Religions of Cambodia
followers of Islam in Cambodia and both countries also have a considerable Christian population.
BUDDHISM
Theravada Buddhism defines most cultural practices in Cambodia and Laos, and entering monkhood is thought to accrue many benefits. Most men become monks for a short period in their lives, typically between three months and three years, living under a set of strict monastic rules.
Women are also allowed to become monks, although it is usually later in life, often after the death of their husbands.
Buddhism in Cambodia is influenced by Hinduism and animism. These influences are visible not just in rituals and ceremonies, but also in temples such as the Bayon in Angkor Thom where statues of the Buddha coexist with those of Hindu gods.
ANIMIST BELIEFS
Animism is practiced by the 50 or so ethnic minorities in Laos, who follow varied forms of its rituals and customs.
Several Lowland Lao also retain a belief in phi (spirits), which are associated with numerous aspects of day-to-day life, including health, the house, and nature. Believers show respect to all spirits, except the mneang phteah and mrenh kongveal, who are considered troublemakers and also
capable of causing serious illness.
Animist customs among ethnic minorities include leaving offerings of food and burning incense sticks
to placate spirits. Ancestor worship is important for a number of groups such as the Lao Theung, the Lao Sung, and the hill tribes of Cambodia, including the Khmer Leu.
Spirit houses are shrines to animist spirits. Virtually every household, office, and shop has one since they are believed to act as a safeguard against malevolent forces.
ISLAM
A majority of Muslims, numbering about 250,000 in Cambodia and some 500 in Laos, are of Cham origin, although a few are ethnic Malays. Belonging to the Sunni sect of Islam, the Cambodian Chams, who suffered terribly under the Khmer Rouge, live on the coast of Cambodia in fishing communities. The Chams of Laos live mostly in Vientiane.
Khmer Islam, the name given to the Muslims in Cambodia, traditionally practiced a syncretic form of the religion, incorporating animist beliefs. In recent years, however, they have become more orthodox.
Islamic places of worship were ransacked under the Khmer Rouge and an estimated 132 mosques were destroyed. Today, however, many new mosques are being built along the coast of Cambodia.
Cham villagers on the coast of Cambodia are experiencing a resurgence in Islamic culture and pride.
OTHER RELIGIONS
Christianity, Confucianism, and the Baha’i faith are among the other religions practiced in Cambodia and Laos. There is a substantial, and expanding, Christian population in both countries, along with small numbers of followers of the Baha’i and Confucian faiths. Evangelical and Mormon churches are active in Cambodia, but proselytizing was officially banned in 2007, after missionary groups were accused of trying to convert people by offering free food and clothing.
Confucianism is practiced by many ethnic Chinese in the region. The religion is based on the teachings of the highly revered Chinese sage and philosopher Confucius (551–479 BC), who outlined a code of moral, social, and political ethics that includes loyalty to the state and to the family.
Abdu’l-Bahá was the eldest son and successor of Bahá’u’lláh, the founder of the Baha’i faith.
There are around 8,000 followers of this faith in Laos, and Vientiane, the capital, houses a National Spiritual Assembly, or elected council, which leads the faith.
Christianity has had a foothold in the region since 1556. There are around 120,000 Christians in Laos
and around 20,000 in Cambodia. Laos officially recognizes three churches – Roman Catholic, Lao
Evangelical, and Seventh-Day Adventist – but there are several other denominations as well.
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