communities.


Literacy in the Muslim World

One out of every five people in the world today is Muslim. Yet only about 38% of Muslims are literate. For women, the picture is even worse: in many rural areas of the Islamic world, only about 5 out of every 100 women can read and write. According to the United Nations Development Programme, Muslim women also have the lowest economic and political participation of any group of women in the world.

Many scholars have linked the lack of education to the lack of economic opportunities and development that are now plaguing many Muslim countries. So, low levels of literacy are at least partly responsible for the poverty in which many Muslims live today. It is likely that people who lack modern education will fall further and further behind and become mired in their poverty.

The world is changing fast, and how we live our lives and the ways in which we earn a living play a very important part in our future. Without strong human resources and capital, it will be difficult for Muslims to advance. To use these human resources wisely and to keep up with the rest of the world, Muslims need education, including such broad studies as science, mathematics, economics, and of course, advanced technology.

Without a doubt, women represent half of the Muslim world’s human resources, and can play an indispensable part in development. They should not be confined to the kitchen. Rather, they should be encouraged to pursue their studies, have careers that make a contribution to their society, and be empowered in decision making processes.


A Profile of Cambodia’s Muslims

About 90% of Cambodia’s 13.6 million people are Khmers, who practice Buddhism. The other 10% comprise a variety of ethnic and religious groups, including Vietnamese, Chinese, highland minorities, and Chams.

The Chams are a diverse group; most of them descend from the Kingdom of Champa and Malays (primarily of Javanese extraction). The Kingdom of Champa controlled what is now south and central Vietnam from the 2nd through the 17th centuries; its peoples converted from Hinduism to Islam in the 15th century.

The Champa Kingdom’s defeat at the hands of the Vietnamese in the 15th and 18th centuries forced the Champa king and many of his followers to flee to Cambodia, where most Cham live today. The Malay influence on Chams is felt through their language, which is based on Arabic and is akin to Bahasa Malaysia and Bahasa Indonesia.

All of Cambodia’s Cham Muslims are Sunnis of the Shafii School. They practice two types of Islam:

- There is a small traditionalist branch (about 35 villages) which retains many ancient Muslim and pre-Muslim rites and traditions (e.g., from Buddhism and Hinduism), and takes a more liberal interpretation of Islam. This community’s attitudes toward women are also more liberal; for example, few women cover their heads outside the area of the mosque.


Cake procession to the mosque during
the Malut festival in the traditional village
of Sre Prey, O'Russey sub-district,
Kampong Tralach district,
Kampong Chhnang province





































Women at the mosque in Sre Prey





- The far larger orthodox Cham community takes a more conservative approach to the practice of Islam and has adopted many Malay customs and practices. In these communities, women lead more separate lives than men. Women in the orthodox community generally wear the veil on their heads and in a few communities are completely covered except for their eyes.

However, in neither community do women appear to participate actively in social or political affairs, instead, they follow the instructions of community religious leaders or their husbands and fathers. The author has not observed any differences between the two communities in terms of the percentage of women who attend schools. This may be due more to external factors (the banning of head scarves by many public schools) than community willingness to educate girls, as discussed below.

Like other Cambodians, most Chams live in rural areas, where they are primarily engaged in fishing and farming. Most of them are concentrated along rivers in 6 of Cambodia’s 22 provinces: Kampong Cham, Kampot, Pursat, Battambang, Kandal, and Kampong Chhnang.

It is believed that in 1975, when the Khmer Rouge took control of Cambodia, the country’s Cham population was around 700,000. The Chams suffered a devastating loss of people under the Khmer Rouge regime (called Democratic Kampuchea), with an estimated 400,000 to 500,000 dying. Today, about 500,000 Chams live in Cambodia. There is evidence to suggest that the Khmer Rouge persecuted the Cham Muslims on religious and ethnic grounds. Documentation Center of Cambodia scholar Osman Ysa has posited that Chams were killed a rate nearly double to triple that of the general Cambodian population during the Democratic Kampuchea regime (Oukoubah: Justice for the Cham Muslims under Democratic Kampuchea, DC-Cam, 2002).

During the period of Khmer Rouge rule (April 1975 – January 1979), Chams were not allowed to worship. Most of the country’s 130 mosques were destroyed or desecrated, and only about 20 of the most prominent Cham clergy in Cambodia survived the regime.

Like people throughout Cambodia at the end of Democratic Kampuchea, about three-quarters of the regime’s survivors were women. These widows became the heads of their families and bore most of the responsibility for putting their country back together (it was a policy of the regime to kill educated people; thus, most of the survivors of Democratic Kampuchea could not read or write). Many also suffered from psychological problems and trauma as a result of the loss of family members, hunger, forced labor, imprisonment, and other privations during the regime.

Despite women’s crucial role in helping Cambodia to recover, traditional gender inequality subsequently resurfaced in all realms of Cham life, including that of education. This has left a large proportion of Cambodian Muslim women with few literacy skills today.


Education for Cambodia’s Muslims

The Larger Cham Community

Most of Cambodia’s Muslims do not seem to be aware of the importance of modern education and its role in economic development. Instead, imams, hakim and tuan (community religious leaders), who have a powerful influence on their communities, stress religious education almost exclusively. To make matters worse, scholars seem to have neglected the role of general education and its importance for the Cambodian Muslim community. When other Islamic countries have studied education here, they, too, are largely concerned with religious education.

Girls studying Islamic texts in a traditional Cham village,
O'Russey sub-district, Kampong Tralach district

In Cambodia, the percentage of uneducated Muslim people is high, and even most hakim and tuan are illiterate. They don’t have general knowledge and cannot write in Khmer, which is Cambodia’s official language.

Because these leaders lack modern education, they address disputes in the traditional way. For example, when a conflict arises between villagers, the imam, hakim and tuan usually resolve it based on their personal experience. But their solutions don’t always employ logic or strategy, and as a result the conflicting parties often do not reconcile effectively. Finding solutions that work requires a wide range of knowledge and experience that include both religious and modern ways.

Further, few of the tuan in rural areas who teach Muslim children about the holy Qur-An and Islamic law have an adequate standard of living because they do not have a modern education. If they had more than religious knowledge, they could use their skills to help improve their community’s standard of living, as well as enhance their own lives.

Last year, I began working on a project that is recording the oral histories of the Chams during the Khmer Rouge regime. As part of my work, I asked religious leaders and lay people to complete questionnaires on their experiences and views relating to this period of history. I have observed that most villagers, hakim and tuan cannot write well or don’t know how to write. When I asked them why, most complained that they are illiterate and some said that they lack education.

Many young Cambodian Muslims recognize that a modern education is vital to their future, but have little to no opportunity to get one beyond high school. So instead, they study Islam and acquire mostly religious knowledge. In answering my questions about studying abroad, they said they had no alternative but to pursue the study of religious subjects.


The Educational Status and Prospects for Cham Women

Democratic Kampuchea left in its wake a legacy of illiteracy, and women (both Cham and Buddhist) suffer from higher rates of illiteracy than men to this day. Much of this phenomenon can be attributed to economic and cultural factors.

Poverty is a pervasive and self-perpetuating influence on women’s lack of education. Many Cham girls, like their Buddhist counterparts, are unable to complete primary school because they are put in charge of taking care of their younger brothers and sisters at home, doing household chores such as gathering firewood and water, and working on the family farm, especially at harvest time. In addition, such direct expenses for school as fees, clothing and notebooks, as well as the indirect costs of the loss of labor to the household, can be prohibitive for many families. This represents a vicious cycle, wherein poverty forces girls to labor for the family instead of attending school. Without an education, women have little means of earning a living outside the home, reinforcing their impoverishment in the future.

Women in conservative Kampong Keh village are studying in a religious class.
They have been forced to drop out of school because of the policy banning head
scarves in classes. (Kampong Keh sub-district, Trapeang Sangke district,
Kampot province)

Cultural factors also have a strong role in preventing many Cham women from completing school. Cham girls begin their religious studies at around the age of six; these classes are taught by a tuan in a girl’s village or one nearby. They are required to wear a headscarf, long blouse and skirt, and to strictly follow codes of Islamic behavior. However, once they enter puberty and prepare to enter secondary school, problems begin. Formal education is not mandatory in Cambodia and in most secondary schools, the wearing of head scarves is not permitted. This policy places both girls and their parents in a dilemma.

If the parents insist that the daughter wear a scarf in class, she will be asked to leave school. But if they decide to let the girl remove her scarf, she will be in direct violation of Islamic religious principles and tradition. Thus, many parents elect to have their daughters drop out of school; afterward, the girls often help at home with housework and study religion. The daughters themselves have little say in the matter.

The author made several trips to Kampot and Battambang provinces during 2004 and 2005 to learn about some of the problems Cham women face in their communities. In the village of Kampong Keh in Kampot province, for example, interviews were conducted with imam, hakim, tuan, and a group of approximately 35 Muslim men and women around the age of 16.

In this orthodox Cham village, where about 250 families live, it is difficult to see Muslim women in secondary school; instead, most dropped out at when their primary education was completed. When asked why this was, I was told that the reason was due to Islamic teaching, norms, and economic necessity. The requirements for girls to cover their heads in both class and public, and Muslim codes of behavior meant that girls could not continue with their schooling.

There was little difference in the orthodox village of O-kcheay in Battambang province, where the practice of Islam is very strict. Women there wear a black veil that covers all of their faces except the eyes and long black dresses. There, I interviewed two women who had given birth on the day the Khmer Rouge entered Phnom Penh and began forcing its inhabitants to leave the city: April 17, 1975.

The daughter of one of the women, who is now age 30, was nearly completely covered according to the prescriptions of Islamic code. She told me that she dropped out of school at a very young age because of her school’s prohibition on head coverings. In addition, poverty forced her to stay at home. This woman stated that she very much wanted an academic education, but that circumstances had forced her to give up hope of obtaining one.

The picture for urban Muslim women is somewhat brighter: they are generally better educated than their rural sisters and many of them work outside the home, largely as a result of economic necessity. But in urban areas, too, “economic necessity” can also mean that a girl must drop out of school and work to support her family. In addition, many parents feel that girls do not need to pursue more than a primary school education; all they need to do is to be able to read and write. And many men feel that their wives’ and daughters’ place is at home, taking care of the children.

In both rural and urban poor families, which must often make economic tradeoffs in order to survive economically, the decision is often made to allow the male children to attend school while the daughters stay at home. In addition, men are encouraged and given preference in applying for scholarships to complete their higher educations. This has helped keep literacy rates at low levels for Cham women. Last, the position of women – no matter what their religious background – has not been a matter of concern to the Royal Government of Cambodia.

The Cambodian Muslim Students Association conducted a survey on the position of men and women in Cambodia in 2003. Their data show that men play a much more important role than women in the community. For instance, only one woman appears in the list of the country’s seventeen Muslim leaders in the country (Table 1). It is worth noting that today, no Chams have positions of authority in the Ministry of Education (earlier, however, H.E. Tollah was minister of education and he was a Cham).


Conclusions

The impact of failing to understand modern education, social needs, the advances of technology, and in particular, the role of women in development, will be to weaken the community deeply in terms of rising violence, illiteracy and poverty. How can Chams find jobs if they have only religious training? How can they develop their community if they have little knowledge of the modern world? And why has the Cambodian Muslim community lagged so far behind its neighbors in Southeast Asia in terms of education, health, and economic infrastructure?

Addressing these problems will depend on Muslim themselves, and on advocacy and technical assistance from the national and international communities. The recognition and acceptance of Muslim women’s roles in development and empowering them in the education, economics, social, health and political spheres is the best solution for the Cambodian Muslim community.

To develop the country and raise literacy, Cambodia must keep up with global changes by obtaining modern education in addition to religious knowledge. Hakim, imam and tuan should, for example, be educated in management and administration in order to resolve community problems. All Chams should also be encouraged to pursue higher education. And last, Allah said that human beings should have both modern and religious knowledge (Ilmu Dunia and Ilmu Akhirat) in order to live in prosperity. This includes women, who will not be able to advance in society without proper knowledge and education.

On behalf of Muslim women, I would like to appeal to both Muslim and non-Muslim countries to grant more scholarships to women so they can obtain general educations. And schools should reconsider their stance on the wearing of head scarves in public schools, which has prevented many Cham women from obtaining an education. These simple actions will give Cambodia’s Muslim women opportunities to play a crucial role in their communities, and help them prosper in the economic, political, social, health, and other arenas.

The Following Description is the Cambodia’s Muslim Leaders historical recorded for the Mandate of (2003-2008)*

1 - H.E. Othsman Hassan
- Secretary of State, Ministry of Labor and Vocational Training
- Advisor and Special Envoy to Prime Minister Samdech Hun Sen
- President of Cambodian Muslim Development Foundation (CMDF)
- Secretary General, the Foundation for Cambodian People’s Poverty Alleviation (PAL)
- Vice-Director of Cambodian Islamic Center (CIC)
- Patron of Islamic Medical Association of Cambodia (IMAC)
- Chairperson of the Islamic World and Malay to Cambodia (IWMC)
CPP

2- H.E. Zakarya Adam
- Secretary of State, Ministry of Cults and Religion
- Vice President of CMDF
- General Secretary of CIC

- Vice-Chairperson of IWMC
CPP

3- H.E. Sith Ibrahim
- Secretary of State, Ministry of Cults and Religion
FUN


4- H.E. Dr. Sos Mousine
- Under Secretary of State, Ministry of Rural Development
- President of Cambodian Muslim Students Association and IMAC
- Member of CMDF
- Under-General Secretary of CIC
CPP

5- H.E. Sem Sokha
- Under Secretary of State, Ministry of Social Affairs and Veterans
- Member of CMDF
CPP

6- Her.E. Madame Kob Mariah
- Under Secretary, Ministry of Women
- General Secretary of Cambodian Islamic Women Development
- Cambodian Islamic Women’s Development Organization Association and member of CMDF
CPP

7- H.E. Msas Loh
- Under Secretary of State, Office of the Council of Ministers
- Patron of Cambodian Islamic Association
CPP

8 H.E. Paing Punyamin
- Member of Parliament representing Kampong Chhnang
- Member of CMDF
- Executive Member of CIC
CPP

9- H.E. Sman Teath
- Member of Parliament representing Pursat
- Member of CMDF

- Under-General Secretary of CIC
CPP

10- H.E. Ahmad Yahya
- Member of Parliament representing Kampong Cham
- President of Cambodian Islamic Development Association (CIDA)
SRP


11- H.E. Wan Math
- Member of the Senate
- President of Cambodian Islamic Association
CPP


12- H.E. Sabo Bacha
- Member of the Senate
FUN


13- Mr. Sem Soprey
- Vice Governor of Kampong Cham province
- Member of CMDF
CPP


14- Mr. Saleh Sen
- Vice Governor of Kampong Chhnang province
- Member of CMDF


15- H.E. Ismail Osman
- Advisor to Samdech Krompreah Norodom Rannarith, President of the National Assembly
FUN

16- General Chao Tol
- Assistant to the Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Cambodia
CPP

17- General Sen Komary
- Head of Department of Health, Ministry of National Defense
- Member of IMAC
CPP


**Note:
Three other leaders of the Muslim community – H.E. Tollah, H.E. Math Ly, and Sou Zakarya, have died since 2003. All three were men.

*** Others
CPP : Cambodian People’s Party
FUN : FUNCINPEC Party
SRP : Sam Rainsy Party (opposition)


Unfortunately, there is little to no data available on the literacy rates of the larger Cham community or its women in particular (literacy is self-reported in Cambodia). According to the World Fact Book, the literacy rate for Cambodia as a whole is about 69% (81% for men and 59% for women). It is assumed here that this rate is the same for the subpopulation of Chams. From the author’s personal observations, the literacy rate of Cham women may be as low as 35%.










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